Research

How can housing nonprofit organizations nationwide engage more households in need, especially communities of color? NeighborWorks America is committed to helping them do just that. 

Shared equity housing creates lasting affordability, builds wealth for people with limited incomes and helps create vibrant and inclusive communities. Shared equity programs typically realize these outcomes by limiting the sale or rental price of homes in their portfolios; requiring the sharing of home appreciation gains; and providing homeownership assistance to program residents. Residents and community members often participate in governing shared equity programs through democratic decision-making and/or a cooperative ownership structure. 

This research offers organizational- and policy-level insights into the implementation and sustainability of delivering resident services. To enable and improve this field, a call is made to policymakers and other funders to increase the stability and availability of funding for resident services. This opportunity, if met by government, foundations, private donors, and organizations themselves, has the potential to transform not only the physical, emotional, and financial health of residents, but our definition of and approach to housing as we know it.

This study explores how the community development sector can strengthen the recruitment and retention of staff at all levels — a topic top of mind for organizations around the country. Based upon a review of leadership programs nationwide, it includes concrete next steps to help secure the next generation of community development leaders, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. 

As part of our Native Commitment to leverage NeighborWorks America's expertise and strengths to support practitioners and partner organizations in the Native community development field, we offer this scan as an industry tool to bring to light opportunities and areas for consideration in the Native housing and community development training industry. 

NeighborWorks America's Community Leadership Institute stands out as the nation’s largest effort to amplify resident voices. 

NeighborWorks America's strategic plan calls out the need to better assist underserved populations and to support diversity, equity and inclusion in its programs. One strategic objective includes a goal to develop and resource a Native strategy and to identify opportunities to increase awareness about Native communities including cultural competency and sovereignty.

Over the course of a year, we sought to capture what art, culture and creativity can contribute to creating equitable and engaged communities that offer opportunity to all. Our creative community development report describes our exploration process and findings.

Our Catalytic Grant Program was inspired by our mission to support efforts to build vibrant local communities that provide equitable opportunities for people to thrive. Noting that even years after the Great Recession had officially ended, many communities across the United States were still suffering from housing disinvestment, foreclosures and concentrated poverty, we set out to create a program that could build on the assets in these communities, strengthening the capacity of local organizations to tackle complex issues.