Housing is a part of America’s story. Shelter, after all, is integral to our survival.
Since the nation was first formed, people moved with opportunities. They still do. And the housing needs in each region have depended on the region itself. From city apartments to suburban single-family homes, from farmhouses to farm worker housing, our dwellings and communities vary. What does not vary is the desire to have a safe place to call home.
That’s where NeighborWorks® America and its nearly 250 network organizations come in. Together, they have the goal of strengthening communities and ensuring opportunities.
As we reflect on our nation’s founding, NeighborWorks has partnered with America250, a national nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to elevating stories that connect America's past, present and future. And it reflects a commitment to listening to voices from those communities, like the voice of Brian Hutchinson, chief development officer at Community Ventures, a NeighborWorks network organization in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The idea of America was a dream when it started, and homeowners are dreamers by their ery nature,” Hutchinson shared recently. “I think all of us dream about owning a home, whether it be for the first time or maybe the perspective is for the type of wealth it might create for their family through the generations.”
Hutchinson said the founding of America brings him back to the idea that dreams can come true, and that those dreams “allow people to thrive in healthy places.”
NeighborWorks and the network make sure those dreams don’t languish, he says, ensuring “that we can remember where we started and realize that there’s a lot more to come.
In the coming weeks, you’ll hear more from leaders like Hutchinson, reflecting on what the role housing has played in the nation’s founding – and future.
Watch the video of Brian Hutchinson talking about the American Dream.
