Network leaders representing 48 states and Puerto Rico gathered in Washington, D.C., last week for the annual NeighborWorks Executive Symposium (NES). The two-day event, Reshaping Tomorrow: Investing in People & Transforming Communities, was a time for candid conversations and peer learning as the leaders talked about the most important issues facing their community development nonprofits.
NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez kicked off the event by assuring the attendees that while the affordable housing and community development industry is facing tough times and headwinds, NeighborWorks stands ready to assist however the nonprofit is able.
“Our mission has never been more relevant than it is now,” she said. “The work you’re doing sustains us.”
Rodriguez noted the rising costs of doing business – including the costs of materials, insurance and access to capital. She said NeighborWorks would continue its portfolio-strengthening clinics and support of capital corporations to help tackle these obstacles.
The industry has faced tough obstacles before, she said, citing the foreclosure crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic and NeighborWorks’ response to both. In the face of each, the network has shown resilience and a readiness to serve and collaborate. “Innovation never happens in a vacuum,” she said.
In a state-of-the-network report, Michael Butchko, vice president of Business Intelligence, talked about the power of the network of nearly 250 organizations across the country. “The NeighborWorks network has grown in sophistication, both from the new affiliates, but also from the existing organizations that were here 25 years ago,” he said.
Among the obstacles the network has had to face is a significant increase in insurance rates. In the five-year period between 2017 and 2022, the price of homeowner insurance rose 40%. Across the country, 14% of homeowners are currently uninsured due to rising costs, even in areas at high risk of natural disasters.
Meanwhile, no geography in the country is affordable to the lowest income residents. “None,” he said. “Zero.” The housing shortage remains.
So do concerns about economic challenges – both for the network organizations and the people they serve. It’s a time of transition, and a time when many organizations feel vulnerable.
Rodriguez acknowledged those feelings amid “headwinds… But the work by NeighborWorks and your work is completely in line with what we were created to do some 45 years ago,” she said, adding that the network has faced hard times before – through a foreclosure crisis, through a pandemic, and more.
“Leadership is about confronting brutal facts by maintaining unwavering faith that you can overcome them.”
Maria Garciaz, longtime CEO of NeighborWorks Salt Lake, agreed during a fireside chat, and said that tough times can be made easier when you rely on others. “This network has always stepped up for me. Lean into the network. I am remaining optimistic.”
Butchko highlighted some reasons for that optimism with wins for the network is in the rental housing space, now at an all-time network high. And four NeighborWorks organizations listed, built or acquired more than 1,100 homes apiece over the last five years: Aeon, in Minnesota; Self-Help Enterprises in central California; Eden Housing in California; and Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership.
Meanwhile, the count of new homeowners held steady last year in spite of ever-increasing home prices. Four NeighborWorks organizations reported more than 2,500 new homebuyers over the last five years: Neighbor to Neighbor in Colorado; Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma; Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services in Southern California; and Pathstone, working in New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.
The NeighborWorks network and community development corporations around the country are a key part of this country's infrastructure, Butchko shared. “Just like bridges and railways, airports and shipping ports, our organizations have formed a partnership with government at all levels resulting in millions of families living in safe, decent, affordable housing.”
Rodriguez shared her gratitude for the leaders and their “unwavering commitment across the network, putting people at the center of our work … Whether it’s peer learning, cross-sector partnerships or resident engagement, the power of the network really is our most valuable asset.”
Yvette Williams, senior manager of Leadership Programs, said this year's symposium was bursting with energy. "Our network leaders, officers, partners and staff were engaged in powerful dialogues sharing vast stories of impact. There is immense power when a group of people with shared interests gather to reshape tomorrow, invest in people, and transform communities."
