The demands on housing and community development organizations are growing. 

Rising costs, increasing complexity and shifting expectations require boards to lead with clarity, adaptability and purpose. For leaders across the NeighborWorks network, the question is no longer whether governance matters; it is whether boards are equipped to meet this moment. 

For Sam Stuckey and Loaida Rodriguez, the answer is clear: Investing in governance is not optional, it is essential. 

NeighborWorks® America’s Training Division knows collaboration is key for participants when they are learning new skills. So in Chicago last month, division leaders piloted a new course with a collaboration focus during the NeighborWorks Training Institute.

When we talk about strengthening affordable housing and community development, we often focus on what is visible. 

Units built. 
Homes preserved. 
Families counseled. 
Dollars leveraged. 

But there is another asset driving every one of those outcomes. 

It does not show up on a construction site. 
It does not sit in a line item. 
It does not appear in a ribbon cutting photo. 

It is professional learning. 

If you work in housing counseling or community development, you know the pressure is real. Renters are navigating rising costs. Funding requirements are tightening. Expectations for compliance and measurable outcomes are growing. 

You do not have time for training that feels theoretical or disconnected from your day-to-day work. 

That is where Regional Group Learning makes the difference. 

Across the country, renters are facing rising costs, limited housing supply and increasing financial pressure. At the same time, housing counselors are on the front lines, helping households navigate complex systems, avoid eviction and build pathways to stability. 

In this moment, credentials matter. 

NeighborWorks® America recognized the achievements of the newest graduates of its Advancing Leaders in Real Estate Program with a ceremony during the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Chicago.

NeighborWorks America capped off its NTI on Friday the way it began: With learning and a focus toward the future. More than 1,000 affordable housing and community developers came from across the U.S. to expand their resources – and capacity – during a weeklong training institute in Chicago.

The upcoming NeighborWorks® Training Institute in Chicago promises to be an incubator for ideas, innovations and energy when it opens on Feb. 23. One of the courses that has people talking is Building Legacies: Property Inheritance and Estate Planning Strategies for Housing Professionals (HO233). The course continues the conversation on how to increase generational wealth and make sure that when families or individuals do buy a home, they are able to pass that wealth on. It should be of particular interest to housing counselors.

One fifth of NeighborWorks® America’s nearly 250 network organizations serve in areas that include Native land or include large Native populations. Many have meaningful partnerships.

But for organizations both in and outside the network that are interested in expanding work in Native communities – or those who have little to no experience working with Native organizations – it can be hard to find the right rhythm and footing. How do you know the best way to approach a Native organization? How can you offer help while centering the community’s vision?