Vinegar Hill, the Charlottesville, Virginia, community where Carmelita Wood was born, isn’t here anymore. Once a thriving neighborhood of Black-owned homes and businesses, it was razed in the 1960s, part of an urban renewal program.

Monica Dixon hadn’t heard the term “passive home” until she was looking at buying one. But two things became clear soon after she talked with NeighborGood Partners, the NeighborWorks® network organization that created the first passive homes in the state of Delaware. 

NeighborWorks® America network organizations and industry professionals met at the national nonprofit’s Washington, D.C. headquarters this month to talk about “Getting to the North Star for Shared Equity Housing.” Through five dedicated congressional appropriations beginning in 2019, NeighborWorks invested $12 million to strengthen the national infrastructure for shared equity homeownership. “Now it’s time to figure out what’s next, how to forge partnerships and how to keep moving forward," said Jenne Gaynor, director of Shared Equity Housing for NeighborWorks.

NeighborWorks® America’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) have a significant impact on the nation’s housing and on businesses.

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.

What’s the best way to get closer to the American Dream of homeownership?

“Housing counseling,” agreed panelists for a National Housing Council webinar held Tuesday and sponsored by NeighborWorks® America. Financial education and partnerships are also key as families work to build wealth they can pass on to future generations.

Try hiring a builder in Keyes, Oklahoma. This rural town sits more than four hours from Oklahoma City, and few construction workers will make that drive. Even those who do face additional time and fuel costs as they travel to and from the nearest lumber supplier. So the housing that exists in areas like this just grows older and  more scarce. 

Affordable housing and “dream homes” aren’t often part of the same conversation. But at come dream, come build (cdcb) in Brownsville, Texas, they’re one and the same. cdbc’s award-winning program, DreamBuild, creates volumetric modular grow homes – houses that are built in a factory, installed on-site and can easily be expanded as residents’ needs and finances shift. It's the type of regional solution that the NeighborWorks network is known for.

The cost of housing in the U.S. has been climbing and for many families, it’s harder than ever to keep up. Between rising property values, stricter lending conditions and limited access to upfront capital, the path to homeownership can feel nearly impossible, especially for first-time buyers without financial support.  

After years of conversations and planning, the Fort Hall Housing Authority, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and NeighborWorks Pocatello recently developed a down payment assistance program that expands access to homeownership both on and off Tribal land. The Tribal Council approved the agreement this month, marking an important milestone in a partnership built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to addressing housing needs.