The Future of Black Middle Neighborhoods

In This Issue: Don't Diminish the Importance of Homeownership in CRA Reform ● The Future of Black Middle Neighborhoods ● Changing the Way We Think About Poor Rural Communities ● Also: Jobs ● Resources ● In Case You Missed It +

Week of August 19 In This Issue: What is the Future of the Black Urban Middle Neighborhood? ● Changing the Way We Think About Poor Rural Communities ● Don't Diminish the Importance of Homeownership in CRA Reform ● Also: Jobs ● Resources ● In Case You Missed It + What is the Future of the Black Urban Middle Neighborhood? By Alan Mallach, Center for Community Progress Both the nation’s racial discriminatory past and the economic realities of today are to blame for the current state of the housing market in longstanding African-American urban middle neighborhoods. But what does the future hold for them? Here's why we should care . . . Read Full Article Changing the Way We Think About Poor Rural Communities Interview by Miriam Axel-Lute, Shelterforce Rural communities vary—by climate, geography, and often race. But in many other ways, they are far more similar than they are different. We speak with Bill Bynum of HOPE in the Mississippi Delta and Jim King of Fahe in Appalachia Kentucky about these differences. Read Full Article Don’t Diminish Importance of Homeownership in CRA Reform Josh Silver, National Community Reinvestment Coalition Some have suggested that because stagnant wages, high housing costs, and housing supply bottlenecks have created major barriers to homeownership, CRA exams should diminish their attention to home mortgage lending. Here’s why doing this would be both moral and economic suicide . . . Read Full Article Rolls up better than your computer, opens faster than your smartphone, instant power on, works anywhere you go! Subscribe to Shelterforce in print! Shelterforce, the original voice of community development! Resources Experts in green building and housing are invited to participate in the open comment period for the 2020 update of the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, the first national standard for developing green affordable housing. Through Aug. 30, practitioners can help decide what green affordable housing should look like, and how affordable housing can advance health, resilience, and environmental responsibility. To submit feedback, click here. We only list free events and resources of national interest. To learn about advertising, click here. You Said It! On Behind the Scenes of NCRC’s Gentrification Report Josh Geyer: Thank you Miriam for trying to give fair representation of all the major viewpoints and concerns about gentrification and displacement in this interview. I think this correctly frames the policy debate in terms of . . . Read More Tamara Wilson: Thanks for posting this! Via Facebook On How to Temper the Influence of Private Equity in Manufactured Housing Frank Bowman: Enticing developers is not the problem. Exclusionary zoning, land and infrastructure costs, local ordinances prohibiting any and all factory built housing, NIMBYs and elected officials who are blatantly prejudicial . . . Read More Prosperity Now: In order for manufactured housing to remain an affordable homeownership solution, and to incentivize its preservation, Prosperity Now is working to advance . . . Via Facebook Lou Tisler: Sharks appear everywhere. I think we need better repellent. Via Twitter On Whose Affordable Housing Crisis? Dolores Rutherford: It is easier for those of middle income to get a mortgage on a house than to rent an apartment. . . . Read More On It Doesn't Matter if Your Neighborhood is Going to Eventually Gentrify Strong Towns: This great essay from Shelterforce makes a provocative point: What if we all stop arguing about which neighborhoods are or aren't gentrifying, and instead try to find a set of policies that will be good for a place, and the people already living in it, *whether or not* rich folks ever become interested in moving in? We'd only add this . . . . Via Facebook On HUD Approves Vouchers for Housing After Foster Care Oregon Housing Alliance: Youth who age out of the foster care system are more likely to experience homelessness, and we know we can do better ... Via Twitter On Q: Is a Land Bank the Same As a Land Trust? Adam Zaranko: Solid simple summary of the key differences between a #landtrust and a #landbank courtesy of @Shelterforce ... Via Twitter On Building Prosperity—A Review of ‘The Making of a Democratic Economy’ Alex Vozer: My opinion about the book is the same . . . a book mapping out how to do it would be great. Via Facebook Looking for a Job? Scroll Down... In Case You Missed It Behind the Scenes of NCRC’s Gentrification Report Informal Gathering Spaces for Healing Community Trauma Shifting our Thinking About Rural Coverage Is Scattered-Site Rehab Always More Expensive Than New Construction?  The Secret History of Area Median Income Loneliness Kills, But Community Developers Can Help Affordable Housing, and a Museum in Harlem Sign up for Shelterforce Weekly! Jobs Policy Analyst ● Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) is the nonprofit umbrella organization for affordable housing and community development activities in Massachusetts. We are seeking a Policy Analyst to work on federal and state housing policy issues, including analyzing and coordinating housing policy, writing policy papers and briefs, and evaluating research and data to inform and further CHAPA’s public policy work. Read Full Listing Executive Director ● The Center for Neighborhoods is seeking a motivated, skilled Executive Director with experience in nonprofit administration and grassroots community planning and development. We are seeking someone to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth through the implementation of a newly adopted strategic plan– a visionary leader to inspire . . . Read Full Listing Executive Director ● Launched in 2011, The Essex Community Land Trust (ECLT) strengthens communities by providing permanently affordable housing and financial empowerment opportunities for low- to moderate-income individuals and working families throughout Essex County. ECLT is looking for an executive director to manage the day to day activities of the organization . . . Read Full Listing Executive Vice President, Program Officer ● The chief program officer will play a central role in advancing this work by guiding the direction, growth and soundness of HOPE’s Commercial Lending (CL) and Community & Economic Development (CED) activities. HOPE’s Commercial Lending team separates itself from other lenders by employing strategies that make capital affordable and . . . Read Full Listing Real Estate Specialist ● The real estate specialist will be an integral member of BCL of Texas Community Development Team and affiliate company, Texas Community Builders. We maintain a portfolio of real estate and community development projects throughout the state. Our products include small footprint homes, energy‐efficient modular housing, commercial real estate including . . . Read Full Listing Counseling Supervisor ● The Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership seeks a Counseling Supervisor who supports BRHP’s mission and purpose and will provide effective supervision and guidance to counseling staff, along with excellent customer service to a diverse client population. This supervisor will ensure that counselors who focus on families that . . . Read Full Listing Click here to post a job! More Jobs Senior Manager, Assessments ● NeighborWorks America Associate Program Officer – Arts and Culture ● The Kresge Foundation Communications Officer ● The Kresge Foundation Editor, Miriam Axel-Lute Managing Editor, Lillian M. Ortiz Senior Editor/Development Manager, Keli A. Tianga Assistant Editor, Elizabeth Oguss Publisher, Harold Simon Made possible by the generous support of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ● Kresge Foundation ● NeighborWorks America ● Kaiser Permanente ● Bank of America Foundation ● JPMorgan Chase Foundation ● Citi Community Development ● PNC Bank Foundation ● Hyde and Watson Foundation ● Ocwen Financial Corporation ● BB&T ● Valley National Bank ...and with the support of readers like you.