Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger “It’s obvious to me that if [people with disabilities] are not in the room, we are not included in the discussion at all as a community of people. This is how I ended up effectively homeless for four months.” — Melissa Mitchell, disability ambassador Mitchell…

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger A news release late last year carried this headline: “Boston Medical Center is investing $6.5 million over five years to support a wide range of affordable housing initiatives.” The release went on to say, “BMC isn’t building its own housing units or serving as a…

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger It’s been almost six months since Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, and 10–15 percent of residents still do not have electricity. The federal Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which was set to expire March 20 (now extended until May 14), still is housing nearly 10,000…

Keith Getter, Senior Relationship Manager, Northeast Region I recently visited Puerto Rico along with NeighborWorks America Regional Vice President Joan Straussman to assess the damage that still exists months after Hurricane Maria hit, learn firsthand the progress being made by our three network members on the ground and chart a…

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger The regular, thorough organizational assessments required of all nonprofits wanting to become and stay members of the NeighborWorks network is daunting. There is no denying it: The process requires significant staff time and is both demanding and rigorous. But it is a compelling point of…

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most celebrated groundhog, scurried back into his tunnel Feb. 2. According to folklore, that means winter will continue for six more weeks — continuing a season that included a “bomb cyclone” that, in many areas, was the most frigid stretch of…

Pam Bailey, NeighborWorks America blogger “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind and flight to the imagination.” These are the words of Plato, and centuries later, music continues to be a building block of community-building and engagement. …

Ascala Tsegaye Sisk, vice president of community initiatives How do you design a public space for everyone — a space that is not only welcoming and inclusive but fosters a sense of community and well-being? Kenneth Balfelt says you need to be strategically unprepared. That is, you should start with…

Douglas Robinson, senior manager of media relations The U.S. housing market is projected to continue its positive pace in 2018 as recent ficscal policy changes flow through the system. However, affordability for first-time homebuyers will remain challenging as prices rise across the country, mortgage rates inch higher and fewer entry-level…