Why It Matters

“Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat
to human security everywhere.”
~ Kofi Annan, Seventh Secretary-General
of the United Nations

Hope through Housing believes that affordable housing can be a platform for transformational change at the individual and neighborhood level. For households, securing affordable housing supports economic and social stability, which enables families to regain self-sufficiency and independence and can lead to greater prospects for mobility and improved quality of life. For the children in these households, this economic and social stability secures a safe haven for them in which they learn and grow and gives them a better chance of succeeding in school and beyond and of breaking the cycle of generational poverty.

At the neighborhood level, affordable housing sites can be hubs for community revitalization. Whether serving as centers for community activities or attracting new investments —both financial and social— to the area, affordable housing can be a catalyst for improving neighborhood appearance, reducing crime and delinquency, and nurturing community-wide well-being. And the two levels are interconnected: stronger individuals and families contribute to stronger communities, and affordable housing is a starting point for both.

But while access to affordable housing can be a launching pad for these aspirations, transformational change and an improved quality of life are by no means foregone conclusions.

This is where Hope through Housing plays a critical role: we aim to deliver and coordinate community services for residents that are designed to help them stabilize their lives, pursue new economic and social opportunities, and achieve better quality of life not only through affordable housing but through social connections, services, and systems that help residents and communities thrive.