Event Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income renters and renters of color over the past three years. In December 2020, 11 million households were significantly behind on their rental or mortgage payments, putting their housing stability at risk. By July 2021, nearly a quarter of Black renters and 19% of Hispanic renters were behind on rent.

In many communities, local nonprofit organizations responded quickly to the needs of their communities.  In fiscal year 2021, NeighborWorks network organizations reported deploying $271.6 million in resources to maintain housing stability, the majority as rental assistance. A recent analysis by the University of Pennsylvania’s Housing Initiative at Penn and the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that four out of five emergency rental assistance programs surveyed were working with nonprofits in some way. Indeed, choosing trusted community partners who truly understand their community is critically important to help reach vulnerable populations. 

But what about your community? How effective has the response been in your area? How are partnerships working to help residents through this challenging time? And more importantly, are there strategies and approaches that can bolster your work in this area? 

Join Neighborworks America for a solutions-focused symposium and learn how nonprofit organizations have been successful in helping to stabilize renters and homeowners in their communities. Highlighting examples from around the country, we’ll explore the importance of local partnerships to strengthen capacity and assist in outreach and service delivery, the role housing counselors play in helping people facing housing instability navigate complex systems, and ways to reach those most impacted – particularly low-income people and people of color – through trusting relationships, language and cultural competency. 

The event will consider:

• How tailoring solutions to the local community advances equity for people of color
• How centering resident voices improves outcomes and promotes equity
• How we can best ensure data is inclusive of all voices and informs solutions

This symposium is designed for:

• Local community development and affordable housing nonprofits
• Local and county government
• State housing finance agencies
• Housing counseling intermediaries
• Funders

This symposium is a part of the NeighborWorks Winter 2023 Virtual Training Institute, February 6-10