photo by McMorr

Nonprofits can create beauty from a dumpy house.

Photo by Scott Ableman

Now is the time for just about any faith base organization and nonprofit to get into the housing market.  It is time to identify the housing needs of the individuals you serve and create affordable housing options for them.  There are numerous neighborhoods in each state in which there are properties that are run down, foreclosed or in blighted areas.  Make a plan to utilize your resources and make a difference to meet the housing needs of individuals.  You will find that you will find that there will be a mixture of needs.  Affordable housing means that the costs of ones housing whether they own or rent will be within 30-40% of the individual/family income.

Identify the housing needs of those you serve.
Identify the housing needs of the staff you employ.
Identify the housing needs of the geographic communities you serve.

Identify the income means of those you serve.
Identify the income means of the staff you employ.
Identify the income means of the geographic communities you serve.

Create a priority list of the targeted geographic areas.
Create a priority list of the targeted individuals.

Identify the internal resources the organization can bring to the initiative.
Identify the community resources the organization can bring to the initiative.  (i.e. Colleges and other organization to participate)
Identify the individual resources the organization can bring to the initiative.

I close with one FACTOR NOT TO REPEAT.  Do not replicate the response to Katrina.  Over five thousand people are still displaced.  But maybe that also shows a different approach is necessary for some organizations in that area.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Program Development, Strategic Planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.