Resources to Stabilize Families

If you've done more than a couple dozen homeowner visits for your ABWK program you know that our partner families tend to have multiple needs.

What we have found is that most of a families additional needs outside of home maintenance also impact their housing stability.

These families may need support in the area of financial counseling, mental health, basic needs (food, clothing etc.), health care

Today, we have several partner agencies that we can refer folks to so they can get additional support to remain living in their home.

We are updating our referral handout we give homeowners (and working on putting it on our website) so families have list of trusted "go to" resources available to them.

To get an idea of what we're attempting to put together see preserveourhome.com

We provide a variety of services related to housing such as interior/exterior maintenance and restoration, financial counseling and diy homeowner support.

However, we also want to be a referral resource through partner organizations to more broadly help struggling families stabilize their situations.

Stabilizing Families Through Collaborative Efforts

For the last year and a half, I have been involved with a suburban group called the Community Support Center. We are working together to stabilize families housing situations through a unique partnership of school districts, churches, county/municipalities, business and agency representatives.

We began because many of us were dealing with the same families and duplicating our efforts with very limited resources and results. We wanted to make a bigger impact and felt that pooling our resources and coordinating services would create a bigger impact for those we serve.

The Community Support Center began providing services through a foundation grant and support from Ramsey County and several local churches. We started out coordinating finacial crises support for rental assistance, utilities, moving etc.

However, our desire was to focus more on partnering with families, building long-term relationships and providing an environment to help families move into stable living situations.

Over the last couple months we have been working to find a partner agency that will coordinate the crises support so that the Community Support Center can focus on building relationships and long-term family stability.

So moving forward will be training volunteers to walk alongside families and together figure out permanent solutions out of poverty. Having neighbors partnering with neighbors will be our main focus moving forward. 

Beyond NRI

The Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative has help us look at our urban work in broader terms. It has also helped us create new and stronger community partnerships.

However, as we look to concentrate more of our work in older suburban communities revitalization takes on a different feel. In many of these communities are seeing themselves as needing a sprucing up not an overhaul.

Many of these communities have a vibrant school district, park system, and business district that may need "updating" or new development but do not see themselves in dire straights.

What if area's do not want the tag of being revitalized? Could this label be a detriment for attracting families, businesses and broader community development? Also, most of our suburban communities do not have designated neighborhoods but are divided by broader designations such as school districts.

I prefer the designation of development, whether it's community or family. Development gives us the ability to communicate our desire to help families and communities move forward from wherever their at to wherever they want to go.

NRI is a good concept for urban neighborhood revitalization efforts and can be applied anywhere. However, when introducing the concept in non-urban settings, it should be communicated in different terminology that fits a more diverse geographic area.

CCDA - Join the movement along with HFHI

The CCDA vision is to see Christians and the ministries that they lead work effectively to bring the biblically informed philosophy of Christian Community Development to bear in under-resourced neighborhoods, resulting in flourishing neighborhoods for the glory of God!

I have been to 3 of their national conference which were inspirational and beneficial to our neighborhood work. The conference allowed us to connect with other ministries and agencies that do community development. We were able to also connect with some groups from our own community that were at the conference and begin to build significant partnerships.

This past year's conference was held in New Orleans and was attended by 2500 practitioners from around the country and world. It is also so refreshing to see such a diverse group representing many different cultures. While the conference is geared to urban revitalization it also has much to offer those working in rural settings as well.

Finally, it was wonderful to see HFHI represented and teaching a couple of workshops on NRI. I have not seen many affiliates represented at the conference in the past but am hoping we will begin to build a presence. This years conference is September 24-27 in Raleigh, NC and co-hosted by the Wake County Habitat affiliate. So if you can attend it would be a great way to make some new connections and help improve your affiliates impact.

For more information on the Christian Community Development Association and the 2014 National Conference click here: ccda.org

Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative - NRI

We have had two area's designated as NRI neighborhoods. We have built, rehabbed and completed several ABWK projects in these places. They are also neighborhoods in which we have worked in for many years.

Since we have made an effort to target these 2 neighborhoods, we have been able to build and strengthen partnerships with variety of community groups. Yet, after serving many families, completing housing assessments in the neighborhood and doing several outreach activities, we are reviewing how we move forward.

Community Development is a major commitment. NRI must include all community stakeholders that see the importance of a comprehensive approach to neighborhood revitalization.

And while we feel Habitat can be a valuable partner in an overall community strategy to revitalize neighborhoods, it is just one strategy in our overall effort to provide decent and affordable housing to a much broader constituency.

We provide a continuum of housing solutions in a variety of communities that are in our service area and where there is community support (homeowners in need, funding/sponsors, volunteers and other partners).

However, our primary focus has always been on the families we serve and telling their story. It is what has made our ABWK program very successful. NRI, Veterans Initiative, health and safety emphasis are just some of the ways in which we provide services in an overall strategy.

I know that in certain communities NRI can be a central focus that provides a lot of community energy and support. However, I would caution not to let it be the only driving force in serving families. A careful assessment of the resources required to take on NRI must be weighed with the actual outcomes from a highly targeted effort.

If all the pieces can come together to create a successful, targeted approach, then NRI can be an effective strategy. However, we need to remember that NRI is a targeted strategy to serve communities. It is not the actual service we provide to partner with families.

NRI should be an outgrowth of our services to families that will give them broader support to live successful lives.

Christian Community Development Association

I heard about the wonderful work of CCDA a couple of years ago. However, it wasn’t until I went to their conference last year that I realized what a transforming work this ministry was having across cultures and across the nation. Below is a brief summary of their philosophy. 

"Those back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire." Neh. 1:3b. This describes the situation in parts of most American cities today. These desperate conditions call for a revolution within the church and cannot be solved without strong commitment and risky actions on the part of ordinary Christians with heroic faith.

The most creative long-term solutions to the problems of the poor are coming from grass roots and church-based efforts. They are coming from people who see themselves as the agents for Jesus here on earth, in their own neighborhoods and communities.

This philosophy is known as Christian Community Development and is based on the following principles: Relocation: (living among the people), Reconciliation, Redistribution (just distribution of resources), Leadership Development, Listening to Community, Church-Based Wholistic Approach and Empowerment.

There are over 600 organizations in over 200 cities practicing Christian Community Development. These churches and ministries are showing that it is possible that the church can live out the love of God and are the most effective agents for healing of the poor.

If your affiliate is involved in NRI/community development or just want to increase the effectiveness of the housing services you already provide, I would highly recommend connecting with the CCDA and their members in your community. Also, HFHI will be part of the CCDA conference Oct. 12-16 in Indianapolis, IN.

For more information check out the video below or go to ccda.org abwk habitat for humanity