Blueprint for February
The Path Forward
By Jessica Hoefer
3 min read
As I write this month’s Blueprint it is a quiet, snowy MLK Day. A day to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work to achieve racial and economic equality. But as I reflect on his altruism, I realize he was so much more than a minister and civil rights leader.
Dr. King recognized housing as a core component of racial justice, but today, his work in equitable and fair housing is often overlooked. During the 1966 open housing marches in Chicago—also known as the Chicago Freedom Movement—Dr. King’s name was closely associated with fair housing legislation. His effort and influence were instrumental in the passing of the Federal Fair Housing Act in 1968. As Dr. King did not live to see the culmination of his advocacy, President Johnson deemed its long-awaited enactment a fitting memorial to his life’s work.
Fifty years later, the act is still in place, and progress has been made in equitable housing, but Dr. King’s housing vision has yet to be fully realized.
Though affordable housing can advance the goal of integration, affordable housing policies and fair housing policies are not the same. It is important to remember that simply creating the former does not mean the latter has been achieved. But affordable projects are an opportunity to accomplish both.
The path forward is through the embodiment of practices like Enterprise Community Partners’ approach to industry-wide inclusivity with its Equitable Path Forward program – created to help developers of color access capital and technical assistance for long-term and sustainable growth. (Shaping a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry) And in making the case for more federal advocacy by taking the long view and continuing to build momentum, we get closer and closer to important legislative victories. (Industry Insights)
Activism and programs like these prove it is possible to honor the past while supporting and advancing newer visionaries. This is why it is important to consider the strategic direction and growth opportunities of the industry from the next generation of industry leaders. (Breaking Ground)
Along this arduous path are waypoints to help us navigate. Such waypoints include addressing the lack of mainstream funding options for the workforce and middle-income housing (Cooperation, Innovation, and Thought); learning about and advocating for the proposed workforce housing tax credit (Legally Speaking); using in-house design to keep rents low (Case Study: Gorman Uses In-House Design to Keep Rents Low); and supporting transitional housing for youth (Case Study: Launchpad Apartments, Colorado Springs, CO) – to name a few. It is through these stopping points, course changes, and milestones that the affordable housing industry advances.
As we look back on how far we’ve come and acknowledge the road ahead, may you be inspired by Dr. King’s vision and continue to strive to make his dream a reality.
Regards,
Jessica Hoefer
Editor-in-Chief
