It's the start of a new season – albeit amid a season of uncertainty. In the past few weeks, we’ve confronted unprecedented disruptions not just to our work, but to the work of our partners and indeed the entire affordable housing and community development sector.
As we embrace the arrival of longer days and warmer temperatures, I’m emboldened by the collective resolve of our allies to protect critical funding that builds and preserves affordable homes for people in every corner of the country.
You may find it challenging to keep up with the pace and scale of the news each day. My aim here is to clarify where Enterprise stands, what we stand for, and why we will never waver from our pledge to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.
To date, we have received termination notices from the administration for three of our significant sources of funding: Section 4, Community Compass, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Each of these programs represents a wealth of potential and impact:
- Building and preserving affordable homes in major cities and remote rural locations
- Ensuring local organizations have the support and know-how to deliver services and vital programs
- Lowering rents and cutting utility bills for American families who struggle every day to afford childcare and so many other expenses
We know housing costs have cut into family finances across all 50 states, red and blue. As our November elections showed, Americans want to know what their leaders stand for – and how that will lower prices and household expense.
As a developer, planner, and social visionary, our founder Jim Rouse laid Enterprise’s bedrock values through his words and actions. Jim poured his life into creating an America where “outrageous differences can be managed peacefully. . . . Where building a community together is a more rewarding task than recognizing division and separation. Where hate is truly overcome by love.”
That ethos drives us to defend the vital programs at risk in this moment. At the same time, we are nevertheless prepared to work with the administration so that we can continue to fulfill our mission and our commitment to a more just, equitable future. As a nonpartisan organization, we have worked across the political spectrum for more than 40 years to forge essential partnerships and create groundbreaking legislation like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
When we celebrated our millionth home last year, I remarked that our impact represents something bigger than most states in America. Today, our charge is to look to the next million homes without hesitation – including in places like Cleveland, Ohio, where I traveled earlier this month. My itinerary included a tour of The Lotus, an amazing development serving youth who have experienced homelessness. It was an incredible example of the myriad efforts at the state and local level to solve the housing crisis.
While in Ohio, I also joined a forum with Republican State Senator Michele Reynolds. Our lively, inspiring dialogue energized me. And it was an important reminder of why we must work collectively to create the change we seek. One thing Sen. Reynolds said really stuck with me – that you fight what you hate and do what you love. She hates homelessness, she hates to see people struggle, and she loves putting a roof over their heads.
Enterprise and its partners exist to create a nation where everyone has the opportunity to pursue the opportunities this country has promised them. That’s why we are forging ahead and fighting to build a stronger, more prosperous future for all.
Thank you for your enduring support. It’s needed now more than ever.
Shaun Donovan is chief executive officer and president of Enterprise Community Partners.