Pope Francis and Our Collective Humanity
I happened to be in DC the week Pope Francis began his US visit. Aside from the places he was visiting, the city was eerily quiet. I was in meetings with the National NeighborWorks Association and NeighborWorks America so I could not attend any of the festivities. Like most of us, it was not hard […]
Affirmation Comes With Many Challenges
The Ferguson Commission just delivered their comprehensive report, Forward through Ferguson, A Path Toward Racial Equality to the governor. Within its pages, the thoughtful, detailed and blunt document calls out 189 action items on topics including education, economy, criminal justice and housing. At the heart of this report, one thing is emphatically clear – this is about […]
Reimagine
It goes without saying that our region is still in the midst of a revolution. Long time Detroit civil rights leader and organizer Grace Lee Boggs once said “every revolution gives a community a chance to reimagine their lives, their neighborhood, their future.” How will we do this right here, right now? Some may want small incremental […]
Big and Small
If We Truly Care About the Lives of Small Children, What Can We Do to Ensure That Their Dreams and Aspirations Come True? On Saturday, August 17th, I was fortunate to participate in two fantastic events that will provide great help to the children living in our 24:1 communities. One was really big and the […]
A Quiet Supreme Court Ruling Affirms that Home Matters
The week of June 22nd had two blockbuster Supreme Court rulings that reverberated across the country. During what will surely prove to be a historical week, the court affirmed the Affordable Care Act and its implementation. In addition, SCOTUS eloquently stated the right of all people to marry whomever they love. Indeed, two important and […]
Resilience
The biggest part of my job is telling the story of our organization and those we serve. I try to paint a picture that intersects the pragmatic, rational and emotional sides of the mind. The pragmatic and rational part of the story revolves around the metrics of our work and the common sense, best practice […]
St. Louis County Suburbs Battle Poverty Together
Beyond Housing is highlighted in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program Blog as a model for addressing the challenge of poverty in suburban communities. “The suburban county (St. Louis County) includes over 90 municipalities and more than 20 school districts, making cross-jurisdictional collaboration difficult. Despite these challenges, the region is piloting models that hold promise in […]
