Community action agencies often provide “safety net” services to some of the most vulnerable households. How much is housing assistance part of that safety net? And what other services are your members providing in an effort to stabilize families?

Housing assistance is a critical component of the safety net that our agencies ensure is in place for those families and individuals who have low to moderate incomes and for many considered “the working poor.” Our agencies conduct community needs assessments that engage the whole community to determine the root causes of poverty in their service area. At least 85% of our member agencies continually identify housing—particularly affordable housing—as a need to be addressed in the communities that they serve. To that end, our member agencies are involved in a variety of housing assistance, from development to transitional housing, from emergency housing and homeless shelters to rental housing support programs. We cover the gamut of housing assistance in every community of our state.

Unfortunately, homelessness is an issue for many communities. How is homelessness different in some of the rural areas served by your members?

Homelessness in rural areas may be affected by the lack of affordable housing and access to services and resources. Compared with urban settings, rural areas may not have the infrastructure to effectively address and respond to homelessness. However, our organization operates a rural housing assistance program with about one-third of our agencies called the Rental Housing Support Program. This is a state-funded program which provides rental subsidies to extremely and severely low-income households. We have helped many families stay in permanent housing and off the streets in rural areas of our state.

You’re now halfway through your first term on the Community Investment Advisory Council. What has been your biggest “aha” moment?

I have the good fortune to serve on many local, regional, and national boards. The Community Investment Advisory Council has given me the opportunity to be a part of reviewing the financing aspect of housing development. While I have been on the development side of housing, the Council has exposed me to both trends and perhaps changing priorities of affordable housing for the Bank and the industry as a whole. Being in the position to inform the Bank through the Council on how policies can affect development has been a rewarding and tremendous opportunity for our organization and its members. I have also realized that many organizations delving into affordable housing development may not be accessing the products offered by the Bank. We intend to promote more of what the Bank has to offer through its members.