Community development

A strategy for community problem-solving does an extraordinary job at restoring our social fabric.

A strategy for community problem-solving does an extraordinary job at restoring our social fabric.

For years, Dallas has poured millions of federal dollars into affordable housing, to little effect. But in May, the City Council unanimously passed a new comprehensive housing policy, a first for the city.

Housing providers and counselors in urban, suburban, and rural areas can help refugees and resettlement agencies navigate challenging rental markets, understand the evidence about how housing and neighborhoods matter, and prepare for long-term success as a renter or owner.

Some places lift children out of poverty. Others trap them there. Now cities are trying to do something about the difference.

Neighborhoods are constantly changing as residents come and go, businesses open and close, and properties go up or come down. No place is the same for long.

Many social issues stem from a history of unstable, unaffordable, and poor-quality housing. Research shows that housing is the first rung on the ladder to economic opportunity for individuals and that a person’s access to opportunity is intrinsically linked with that of the community at large.

A body of evidence points to a link between living in areas of concentrated poverty and health.