Strategy
As a local church, we believe we have a unique role to play in closing the housing affordability gap in the city. It is our duty, as disciples of Christ, to assess our resources, identify community needs, and utilize those resources to meet those needs. Just Homes has identified three distinct approaches to meeting housing needs and we invite churches to discern what role they are called to play in responding to the needs of their communities.
Just as no two churches are exactly alike, no two churches will have exactly the same engagement strategy. And while no one church will completely eliminate the affordable housing gap on its own, all the city’s churches working together can.
Build
Casting a vision for justice housing development
Lack of space is a major barrier to justice housing development in D.C. Land is scarce and costly, especially in places with high opportunity. However, churches in D.C. collectively own over 3.3 million square feet of vacant land; enough to house nearly all of the 31,666 extremely low-income families without adequate housing.
Churches may possess the land and the desire to aid their neighbors in finding housing, but they often lack adequate technical know-how and personnel to navigate the complicated, lengthy development process.
This is where Just Homes comes in: we build relationships with churches who own land, getting to know their stories, histories, and passions. We walk with them to cast a vision of how their land resources can meet deeply-felt housing needs in their communities. Then, we connect these churches with others who have already built housing on their land for mentorship and guidance.
Finally, Just Homes walks with churches through the development process in collaboration with development experts to provide technical assistance with fulfilling their vision.
As we collaboratively build, these churches will collectively help frame the city's lack of affordable housing as not only an issue of inconvenience but one of injustice.
Invest
Putting our money where our hearts are
Financing is another clear barrier to justice housing development. Building or preserving adequate housing costs tens of millions of dollars, and when units are designed to be rented by lowest income households, developers cannot expect to get financial returns from high rents in luxury units.
However, certain financial levers exist to aid in pursuit of such funding. Local community banks, impact notes, and other financial institutions with mission-based lending standards have committed to funding affordable housing development. Churches can partner in that work. So can individuals.
By investing directly in Impact Notes, transferring existing deposits to local CDFIs with housing-focused missions, and taking advantage of other innovative financial tools, we can ensure our financial resources (however big or small they may be) are helping expand the city’s access to justice housing.
Imagine if every church in D.C., and every member of a church in D.C., concentrated their financial resources in the same place. Banked with a community bank. Joined giving circles. Invested in local initiatives. Imagine the impact we could have.
When we bank and invest with the local community in mind, we put our money where our hearts are, and steward God-given resources in a Kingdom-focused way.
Serve
Making a house a home
Not all churches own vacant land. Not all churches are able to invest financially in justice housing. But all churches have people: disciples of Jesus called to love their neighbors.
Those low-income families lucky enough to locate and secure justice housing still face numerous obstacles as they transition to their new homes. The logistics of moving and setting up a new home, building familiarity with the resources in a new neighborhood, and emotionally navigating the transition are only a few of the challenges these families face. And existing case managers can only take families so far in the process, as large caseloads and reimbursement structures often prevent them from providing essential services to ensure success in the housing transition.
This is where church steps in. Church bodies are well-equipped to provide peer support to these families; support including financial assistance, resource networks, and relational emotional encouragement. Through partnership with existing case management organizations, Just Homes pairs teams of volunteers with low-income families to build relationships and walk through the housing transition together.
As volunteer teams help low-income families make their house a home, we hope to provide community for families that may not have one otherwise, and combat some of the isolation, anxiety, and instability that come with transition.
