Nehemiah: Making the American Dream possible for first-time homeowners

From CBS News: The Nehemiah project began in the 1980s building privately-owned homes on land that nobody wanted in East Brooklyn and sold the homes at prices that were affordable to working class families. Church and community organizers mobilized local politicians to sell the land for almost nothing and provide subsidies for community members and raise money that could be used for loans. The program has built 6,500 homes and created an estimated $1.5 billion of wealth for first time Black and Latino homeowners.

Click here to read the original story.

Issue Areas:

Housing, Land Use, Sustainable Development

Impact Areas:

Distributed Trust and Power, Equity

Actors:

BIPOC Communities, Lending, Banking, and Financial Institutions

Communities Served:

BIPOC Communities, Communities Experiencing Economic Hardship

Strategies:

Collective Action, Easing Economic Burdens for Individuals, Redefining Land / Land Ownership

Success Factors:

Building Distribution Systems, Eliminating Barriers, Embracing the Power of Relationships, Leveling the Playing Field, Meeting People Where They Are At, Overcoming the Big Challenges

Geographic Region:

North America

Countries:

United Kingdom

Date:

September 11, 2022

More Resources:

Conversation with Tasnim Elboute

Tasnim Elboute coordinates the High Atlas Cultural Landscapes Programme of the Global Diversity Foundation, focusing on biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods to advance community-led development and environmental justice in Morocco. She plays a key role in fostering partnerships and implementing...

Conversation with Delana Finlayson

Delana Finlayson leads Urban Think Tank Empower, a South African non-profit dedicated to socio-economic transformation through multidisciplinary projects. Notably, the Empower Khayelitsha project pioneers housing innovation approaches by integrating affordability, sustainability, and community engagement. Delana Finlayson spoke with Ashley Hopkinson...

New Indonesia climate fund backs Indigenous forest guardians

From Asad Asnawi / Context: The Nusantra Fund provides financial support directly to community-led projects in Indonesia. The aim is to improve the livelihoods of Indigenous and local people while tackling climate change impacts and protecting biodiversity. Click here to...

eToro Launches GoodDollar And Begins Delivering Universal Basic Income

From Lawrence Wintermeyer / Forbes: GoodDollar is a basic income product that works via the public blockchain network. Because blockchain is decentralized and public, this platform could be used globally, non-reliant on any one government. GoodDollar uses G$ coins which...

Climate disasters hit poor people hardest. There’s an obvious solution to that

From Sigal Samuel / Vox: An effective way to help those most vulnerable to climate disasters is by providing just-in-time cash transfers right before a disaster hits for them to use as they see fit for resilience and climate change...

Conversation with Katja Čič

Katja Čič currently works as the Programme Director at the International Youth Health Organization (YHO). Katja is also a part of the WHO Youth Council where she co-chairs the Working Group on Climate Change and Health, and is a part...