Hope Community
Report date
January 2022
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
The first step in making this program a reality was creating the curriculum. Developing and presenting a strong program was key. The curriculum we presented was accessible and easy for anyone to follow even if they had not yet taken any other home ownership trainings. Because we broke it up into five sessions, it was more manageable and digestible for participants than many of the existing trainings that are one full day session, which can be overwhelming. The feedback – both post-training survey and in-person interviews – we received from participants afterwards confirmed that the structure of the training was conducive to their learning and gaining both realism and excitement about the owner-occupant model. An important part of this stage of the work was building partnerships with subject matter experts who presented during the training on their area of expertise, including City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT), Model Cities, HOME Line, and NDC.
Developing the curriculum allowed us to launch the cohorts, a vital piece of our work during the grant period. Doing so helped us understand 1) that there was interest and that the model resonated with community members and 2) common barriers and questions among participants so that we could tweak the training to meet these needs. We were able to complete three training cohorts during the grant period. As we learned more about the needs of participants through our work with them in the cohorts, we were able to adjust our approach to meet those needs. For example, after Hope staff lead the initial cohort, we realized we needed more capacity and brought in a facilitator to lead the classes alongside Hope staff. After the second cohort, we saw a need to add a component about credit scores and building, which we did as a sixth week to the training. Actually launching the cohorts made the project a reality and helped us know how to move ahead.
Finally, the ability to quickly shift our training to a virtual platform was critical to its success. Hope staff were set to begin door knocking the day Hope decided to close our office and move to working from home because of the Coronavirus pandemic. When we came to realize that this would be a long-term change in how we work, we were able to pivot the training to an online platform. This allowed us to offer the training safely to participants and partners. It was also an important way for community members who had perhaps lost childcare or had other responsibilities that would have prevented them from coming to an in-person class to still be able to participate.
Key lessons learned
Hope has always worked in partnership with other organizations in the community, so it was no surprise to us to learn how critical our partners are in this Community Ownership project. We have worked closely with partners to deliver the training to make sure participants are hearing from subject matter experts (including the legal side of landlording, the intricacies of being part of a community land trust, how to think like a small business owner, etc.). We learned a great deal about resources that are already out there for participants who may or may not be aware of them, and we also learned about gaps in the system and what kinds of financial products and investment will be necessary to support aspiring low- and moderate-income owner-occupant landlords.
Through each cohort, we learned about the needs and desires of community participants. We failed to do community listening in advance as planned due to the Covid 19 pandemic. However, with the support of the Bush Foundation during our pilot period, we were able make these initial cohorts an iterative process, changing and refining the training based on what we learned from each group. After the first cohort, we added capacity to our team by bringing in a facilitator to lead the courses alongside Hope’s Community Ownership Project Coordinator instead of doing it all ourselves. This freed up capacity to grow the conversation about and Hope’s role in a variety of community ownership-oriented partnerships. After the second cohort, where participants had a number of specific questions about credit that came up week after week, we added an additional week to the training to specifically cover issues related to credit. As we understand the needs of participants through the process, we have engaged additional partners to expand our capacity and bring in more expertise around specific topics.
Finally, another key learning is around how we’re measuring success. As we have gotten to know participants and their unique situations, we have realized we need to be thinking about success not as “did this person buy a property or not?” but the ways in which people are making progress towards their individual goals. What that means will vary person by person because everyone is starting at very different places. Some participants already have great credit and a steady income and just need the extra support to find a property. Others are utilizing Section 8 and wondering how that might be used towards ownership, while still others are not even sure this model is right for them.
Reflections on the community innovation process
The elements of inclusivity, resourcefulness, & collaboration are all important to our ability to do our work. However, collaboration has been especially necessary during the grant period. We have been able to tap into existing partnerships, build upon trusted relationships, & ultimately work together in new ways. Collaboration has made our training more robust by incorporating outside expertise. For example, when it became apparent that participants needed a deep dive into issues of credit, we brought in Model Cities to provide that training. Collaboration with other organizations has served as a sort of centralization of resources & information for our participants.
Collaboration is also how we are expanding this work. We are working with other nonprofits who have small multifamily properties in their portfolios to determine a way to sell them to community members or, as they are interested, their current tenants. As a member of the FHF-led Building Equity in Small Multifamily Ownership Initiative, we work closely with other housing advocates & funders to shape the environment to remove barriers for prospective low- & moderate-income owner-occupant landlords.
Collaboration is also how we are expanding this work. We are working with other nonprofits who have small multifamily properties in their portfolios to determine a way to sell them to community members or, as they are interested, their current tenants. As a member of the FHF-led Building Equity in Small Multifamily Ownership Initiative, we work closely with other housing advocates & funders to shape the environment to remove barriers for prospective low- & moderate-income owner-occupant landlords.
Progress toward an innovation
We have made a great deal of progress during the grant period, including:
•Launching the program: our innovative training provides clear steps & individual support for participants
•Conversations with funders: housing funders are very siloed, tending to serve exclusively single family or large multifamily projects. Through conversations with funders, we believe there is a growing recognition of the importance of small multifamily units & willingness to think more creatively about financing.
•New collaboratives: Through the Building Equity in Small Multifamily Ownership Initiative, we have been at the table to inform a project around small multi-family ownership in Minneapolis & the region, connecting to & informing the larger housing system to help create pathways for people to succeed in this endeavor.
•New conversations: several Community Ownership Projects graduates are Section 8 holders. We have been learning about the history of and starting conversations about Section 8 & homeownership. We’re also working to create a model for nonprofits with small multifamily properties in their portfolios (which often have complex financing structures) to sell these units to to tenants
•Launching the program: our innovative training provides clear steps & individual support for participants
•Conversations with funders: housing funders are very siloed, tending to serve exclusively single family or large multifamily projects. Through conversations with funders, we believe there is a growing recognition of the importance of small multifamily units & willingness to think more creatively about financing.
•New collaboratives: Through the Building Equity in Small Multifamily Ownership Initiative, we have been at the table to inform a project around small multi-family ownership in Minneapolis & the region, connecting to & informing the larger housing system to help create pathways for people to succeed in this endeavor.
•New conversations: several Community Ownership Projects graduates are Section 8 holders. We have been learning about the history of and starting conversations about Section 8 & homeownership. We’re also working to create a model for nonprofits with small multifamily properties in their portfolios (which often have complex financing structures) to sell these units to to tenants
What it will take to reach an innovation?
n/a
What's next?
We will continue to offer 2 training cohorts/year & provide 1:1 support to graduates. As more graduates move into ownership, we will identify what kind of post-purchase support is needed & evaluate how our training is meeting the real life needs of participants as they become landlords & homeowners.
We will also focus on creating a model for nonprofits to sell properties to community members. A challenge for graduates has become finding affordable, decent ownership opportunities because of the high & escalating cost of housing. Opportunities to convert existing affordable units represent a significant chance to move tenants from renter to ownership status while preserving housing that is otherwise at risk of loss.
Finally, we have had 2 new development projects come out of this work. We were selected with CLCLT to rehabilitate 628 Franklin Ave into affordable land trust condo opportunities. Because of our community ownership work, we were also invited to be part of a collaborative by the Frogtown Neighborhood Association to rehab & ultimately convert to community ownership a 6-unit apartment building on Sherburne Ave. Both properties will begin construction in 2022.
We will also focus on creating a model for nonprofits to sell properties to community members. A challenge for graduates has become finding affordable, decent ownership opportunities because of the high & escalating cost of housing. Opportunities to convert existing affordable units represent a significant chance to move tenants from renter to ownership status while preserving housing that is otherwise at risk of loss.
Finally, we have had 2 new development projects come out of this work. We were selected with CLCLT to rehabilitate 628 Franklin Ave into affordable land trust condo opportunities. Because of our community ownership work, we were also invited to be part of a collaborative by the Frogtown Neighborhood Association to rehab & ultimately convert to community ownership a 6-unit apartment building on Sherburne Ave. Both properties will begin construction in 2022.
If you could do it all over again...
If we could go back to the start of the grant period, we would reiterate how individualized the support we offer will need to be. While we anticipated that participants would come to the program from different places and face different barriers, we have realized a need to invest significant time working with participants on an individual basis. There simply is no “one size fits all” approach to this work. Building a network of partners to refer individual participants to as they move towards their personal goals has been important for Hope’s capacity and to make sure participants are getting the specialized support they require (around credit repair, financial advising, etc.).
We would also tell ourselves to anticipate the wild housing market! It has been a challenge to support people facing high and climbing housing costs and extreme levels of competition on the open market. The supply side is key, and we would advise ourselves to start working with nonprofit partners to figure out the model for transitioning their properties to community ownership earlier in the process to create more affordable ownership options available for purchase by our Community Ownership project grads.
We would also tell ourselves to anticipate the wild housing market! It has been a challenge to support people facing high and climbing housing costs and extreme levels of competition on the open market. The supply side is key, and we would advise ourselves to start working with nonprofit partners to figure out the model for transitioning their properties to community ownership earlier in the process to create more affordable ownership options available for purchase by our Community Ownership project grads.
One last thought
We didn’t anticipate as we launched this program the ways in which it would branch out, the resonance of the model in the community and with other housing organizations, and how Hope is uniquely positioned to work across silos in a way that others are not. Through our learning process, we continue to try to figure out how we can act as a bridge across organizations and disparate conversations, serve as a resource hub for participants, and innovate for success. We rely on those connections to strategize around how we connect folks to viable purchase opportunities, and how we can shape down payment and other support to most effectively meet the needs of those we are trying to serve.
Though technically after the grant period, we are excited to report that we had our first participant purchase a duplex in December! He was a participant in the fall cohort and was able to work with one of our emerging potential partners in this work, Build Wealth MN, to successfully make his purchase.
Though technically after the grant period, we are excited to report that we had our first participant purchase a duplex in December! He was a participant in the fall cohort and was able to work with one of our emerging potential partners in this work, Build Wealth MN, to successfully make his purchase.