Helping people, building dreams


Kimberly Miller, Executive Director, Universal Housing Development Corporation

Challenge: For more than a decade, the lack of affordable housing has been one of the biggest challenges in Arkansas, one of the poorest states in the nation. The housing stock is among the oldest and many of the houses are dilapidated and pose serious health threats.


When looking for examples of local initiatives to promote healthy food access, examples abound of community gardens, farmers’ markets and expanded produce offerings in local stores. But the work of NeighborWorks Umpqua stands out for its out-of-the-box and comprehensive approach—ranging from an initiative to encourage and support backyard vegetable gardens to a diverse partnership focusing on channeling fresh, local seafood to more local tables rather than into the global export market.

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