When people tell the story of America, they often talk about national leaders, historical events and major milestones. 

But America's story has always been written closer to home. 

After years of conversations and planning, the Fort Hall Housing Authority, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and NeighborWorks Pocatello recently developed a down payment assistance program that expands access to homeownership both on and off Tribal land. The Tribal Council approved the agreement this month, marking an important milestone in a partnership built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to addressing housing needs. 

National Homeownership Month is a time to focus on the path to the place you call home and on the resources to get there. The month might be wrapping up, but for many, the journey to homeownership is just beginning.

For more than 20 years, Marie Shelton rented the same three-bedroom house in Charleston, West Virginia. Today, she owns it.

“I raised my kids in this house. Grandkids too,” she said. It’s just blocks from her office at the West Virginia Department of Transportation, with a big backyard and multiple fireplaces that she decorates for Christmas and in the fall.

Shelton’s path to homeownership started with an ultimatum: Her landlord had decided to sell the place that she called home. If she didn’t buy it, the landlord said, she would have to move. 

There is strength in NeighborWorks® America’s network of nearly 250 nonprofits from across the country. Jim Peffley, CEO of NeighborWorks Capital, a community development financial institution (CDFI) created to serve NeighborWorks network organizations, wants to harness that strength to collectively raise capital at scale – and with better terms. The ultimate goal is to bring attractive capital to communities that often do not have access to capital with the best terms.

The sun shone brightly over the playground near Betsy Ross Circle in Milford, Delaware.

Affordable Homes & Communities, better known as AHC, broke ground this week on a new project with Goodwill of Greater Washington, the first of its kind in the U.S.

At this year’s National American Indian Housing Council conference in Anchorage, Alaska, national housing leaders came together for a candid conversation about partnership, housing policy and the importance of Native-led solutions in shaping the future of Indian housing. 

NeighborWorks® America's Sustainable Business Initiative helps community-based NeighborWorks organizations strengthen their foundations and grow revenue. In 2024, the SBI provide seed grants to seven network organizations with promising earned revenue strategies. Over the next few weeks, as part of Small Business Month, NeighborWorks will highlight some of those outcomes.

There are some places where housing conversations stay theoretical. Juneau is not one of them. 

During a recent visit to Alaska, NeighborWorks® America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez joined housing leaders for a full-day tour across Juneau to see firsthand how communities are responding to some of the country’s most complex housing challenges with urgency, innovation and partnership.