May 2025: News from Housing Venture Lab alumni
Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! We’re busy interviewing this year’s Housing Venture Lab applicants and can’t wait to introduce you to the new cohort this summer. Meanwhile, our Builders Lab cohort is getting ready to embark on an international trip where they’ll visit industrialized construction facilities in Sweden and Scotland.
UPDATES FROM ALUMNI
Building strength & stability in existing communities
Trust Neighborhoods (2021 cohort) turns five this year, celebrating five mixed-income neighborhood trusts (MINTs) established since the organization’s founding. In communities at risk of displacement, MINTs enable neighborhood organizations to operate rental housing and retail portfolios in the interests of residents.
Integrity Community Solutions, a project of ROC USA (2024), recently acquired their first manufactured home community in Sonora, California. ICS plans to add 30 new EnergyStar-rated, factory-built homes to the site, with the goal of reaching 100% occupancy within five years. Once communities are at full occupancy, ICS offers homeowners the opportunity to purchase them as a co-ops.
Progress toward more inclusive housing options
In this podcast episode, community leaders and disability advocates talk with The Kelsey’s (2022) Housing Development Manager Brittney Harris about the organization’s newest project, a disability-forward housing community in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Kelsey also recently published stories from their Disability & Housing Narrative Change Cohort, which aims to challenge exclusionary and ableist narratives that shape housing in the United States.
New partnerships for greater impact
Esusu (2020) announced a new partnership with OneUnited Bank, one of the nation's largest Black-owned banks. The partnership will allow the bank’s customers to report rent payments to all three major credit bureaus through Esusu, building a pathway to credit score improvement.
Pronto Housing (2022) announced a new partnership with AppFolio, offering users of AppFolio’s property management tools access to Pronto Housing’s innovative affordable housing compliance software.
Holistic approaches to homelessness
In Walnut Creek, California, a partnership between Firm Foundation Community Housing (2024) and Grace Presbyterian Church culminated in the opening of Hope Village, a six-unit affordable housing community designed to provide people experiencing homelessness with dignified and safe homes.
In Covington, Kentucky, FWDSlash (2024) is embarking on a new partnership with Welcome House, Inc. to improve access to housing and other essential services. FWDSlash acts as a connector between local housing and social service organizations and Medicaid Managed Care organizations, unlocking funding for housing and other services.
In the news: Creative solutions to national housing challenges
- PadSplit's efforts to expand co-living options across the country could offer an important piece of the country's housing puzzle (Forbes)
- BuildCasa's model could help address the nation's loneliness epidemic (Business Insider)
Work with our ventures
Trust Neighborhoods is hiring a remote Senior Operations Manager to support their growing team and expanding network of mixed-income neighborhood trusts. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting May 5.
