Programs & Projects

The Inclusivity Institute is engaged in creating meaningful pilot programs and working with partners to scale up innovative models that tackle the systemic issues of housing affordability and racial as well as class segregation.

Residential Equity

_{The Residential Equity Team is tasked with spearheading residential stability and mobility programs to reduce segregation and tackle racial disparities in American housing markets. Our work targets the spectrum of persistent housing inequities that reinforce segregation and perpetuate gaps in economic prosperity and generational wealth. The RET seeks to scale up a groundbreaking new approach to tackle our nation’s longstanding eviction crisis and begin constructing innovative pathways to homeownership, expanding housing choice and opportunity.}

The Family Assistance Program - Eviction Diversion to Prevent Homelessness and Displacement

The Institute worked to create an innovative new rental assistance program model aimed at addressing housing inequities and instability among low- and moderate-income renter households and reducing our nation’s eviction crisis.

Child Grant Program

The Institute created a subsidiary of the Family Assistance Program to provide one time grant assistance to families struggling to obtain essential products, such as food and medicine, during times of temporary crisis.

Limited Voucher Programs (Transitional Supports)

Programs that aim to provide individuals a pathway to stability, through short-term rental vouchers, during a transitional period in life. Those who qualify for LVP typically do not fit within the traditional assistance offered through the Family Assistance Program.

St.Croix Assistance Program

Establishing local partnerships and identifying opportunities to address financial barriers for very low-income residents struggling to rebuild following the Hurricanes of 2017.

Economic Empowerment
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_{The Institute's economic empowerment initiatives focus on developing new solutions to address persistent racial inequities in economic prosperity by crafting innovative financial opportunities. In 2022, we are pioneering a bold new alternative to predatory loans that saturate underserved communities and undermine housing and economic security, particularly for households of color.}

Payday Loan Alternative

In order to address lending disparities in black and brown communities, we are working to open a retail lending storefront that provides urgently needed credit access at safe and sustainable rates and is dedicated to helping clients improve their financial situation. This approach competes with traditional payday lenders in speed and accessibility, while building in financial safeguards. Level Up Lending empowers consumers through access to free financial counseling, educational workshops, and community resource referrals. This endeavor will dominate our Director of Economic Empowerment and Outreach’s capacity in 2022-2023 to ensure a successful launch. We strive to create an effective model that is also scalable.

Fact

1.5x more likely

Good housing is good health. Today, Black households, regardless of income, are 1.5 times more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards like poor air quality.

Source: Racial Inequalities in Housing, Opportunity Starts at Home