Rural LISC 'Healthy Housing Initiative' Supports 22 Rural Community Development Organizations
11.03.2022
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Press ReleasesFunder in the Spotlight
Initiative provides funding for new construction, rehabilitation, and healthy housing programs
Washington, DC – Today Rural LISC announced its 2022 Healthy Housing Initiative grantees—22 community development organizations that are producing and/or preserving quality affordable housing and implementing health-related programs in communities across Rural America. Grants are funded, in part, by Clayton®, a national builder of attainable housing.
Developing and preserving safe, decent, affordable housing is a core component of Rural LISC’s comprehensive community development strategy. Since 2015, Rural LISC has invested more than $3.4 million in healthy housing by providing 218 grants to 63 community-based partners to ensure that homes are sited, designed, built, renovated, and maintained in ways that support resident health.
This year, LISC is providing an additional $440,000 of funding—$20,000 per grantee—to support its partners healthy housing projects and programs. A summary of the grants may be found here.
Applicants for this competitive grant were selected based on how their proposal contributes to measurable health improvements by addressing the housing needs and deficiencies in the community. Proposals serving communities with higher poverty rates, lower life expectancies, and higher percentages of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) residents were given priority. Proposals scored additional points for increasing building efficiency or meeting a green building standard, and increasing resilience to disasters and extreme weather.
“Housing is a key social determinant of health, yet the housing stock in many rural communities is aging and in need of repair, contributing to unhealthy living conditions in many places,” said Caitlin Cain, LISC Vice President and Rural Director. “Through the Healthy Housing Initiative, Rural LISC partners with and provides grants and technical assistance to community-based partners to advance health equity and housing stability in rural communities across the country.”
To access details on Rural LISC’s work across its five core pillars, visit www.lisc.org/rural.
About Rural LISC
Launched in 1995, Rural LISC is the rural component of LISC (Local Initiative Support Corporation), the largest community development support organization in the country. Through a partnership base of over 145 organizations spread across 49 states, Rural LISC provides a wide range of services, including financial support, training, technical assistance and capital resources to help rural community partners and developers invest in rural communities. To date, Rural LISC has leveraged nearly $3.3 billion from public and private sources to produce 35,000 affordable homes and apartments. Rural LISC investments have also produced over 4 million square feet of commercial and community space, including 20 early childhood care centers. Rural LISC technical assistance has touched more than 700 businesses, resulting in over 12,000 jobs supported and/or retained. Rural LISC is committed to ensuring equity and investment in rural America. Learn more at www.lisc.org/rural.
About LISC
LISC is one of the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since our founding in 1979, LISC has invested $26.7 billion to create more than 463,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 78.5 million square feet of retail, community and educational space and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances.
About Clayton
Founded in 1956, Clayton is committed to opening doors to a better life and building happyness® through homeownership. As a diverse builder committed to quality and durability, Clayton offers traditional site-built homes and off-site built housing – including modular homes, manufactured homes, CrossMod® homes, tiny homes, college dormitories, military barracks and apartments. All Clayton Built® homes are proudly designed, engineered and assembled in America. In 2021, Clayton built 60,701 homes across the country. Clayton is a Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information, visit claytonhomes.com.
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