Meeting on Common Ground: Community Development and Health Philanthropy Working Together

In the Spring issue of Shelterforce, Paloma wrote in a piece entitled "The Intersection of Health Philanthropy and Housing":

"Supporting partnerships between local community-based nonprofits, public health leaders, and community leaders is part of how RWJF is acting on the idea that housing doesn't only represent place, but also stability-especially for people who are most vulnerable"

While community development actors and those involved in health philanthropy have crossed geographic paths, the work they do, albeit often focused on the same populations and with the same missions, has largely been kept separate. Working together can bring better success but there must be a shared language. The national Healthy Homes conference sponsored by HUD and the Healthy Communities events sponsored by regional federal reserve banks are among the many events bringing housing, planning, health, and finance all under one roof to find common ground. Merging efforts will take some work, but getting connected to those outside your close network of familiarity is the first step in forging lasting and meaningful relationships and strengthening the work of all involved.

Thanks to Brittany Stanley