Affordable Housing Finance

SPECIAL FOCUS

The AHF 50

NO. 49: Affordable Housing Developer

Common Ground

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE • April/May 2010

BY DONNA KIMURA

Common Ground hopes to open the doors on three new permanent supportive-housing developments this year.

The projects will provide 525 units to formerly homeless and low-income individuals in New York City, including seniors, veterans, and people with mental illnesses.

Led by Executive Director Tim Marx, the nonprofit’s mission is to solve homelessness through several approaches, including outreach, prevention, and building and operating affordable housing.

Common Ground plans to launch the 100,000 Homes Campaign, a three-year project of Common Ground National that takes its successful Street to Home program into 50 cities nationwide, including 10 this year. The program will work to identify and house the 100,000 most vulnerable chronic street homeless individuals.

Common Ground National provides technical assistance and trains colleagues throughout the country on developing supportive housing and implementing practices to reduce homelessness.

During the economic downturn, the organization is trying to do more with less, according to officials.

It has deferred some hiring, found cost savings through economies of scale, and has changed the design of a project in development to be more cost effective.