Affordable housing is often measured by the number of homes created, but the most successful communities are built with something more than bricks and mortar. They are built with identity, culture, creativity, and a sense of belonging.
At The NHP Foundation (NHPF), we have long believed that art is not an amenity—it’s an essential part of building communities where people feel connected to both their neighbors and the places they call home.
Housing Matters, the Urban Institute initiative agrees, stating “public art can strengthen community identity, foster social cohesion, and create opportunities for residents to shape the places where they live.” In addition, a survey by The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society found that 84% of participants said taking part in public art projects improved their well-being. Our own portfoliowide observations show that that when residents participate in creating public art—not just viewing it—the community-building and mental health benefits are even greater.
This philosophy comes to life through NHPF’s growing partnership with Empact Art, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that uses collaborative public art to strengthen communities.
Together, NHPF and Empact Art are creating resident-inspired murals at affordable housing communities across the country, as well as at NHPF’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. Rather than installing artwork for residents, the partnership invites residents to become creators themselves, celebrating the stories, cultures, and experiences that make each community unique. The end result will be a mural built through collaboration across NHPF properties and assembled in D.C. as reminder of the power of community.
“Art is a universal language that helps us connect with one another in ways that words often can’t. It has the power to heal, build relationships, and create a genuine sense of belonging that helps ease feelings of loneliness or sorrow,” says Ali Mirsky, executive director of Empact Art and leader of the NHPF art projects, “At Empact Art, we believe the conversations, shared experiences, and connections that happen during the creative process are just as important—if not more important—than the finished artwork itself.”
That has been especially true throughout the workshops with NHPF residents. “Every time we gather, people come ready to share stories, laugh together, encourage one another, and put a little piece of themselves into the project. It’s amazing to watch someone who may have walked in quietly become completely engaged in creating alongside their neighbors,” Mirsky says.
Each piece created reflects an individual choice, a personal story, or a unique artistic style, and together those pieces become something much bigger than any one person could create alone.
The impact and importance of community art can be seen throughout NHPF’s portfolio.
The Terraces at Park Heights in Baltimore partnered with Art with a Heart, a local nonprofit that works to harness the joys and benefits of visual art to enhance the lives of children, youth, and adults, and to create artwork that reflects the neighborhood’s rich history and connection to the horseracing industry via its proximity to Pimlico Racetrack.
Residents helped shape the creative process, reinforcing that the community belongs to the people who live there.
Seabrook Square, NHPF’s newest property, in East Austin, Texas, demonstrates how art can preserve cultural identity alongside affordable housing. Working with Raasin in the Sun, a multicultural arts nonprofit based in Austin, the development incorporates public art, community gathering spaces, and the organization’s new headquarters.
A centerpiece of the project is a mural honoring longtime community leader Roger Taylor Sr., whose decades of advocacy helped preserve East Austin’s historic Black community. The artwork serves as a permanent reminder that affordable housing can protect not only residents but also the stories and history that define a neighborhood.
17 Mississippi in Washington, D.C., reflects another dimension of the relationship between housing and creativity. The mixed-income community includes affordable apartments reserved for artists, recognizing both the economic challenges artists face and the important role they play in building vibrant neighborhoods. By ensuring artists can continue living and working in the communities they help shape, the development preserves both affordability and cultural vitality.
The Scout in Frisco, Colorado, due to open in September, will feature Western-themed art owing to its location and inspired by the founding story of Frisco. The Scout pays tribute to Captain Henry Learned, who marked the area as “Frisco City” in 1875 to attract railroad expansion. The name reflects foresight, initiative, and the pioneering spirit that helped shape the town as a vital hub for workers, travelers, and industry. Each of the paintings below are by local Colorado artists.
Each project reflects a common belief: Art helps transform housing into home. Murals become conversation starters. Shared creative experiences build relationships among neighbors. Public spaces become places where residents gather, celebrate, and see themselves reflected in their surroundings.
For NHPF, investing in art is ultimately an investment in people. Whether through resident-created murals with Empact Art, community collaborations with Art with a Heart, or cultural partnerships like Raasin in the Sun, these projects demonstrate that affordable housing is about far more than providing shelter. It is about creating places that honor local history, celebrate creativity, foster pride, and strengthen community.
When residents help create the places where they live, they don’t simply occupy a building—they help shape a community that reflects who they are and inspires what they can become.
Thalia Lankin is chief operating officer and Linda Umulisa is executive assistant to the CEO at The NHP Foundation.