Organization
St. Joseph Housing Initiative (SJHI) works to create and sustain vibrant communities through affordable quality housing where low/moderate income families can thrive, prosper, and build wealth, while also stabilizing neighborhoods that are suffering from urban decline. SJHI is an ecumenical Christian organization formed in 2017 through a partnership among local faith leaders in order to address economic and racial inequities in the home ownership rates and the value of homes owned by white homeowners, as compared to homeowners of color.
SJHI purchases long-vacant or dilapidated homes then renovates and sells them at an affordable price to low/moderate- income first-time homebuyers. Currently, most of SJHI’s homes are clustered in the low-income Dutchtown neighborhood and contribute to the stability and cohesion of the community. An active pool of volunteers from area churches, neighborhood associations, and other community groups help clients set up their new home, provide ongoing support and help rehab additional houses.
Partnership #1 (2021)
SJHI recently hired their first Development Director and is preparing to implement their first development plan in order to increase the number of homes and families they can support each year, as well as to expand into new neighborhoods. As part of this effort, the Brown Sisters Foundation issued a challenge grant to revamp their marketing materials and donor database to enable them to effectively reach and steward relationships with new and increased donors.