It's no secret: 2025 was a year of change and unpredictability for nonprofits focused on housing and community development. Shifting federal priorities, staff reductions throughout the federal government, and new program guidance have raised questions for current and future projects. At the same time, the housing crisis is deepening as families and communities grapple with economic headwinds, including rising costs of living, inflation, and interest rates. How do we, as leaders, push forward with an eye to the important work that needs to be done and the worthy communities we serve, advancing affordable housing finance?

Personally, I find inspiration from Brené Brown, researcher and author. One of her quotes I have kept close this year is "The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome."

As the CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), one of the largest community development and housing nonprofits in the country, I ask myself daily how my organization can show up every day as we evolve and adapt. And further, how we can use this moment as a catalyst to improve and drive forward the progress that our communities across the country need, advancing affordable housing finance?

Our external response to the uncertainty and unpredictability in our world has centered on two key priorities: sharpening how we communicate our impact and ensuring that our work resonates with decision-makers, including those who may not historically have been focused on community development issues. What I’ve learned is that it is not enough to tout our investments and partnerships; we need to paint a much more vivid picture of how our work changes lives, creates opportunities, and strengthens local economies.

Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the country, seeing firsthand how LISC’s work is making a difference. In Dallas, I visited the sites of Kiva East and Oak Lawn Place, two housing developments that are bringing 171 affordable housing units to a city where housing prices are increasing day by day. This is the heart of our mission—creating affordable housing in communities that need it the most. But we’re doing even more to transform communities. Kiva East will also be home to the Bezos Academy, a tuition-free preschool, setting children of all backgrounds up for greater outcomes from day one.

Read the full article about affordable housing finance in 2025 by Michael T. Pugh at Affordable Housing Finance.