Today, with American democracy wavering, federal funding for programs evaporating, and power imbalances surging across the United States, it is more vital than ever for those of us who are most affected by social issues to influence decisions that affect our lives. This is especially true in housing where top-down initiatives often fail to reflect or adequately address the challenges, like homelessness, that we see every day on the ground.

A growing number of Americans are priced out of a safe place to call home, yet drastic cuts in public funding for affordable housing have decimated many of the very institutions and organizations trying to fix the problem, large and small alike. Yet, an increasing number of private funders have pulled away from initiatives that seek to level the playing field or change the narrative, fearful of putting their own funding streams at risk. Their hesitation comes at the very moment when communities most need supporters to step up quickly. Those of us on the front lines are having to rebuild our capacities and regain momentum, while trying to move forward. In the worst cases, some community organizations have stopped working on housing entirely. The bottom line is that the housing justice field is at a pivotal point.

More robust solutions to housing affordability and homelessness require a more intentional, respectful, and non-extractive process that aligns our communities’ priorities with those of philanthropic partners that remain committed to addressing these pressing challenges of our time.

As housing organizers, advocates, and practitioners, we each have been invited at different points in our work to speak about our experiences and address homelessness. These invitations can come with real curiosity and even urgency. We’re asked to share our stories and help funders understand what’s happening. What the invitations don’t always come with is a say in what happens next. It’s not that philanthropy lacks interest in community voices. It’s just that, too often, that is where the exchange stops.

Over the past year, six of us who work on the front lines of housing justice in communities across the country have been in closer conversation with philanthropy, through a Community Advisors Program at the Fund for Housing and Opportunity (FHO), a grantmaking collaborative working to protect renters and solve homelessness. Through this program, we learned how philanthropic staff make decisions, set priorities, and structure their relationships with communities. We also looked at what encourages power sharing, what gets in the way, and what begins to change when funders try to do things differently. As part of this initiative, we were invited to share community perspectives with FHO and other funders.

Read the full article about how funders can support affordable housing by Bebhinn Francis, Erika Gaines, Andreina Kniss, Jenay Manley, Randall Taylor, and Libby Viera-Bland at Nonprofit Quarterly.