Edna Williamson recently celebrated turning 100 with cupcakes, sweet tea, and 25 of her fellow residents at her home in Baltimore, where she has lived for almost 20 years.
Brian Diaz Del Cid has lived in a closely knit community in Oakland, California with his parents and brother for the past 15 years. Del Cid is relieved that he and his family can stay there for the long term after a local nonprofit purchased the building when it was put up for sale by the owner.
Janyth Hobbs enjoys cooking for her neighbors at City Center Apartments in Fremont, California. Hobbs, a veteran, was homeless for many years in nearby Oakland – where she often set up a grill on the street to cook for her friends – before moving to her apartment two years ago.
Williamson, Hobbs, and Del Cid are three of the many thousands of individuals and families who are marking milestones large and small each day in homes that are affordable and secure. Their homes are just three of the one million homes created or preserved by Enterprise since 1982, homes that span the country from Baltimore, to Atlanta, from Louisiana to Alaska.
Enterprise didn’t reach this significant moment alone – we have been able to create and preserve homes in every corner of the country in collaboration with thousands of partners, staff, and supporters.
“Reaching our 1 million homes milestone is a testament to the unwavering commitment of dedicated community partners, generous supporters, groundbreaking investors, and tireless Enterprise staff,” said Enterprise CEO and President Shaun Donovan.
“Over 2,000 organizations strong and spanning every state in the country, our partners are architects of change, breaking down barriers to build brighter futures,” Donovan said. “Without our partners, one home would have been impossible, let alone a million.”
A Wide Gap to Fill
Enterprise marks this occasion with a sense of urgency and the sobering knowledge that the country is short of 7.3 million homes that are affordable and available to extremely low-income renters, and households at almost every income level struggle to find adequate and affordable homes.
“One million homes are just a start,” said Lori Chatman, Enterprise’s president for the Capital division. “With our nation facing a profound shortage of affordable homes, our work, and partners, have never been more important. As an achievement, this important milestone goes to the very heart of why Enterprise exists: to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one.”
Meeting a Diverse Need
The range of homes, geographical locations, and residents included in this milestone reflect Enterprise’s long-standing commitment to supporting diverse and underserved communities in all parts of the country, whether urban, rural, or on Tribal lands. And our multiple areas of focus and broad reach allow us to create even greater impact – whether through programs and policy, through community development and property management, or through capital and financial support.
“Enterprise tackles the affordable housing crisis from all angles,” said Jacqueline Waggoner, president of Enterprise's Solutions division. “We’ve been able to create one million homes precisely because of our broad reach, diverse offerings, and boundless partnerships.”
For Enterprise’s Community Development division – which has created affordable homes for more than 24,000 residents – residents guide and inform all our work.
“From moving to your first apartment to welcoming a new family member, we know that milestones are made at home,” said Christine Madigan, interim president of Enterprise’s Community Development division. “Reaching this 1 million homes milestone inspires us to keep going to do even more to help meet our country’s need.”