(ShelterForce) How housing orgs changed after $3M in arts funding

What did they do, what did they learn, and did it change the way they operate?

Three years ago, Shelterforce covered the stories of a handful of community development organizations that had begun work under multi-million dollar grants from ArtPlace. The grants gave housing and social service providers an opportunity to explore whether they could further their missions by integrating arts and culture strategies into their work. The initiative—the Community Development Investments (CDI) program—has ended, but the work hasn’t. Over the last few weeks, we've published articles that followed up on the three organizations we featured to see what they did, what they learned, and most importantly, whether they permanently changed the way they operate. Latest A Transformative Experiment in Alaska Tamara Holmes, Shelterforce What do mimes, micro-units, and honoring Alaskan Natives have in common? Artists! The Cook Inlet Housing Authority's work with artists helped the organization realize new markers of success and furthered its housing goals. Read More How Artists Helped a Housing Organization Adapt to Demographic Change Amy Evans, Shelterforce An in-depth look at the many lessons the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership learned after receiving a multimillion grant to integrate arts and culture strategies in its work. Read more A Creative Impetus for Cultural Pride Tamara Holmes, Shelterforce The Little Tokyo Service Center used art to inspire activism, and increase awareness of the community’s cultural assets. Read More Shelterforce—at the intersection of theory, policy, and practice in community development. Help keep us strong. Support Our Work Shelterforce began in 1975 and is the oldest, national, independent, nonprofit community development publication in America. Whether you provide or support affordable housing, economic or workforce development, community organizing, arts and culture, community planning, health, or transportation, Shelterforce will help you do your work better tomorrow than yesterday. ‌ ‌ ‌

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