SPOTLIGHT: “7 Ways to Design Housing that Builds Equity for Rural People and Places” Report
Delta Design Build Workshop partnering with Hope Enterprise Corporation responded to challenges one Mississippi neighborhood has faced as a result of predatory development practices and structural, at times racially discriminatory, disinvestment.
In towns throughout the Mississippi Delta, systemic disinvestment has resulted in a state of persistent poverty where many low-wealth people live in homes that are over 40 years old, unhealthy, and costly to heat and cool. Innovation is needed to realize housing opportunities that meet the needs of residents, support wealth building, and are scalable within the regional context. Through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, two sets of prototypical homes were designed and built with a focus on health, safety, and efficiency. The processes of realizing these homes was evaluated to result in the document: 7 WAYS TO DESIGN HOUSING THAT BUILDS EQUITY FOR RURAL PEOPLE AND PLACES. Inspired by David Baker Architect’s “9 Ways to Build Housing for People”, this document is created as a rural analog to that firm’s leading work.
These strategies provide guidelines for rural housing efforts to achieve impact through local inspiration, clear aspirations and methods for demonstrating outcomes. Lessons learned are shared in the hope that organizations throughout the country can apply these insights to healthy, affordable housing efforts in their own unique contexts.
Key Words: Cross-Sector Partnerships, Partnerships with Financial Assistance Providers, Places, Rural Housing, Design, Architecture, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, Livability, Mississippi Delta
Click on the button below to download the comprehensive report “7 WAYS TO DESIGN HOUSING THAT BUILDS EQUITY FOR RURAL PEOPLE AND PLACES”.
Click on the button below to learn more about Delta Design Build Workshop.
Click on the button below to learn more about Hope Enterprise Corporation’s Hope Community Partnerships.