John Payne, David Cristeal, Michelle Winters, and Jennifer Owens celebrate Ellen M. Bozman Affordable Housing Award, which was given to the Shared Prosperity Initiative on November 17.
Arlington Community Foundation’s new program, the Shared Prosperity Initiative, was the recipient of the tenth annual Ellen M. Bozman Affordable Housing Award at an evening fundraiser on November 17.
Housing affordability is one of the biggest drivers of involuntary displacement of Arlington’s lowest-income residents. Currently, about 9,000 households (about 12 percent of the county’s population) are trying to make ends meet on 30 percent of our area’s median income—that’s $36,000 or less per year for a family of four.
In addition to housing, many in our community struggle with child care, finding living wage jobs, and health care.
The Shared Prosperity Initiative, which was launched earlier this year, aims to bring together leaders from Arlington’s government, business, and nonprofit sectors to collaborate on finding solutions to these problems that will create shared prosperity in our community.
Jennifer Owens, President & CEO of Arlington Community Foundation, accepted the award on behalf of the Initiative.
“Community foundations work in their communities to address the most pressing needs of the day in a nimble and responsive way, and today that is affordable housing,” she said.
Within five years, the Shared Prosperity Initiative wants 1,500 households with incomes at or below 30 percent area median income to have found housing in Arlington that is affordable to them.
The strategy to reach that goal includes:
Creating 200 additional affordable housing units, using both the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund and philanthropic investments.
Beginning in 2020, providing $4 million annually in new, non-governmental rental subsides for 500 households.
Beginning in 2020, creating a more robust emergency housing stabilization fund, strengthening Arlington’s housing safety net to prevent homelessness and create stability for 250-500 households.
The award honors the late Ellen M. Bozman, a long-time Arlington County Board member and leader on affordable housing issues. She was a co-founder of the Alliance for Housing Solutions and a member of its Board of Directors.
Learn more about Ellen Bozman and see pictures below.
