Challenges facing non-profits in affordable housing development

This professional report examines the key contextual and organizational factors affecting community development corporations (CDCs) in the development of affordable housing. Using the findings of a systematic case study carried out by William Rohe and Rachel Bratt, I offer a detailed discussion of these factors in the context of a number of case studies, including an extensive discussion of the life cycle of Eastside Community Investments (ECI), a CDC that served the Near Eastside Neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana. Following this discussion, I explore a number of policy implications of this case study for the community development sector. The effective production of affordable housing involves a number of key players, including CDCs themselves, their intermediaries, the government, and the community; the active participation and commitment of all of these organizations is crucial to the long-term sustained success of the entire industry.