ABAAH Gets Active Through Leadership Training

Community Leadership Institute in Baltimore, April 2007

Tenants, homeowners, housing activists and volunteers from ABAAH and Manna, Inc. attended the Institute, put on by NeighborWorks, to learn how to be stronger leaders and agents of positive change in their communities.  Attendees met other community leaders from across the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states and attended workshops on developing leadership potential, getting people involved in urban areas, developing an organization's political clout and working with faith-based organizations, among others.  The Institute ended with the group members developing an Action Plan to tackle 2 specified issues in their communities.

The group discusses issues affecting their neighborhoods and strategies to change them. (Photo by Nathan Smith)

Defining the Issues

After much discussion, the ABAAH group identified two major issues that have a great effect on a low-income person's opportunities to build equity and become financially stable:

1. High Tax Assessments - Although the District has a number of property tax incentives for low-income homeowners, there is still a lot of confusion, little cohesion and strong disincentives against staying in one's home.  The ABAAH group seeks to organize current and prospective homebuyers to advocate for property tax policies that encourage affordable homeownership and do not put low-income homeowners at risk.

2. Long-term Affordability Periods - The District government is placing more restrictive and longer requirements on affordable homeownership housing that receives even minimal amounts of public assistance.  Some of these restrictions significantly limit equity gain and flexibility for low-income households who work hard, save and commit to the responsibilities of homeownership.  The ABAAH group seeks to organize current and prospective homebuyers, advocates, organizations and tenants to advocate for public policies that allow low-income households the opportunity to build equity and assets through homeownership rather than put them at risk through severe restrictions.

TO STAY TUNED AND UP TO DATE OR TO GET INVOLVED EMAIL info@ahadc.net