People who work here in Edwardsville deserve the benefits of living here.
The Edwardsville Community Housing Alliance brings people together to create housing opportunities for working persons and families in Edwardsville.
We will address disparities of household income and wages by ensuring that a supply of decent and affordable housing is accessible to persons and families earning at or near minimum wage levels. These priorities reflect the recent recommendations of Edwardsville’s Race Relations and Equality report.
Our allies include community members, local officials, advocates for equity and racial justice, housing developers, and finance institutions with a track record of creating and supporting the kind of housing that will enable local workers and families to enjoy the benefits of our shared community life.
Decent and affordable housing for workers is a clear benefit to the entire Edwardsville community
- Affordable and accessible housing for working families results in
- more stable family life,
- more household spending on good food and medical care,
- better health outcomes,
- improved earning capacity over time, and
- access to good education and future opportunities for children.
- An adequate local supply of affordable housing ensures that Edwardsville’s stated values of inclusiveness and diversity can be realized, as people who might otherwise be left behind can share in the local prosperity they help to create.
- Affordable housing development is a benefit to the local community, with increased funds circulating locally, jobs created, improved capacity to attract and retain a workforce, more taxes paid, and community life improved. There are multiple studies that clearly demonstrate the overall community and economic benefits of affordable housing.
Edwardsville Community Housing Alliance Objectives
Provide public education on the need for affordable and accessible housing for working persons and families in Edwardsville.
Provide a public forum for exploring effective local models for increasing the supply of affordable housing for working persons and families.
Develop public support for specific projects that increase the supply of affordable housing for low to moderate income wage earners.
Advocate for effective policies, including the adoption of a comprehensive housing policy, funding mechanisms, inclusionary zoning ordinance, and other measures that ensure adequate, affordable, and accessible housing for workers in the jobs created through local economic development and growth.
Serve as a liaison to develop affordable housing projects by partnering with workers and families impacted by the scarcity of local affordable housing, as well as with City government, local planning bodies and housing agencies, experienced developers, funders, and allies.
How to be an Ally
Edwardsville Community Housing Coalition will depend on volunteers who commit to educating themselves and local citizens on the value and purpose of developing affordable housing for workers.
Here are examples of how people can engage in this effort:
Work with a local task group to explore topics for public education and potential policies for local adoption:
- How have attractive and gentrifying communities like Edwardsville managed to increase the supply of affordable housing for workers? Do they provide useful examples for how we might do the same?
- What is a Housing Trust Fund and how would it help develop funding and resources to increase the supply of housing?
- What is Inclusionary Zoning, where has it been implemented, and how might it be right for Edwardsville?
- What are shared-equity models of home ownership, and would they eliminate key local barriers to entering housing for working families?
Please check out our Resources page for links to examples of these topics for volunteer engagement.
This is a time to move past barriers and realize a more inclusive community.
Additional Resources
Find more information here: