October 9, 2024 • 19 mins
Journey back to the origins of NeighborWorks America and discover how a resident-led movement in 1970s Pittsburgh sparked a nationwide revolution in community development. Hear from pioneering leaders Joan Straussman Brandon and Steve Tuminaro as they share inspiring stories of transformation reflect on the organization's evolution and offer invaluable advice for those passionate about creating thriving communities. This is the Community Effect, hosted by Marietta Rodriguez.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voice Over Narrator (00:01):
Every corner of America, there are stories of
resilience, innovation, and theunwavering spirit of community.
Welcome to the Community Effect, thepodcast where we explore the intersection
of community development, affordablehousing, and the impact it has on us all.
We'll uncover the blueprint for buildingthriving communities, one story at a time.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Welcome everyone to the inaugural (00:31):
undefined
episode of The Community Effect,a podcast dedicated to exploring
the transformative power of placeand the people who shape it.
I'm your host, MariettaRodriguez, President and CEO
of NeighborWorks America.
At NeighborWorks, we have spent45 years cultivating a wealth of
knowledge and resources dedicatedto strengthening communities.
(00:54):
For this inaugural episode, we aretackling the big question, how can
strategic partnerships Between the publicand private sectors create more equitable
and accessible pathways to home ownership.
To kick things off, wehave two incredible guests.
First, Joanie Strassman Brandon, atrue champion of our mission with
(01:15):
over 30 years of experience with us.
And Steve Tuminaro, a visionaryleader who played a key role in
shaping NeighborWorks public policyinitiatives for over two decades.
Steve and Joanie, thankyou so much for being here.
Let's, let's get started.
Travel back with me to theestablishment of NeighborWorks in 1978.
(01:40):
The average price of a gallonof milk was just over a dollar.
You could fill up your tankfor about 65 cents a gallon.
And if you were lucky enough to bebuying your first home, you were looking
at an average mortgage rate of 9.
5%.
Steve, I want to start with you.
Take us back to those early days.
Thank you.
As NeighborWorks was forming in themidst of what economists called the Great
(02:03):
Inflation, uh, who were the key playersand what was their vision to form us?
Steve Tuminaro (02:09):
Uh, clearly one of the real key players was William Whiteside.
Bill Whiteside could probably be calledthe father of neighborhood reinvestment.
He was hired initially by the FederalHome Loan Bank Board in 1970 and his
primary role was to look for waysto increase savings bank lending.
(02:35):
In the course of doing that, hecame across a model in Pittsburgh.
It was Dorothy Richardson who wasfighting to save her neighborhood.
She was a homeowner, in many waysa very average person, which makes
the story particularly exciting.
(02:56):
Returning to Bill for a moment.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Hang on, Steve. (02:58):
undefined
Let's, before we go into the way BillWhiteside wanted to approach things,
tell us what was going on in Pittsburgh.
Paint that picture for us.
Steve Tuminaro (03:07):
Yeah, in some ways it was typical of what was
happening in so many neighborhoods.
The city had developed plans forthe neighborhood, involved road
construction and other things.
And as a result of these plansbeing marked on a city map,
the lenders were not willing toprovide loans in the neighborhood.
(03:30):
And Dorothy was a homeowner and managedto gather some of her neighbors together,
first just complaining about whycan't we get loans to fix our homes.
When they finally understood what washappening, they approached the city.
It began as a somewhatconfrontational approach, but
(03:52):
Dorothy was looking for solutions.
And slowly there was this discussionof if the city says they're not going
to develop for a certain number ofyears, then maybe the lenders will
lend if enough people in the communityare willing to improve their homes.
And it became this building blocks.
(04:15):
And that became the beginningsof saying we might be able to
create an organization here.
So it, it evolved.
But once that model wastogether, people began to look
and say, well, wait a minute.
This has the makings ofa real solution here.
They went on.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): So it sounds like what Dorothy (04:35):
undefined
did is brought people togetherto have a conversation.
Steve Tuminaro (04:38):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And in a time where there were alot of confrontational examples,
the fact that this became more can'twe just gather around the table?
I mean, Dorothy literally hadthe people in her apartment.
You know, and Bill came across this modelin Pittsburgh and decided rather than
(05:01):
just conduct seminars with lenders, whichwas primarily what he had been involved
in, he convinced the bank board to tryto replicate this Pittsburgh model, and
slowly others joined in this effort.
But, Bill, I think his primaryinterest was in empowering
(05:23):
the residents themselves.
Housing became his vehicle to do that.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And, and take us back into community. (05:29):
undefined
What were communitiesfacing during this time?
What were those challenges like?
Steve Tuminaro (05:38):
In, on one hand, you had an enormous amount of money
flowing into downtown areas, hotels,sports stadiums, shopping centers.
In addition, a good deal of public housingbeing built, road construction occurring.
So on one hand, a lot of activity.
(05:59):
But unfortunately, much of that activityled to demolition of communities,
and even where housing was built,the housing wasn't designed for
the existing class of residents.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Jenny, let me turn to you. (06:13):
undefined
In those early days, is there anillustrative story or community that
You think about even today, about theimpact that this organization has had?
I, I just think
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): watching over the years how (06:26):
undefined
these residents became leaders.
Um, in one example in Ithaca, NewYork, uh, a woman who just came on
as an interested resident eventuallybecame a city council person and
talked about how much she had learned.
And that was another thingthat we did at NeighborWorks.
We had so much training.
(06:48):
For residents.
So they really did become leaders.
There was another instance here,right here in New York city.
We were developing an organizationin New York city where this really
young resident is part of the process.
And we asked her to speak atan event and she was terrified.
And then as we got ready for the event,she just got stronger and stronger.
And she got up there in front of like300 people talking about the program
(07:12):
and just those stories of leadership.
development.
So those are just a few examples.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Steve and Jenny, you both had a front (07:18):
undefined
seat to how NeighborWorks has evolved.
Um, Steve, let me ask you,how did NeighborWorks innovate
over those first few decades?
What strategies did we use to supportthe investment into communities?
And then how did theyevolve over, over time?
Steve Tuminaro (07:40):
I mean, the first thing to recognize is nothing
like this had occurred before.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): There wasn't a template. (07:47):
undefined
There
Steve Tuminaro (07:48):
was no template at all.
Neighborhoods were seen astransitional, in decline, and
there was only one direction.
And the Effort began as a effort toorganize owners of one to three unit
homes to rehabilitate the homes.
(08:09):
Over time, the organizationbegan to respond to the
problems of the neighborhood.
So one of the first things they did wasdevelop the strategy to deal with large
scale buildings, rental properties.
They then began to deal with economicdevelopment issues and other issues.
(08:30):
It wasn't so much us sitting back anddeciding what would be cool to do.
It was responding to theneeds of the communities.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): In real time. (08:40):
undefined
Steve Tuminaro (08:41):
Yeah.
And then internally, alot of things developed.
Our focus on real hard data, datacollection, data analysis as a way
of reporting to Congress on thefederal funding we were receiving.
Innovation was just a constant process.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Yeah, I think that's, that's a real (09:01):
undefined
key to the kind of impact and successthat we've seen at NeighborWorks.
Having our ear to the ground andhaving the network organizations
telegraph their needs andchallenges that they were facing.
Joanie, let me, let me ask you,let's move up to the aughts.
Um, can you identify a moment in thepast 20 years where NeighborWorks has
(09:24):
had to quickly adapt to a changingeconomic landscape in order to
really meet the needs of communities?
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): Well, you know, one thing (09:31):
undefined
that, that really comes tomind is the foreclosure crisis.
In the 2000s, it was amazing how,well, first of all, NeighborWorks
America was seen as the vehicle by theDepartment of Treasury to, to manage
millions and millions and millionsof dollars in funding to assist.
These communities and peoplethat were facing the foreclosure.
(09:53):
More recently, you know, we'vebeen recognizing, uh, a lot of our
organizations and it's the industryitself is struggling with recruiting
and retaining talent, um, to work in ourorganizations and to work in the industry.
And we've been responding by severalpilots that we've been running that
provides training, that providesmentorship, that provides creating
(10:15):
cohorts, Um, to really hopefullyhelp people stay within the industry.
So those are two examplesthat come to mind for me.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And I think what's so powerful of those (10:23):
undefined
two examples, both, um, the foreclosurecrisis and the retention of talent and
attraction of talent into the field isthat we received early indicators about
both of those things from the network.
In other words, therelationship that we have with.
(10:44):
The more than 240 organizations isthat they tell us what they're dealing
with in real time in an ongoing basis.
Um, Joanie and Steve, you both havesuch a, a deep understanding of our rich
history and the communities that we serve.
When you think about our next 45 years.
(11:08):
What, what challenges do you
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): see? (11:09):
undefined
Whew.
Where to start?
So obviously we've been hearingtremendous, uh, concerns about
insurance costs, the rising costs ofinsurance for our organizations, both
for homeowners and for our multifamilydevelopers and owners of, of properties.
Um, housing affordability overall,um, we're hearing about inheritance
(11:30):
related issues, tangled titles,probate issues in power of people,
uh, generations afterwards.
Maintain homes that parentsand grandparents own.
Um, we're hearing about, um, outsideinvestors buying up properties
for cash, um, which affects, um,supply, uh, of, uh, properties,
(11:51):
and of course, the climate issues.
Obviously, we're, good news is there'sabundance of resources available to
deal with the climate, but a lot ofpeople haven't gotten their arms around
how to really use those resources.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And they're all, you know, (12:04):
undefined
they're all interrelated, right?
So some of the climate issueswe're seeing reflected in the
rising insurance costs, right?
That make it really difficultfor our network to own and
manage affordable rental units.
Um, when you think about thesebig picture issues like housing
(12:24):
shortages, like climate resilience.
And, um, I wonder, Steve, ifthis feels at all familiar.
Steve Tuminaro (12:33):
Yeah, I mean, in one respect, uh, it's been our entire history.
You know, I think in the early days, wethought there might be some quick fix.
You could, uh, Kind of change the waybanking lending is done in the country.
When I think back, I'd have tosay we haven't changed the world,
(12:57):
except we have changed the world forhundreds of thousands of people and
tens of thousands of communities.
One of the very first places I visitedwhen I joined NeighborWorks was a
neighborhood in Dallas known as Love Park.
A housing professional, as I drove throughthat neighborhood, I have to admit, even
(13:22):
I was questioning, is this worth it?
I mean, these buildingswere in pretty sad shape.
Well, that was nearly 50 years ago.
Fast forward.
And I'm getting a littleemotional thinking of it.
My son bought a home in theLove Park area of Dallas.
(13:44):
A wonderful, diverse neighborhoodthat so many people, sadly, perhaps
even I, were ready to give up on.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): That's an incredible full circle moment. (13:54):
undefined
I really love it.
You know, those early pioneers, uh, reallythought they were changing the world.
They had a determination and acommitment that was unwavering.
And, and I think.
That still is true for people whowork at NeighborWorks and work
(14:14):
in NeighborWorks organizations.
But as Joanie, you've said, attractingtalent and retaining them is so important.
Oftentimes, people don't knowthey can make a career out of
community development work.
So, it would be remiss if we Ended thiswithout asking each of you, what piece
(14:35):
of advice would you have for someone whofeels strongly about giving back to their
communities but doesn't know what anentry point is or who are just starting
their careers in community development?
What piece of advice do youwish someone had given you?
Steve we'll start with you.
Steve Tuminaro (14:50):
Hmm.
Well, going back to Bill Whiteside and theearly days of the organization, one of the
things that was almost drummed into us.
was no matter how knowledgeable,experienced, informed we were,
our role was never that of flyinginto a city, dropping in as the
(15:15):
expert to solve their problems.
Our role was to be a facilitator,to bring people together, to
try to identify leaders, notnecessarily the recognized leader.
Might have been the guy in the barbershop.
Or the woman behind thecounter in a grocery store.
But people had seeds of leadershipin them, and by talking to
(15:39):
people, begin to identify them.
So I would say for people interested incommunity development work, the things
that I have found to be most important isfirst to actively listen to the community.
I mean, not to assume what the problemsare, not to assume what the priorities
(16:01):
are, But listen, being patient, youcan't do this work on a timetable.
I mean, we would work out timelinesfor our planning purposes.
But you can't squeeze acommunity into your timeline.
Your timeline needs to beflexible, it needs to adjust.
(16:23):
Uh, again, going back to the earlydays, there was a small book, it's
not very involved, but it was reallyviewed as required reading then.
Joanie's probably familiar with it.
It was The Servant as Leader.
The Servant as Leader.
It's a simple book.
(16:45):
It's almost a pamphletby Robert Greenleaf.
Anyone involved in this work or interestedin this work, I highly recommend.
Get your hands on that.
Read it.
It may change you.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Thank you, Steve. (16:59):
undefined
Joanie, the same question.
What would you advise someone, orwhat do you wish someone had told you?
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): Yeah, yeah, yeah. (17:06):
undefined
No, every, everything Steve said.
I mean, absolutely.
And you can't just assume, you know,you can't have any assumptions.
The other thing I say, a book thatunfortunately only came out a few years
ago, I think we're all familiar with, buteverybody should read is The Color of Law.
So we, we all get a real understandingof how we got to where we are today, the
(17:27):
history, the history of getting there.
Um, and, and taking advantage of alllearning opportunities that are out there.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Thank you. (17:34):
undefined
I, you know, I've been at NeighborWorksfor about half of its life, so I really
appreciate and owe so much to thosewho were there in the early days who
paved the way and developed these toolsand strategies so that we continue
this incredible, incredible mission.
(17:55):
Thank you so much.
I have to say, Steve and Joanie, as wewrap this episode, I'm really filled
with a sense of hope for what's to comewhen I think about the challenges of the
past and how we rose to the occasion.
It's clear that the work ofNeighborWorks and its network is more
important and more critical than ever.
(18:16):
Thank you both for sharing yourwisdom and your passion today.
Your insights have been invaluable.
Your dedication.
To community developmentand to the mission of
NeighborWorks is truly inspiring.
And I have to say to thoselisteners, thank you for joining
us for this journey today.
Remember the community effect isabout empowering people, fostering
(18:38):
connections, and creating placeswhere everyone can thrive.
We hope this podcast can beone of those places for you.
Join us next week as we continue toexplore the stories and strategies They're
shaping communities that we call home.
Until then, keep believing in the power ofplace and the people who make it possible.
Voice Over Narrator (18:59):
This is the Community Effect brought to
you by NeighborWorks America.
Every corner of America, there are stories of
resilience, innovation, and theunwavering spirit of community.
Welcome to the Community Effect, thepodcast where we explore the intersection
of community development, affordablehousing, and the impact it has on us all.
We'll uncover the blueprint for buildingthriving communities, one story at a time.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Welcome everyone to the inaugural (00:31):
undefined
episode of The Community Effect,a podcast dedicated to exploring
the transformative power of placeand the people who shape it.
I'm your host, MariettaRodriguez, President and CEO
of NeighborWorks America.
At NeighborWorks, we have spent45 years cultivating a wealth of
knowledge and resources dedicatedto strengthening communities.
(00:54):
For this inaugural episode, we aretackling the big question, how can
strategic partnerships Between the publicand private sectors create more equitable
and accessible pathways to home ownership.
To kick things off, wehave two incredible guests.
First, Joanie Strassman Brandon, atrue champion of our mission with
(01:15):
over 30 years of experience with us.
And Steve Tuminaro, a visionaryleader who played a key role in
shaping NeighborWorks public policyinitiatives for over two decades.
Steve and Joanie, thankyou so much for being here.
Let's, let's get started.
Travel back with me to theestablishment of NeighborWorks in 1978.
(01:40):
The average price of a gallonof milk was just over a dollar.
You could fill up your tankfor about 65 cents a gallon.
And if you were lucky enough to bebuying your first home, you were looking
at an average mortgage rate of 9.
5%.
Steve, I want to start with you.
Take us back to those early days.
Thank you.
As NeighborWorks was forming in themidst of what economists called the Great
(02:03):
Inflation, uh, who were the key playersand what was their vision to form us?
Steve Tuminaro (02:09):
Uh, clearly one of the real key players was William Whiteside.
Bill Whiteside could probably be calledthe father of neighborhood reinvestment.
He was hired initially by the FederalHome Loan Bank Board in 1970 and his
primary role was to look for waysto increase savings bank lending.
(02:35):
In the course of doing that, hecame across a model in Pittsburgh.
It was Dorothy Richardson who wasfighting to save her neighborhood.
She was a homeowner, in many waysa very average person, which makes
the story particularly exciting.
(02:56):
Returning to Bill for a moment.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Hang on, Steve. (02:58):
undefined
Let's, before we go into the way BillWhiteside wanted to approach things,
tell us what was going on in Pittsburgh.
Paint that picture for us.
Steve Tuminaro (03:07):
Yeah, in some ways it was typical of what was
happening in so many neighborhoods.
The city had developed plans forthe neighborhood, involved road
construction and other things.
And as a result of these plansbeing marked on a city map,
the lenders were not willing toprovide loans in the neighborhood.
(03:30):
And Dorothy was a homeowner and managedto gather some of her neighbors together,
first just complaining about whycan't we get loans to fix our homes.
When they finally understood what washappening, they approached the city.
It began as a somewhatconfrontational approach, but
(03:52):
Dorothy was looking for solutions.
And slowly there was this discussionof if the city says they're not going
to develop for a certain number ofyears, then maybe the lenders will
lend if enough people in the communityare willing to improve their homes.
And it became this building blocks.
(04:15):
And that became the beginningsof saying we might be able to
create an organization here.
So it, it evolved.
But once that model wastogether, people began to look
and say, well, wait a minute.
This has the makings ofa real solution here.
They went on.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): So it sounds like what Dorothy (04:35):
undefined
did is brought people togetherto have a conversation.
Steve Tuminaro (04:38):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And in a time where there were alot of confrontational examples,
the fact that this became more can'twe just gather around the table?
I mean, Dorothy literally hadthe people in her apartment.
You know, and Bill came across this modelin Pittsburgh and decided rather than
(05:01):
just conduct seminars with lenders, whichwas primarily what he had been involved
in, he convinced the bank board to tryto replicate this Pittsburgh model, and
slowly others joined in this effort.
But, Bill, I think his primaryinterest was in empowering
(05:23):
the residents themselves.
Housing became his vehicle to do that.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And, and take us back into community. (05:29):
undefined
What were communitiesfacing during this time?
What were those challenges like?
Steve Tuminaro (05:38):
In, on one hand, you had an enormous amount of money
flowing into downtown areas, hotels,sports stadiums, shopping centers.
In addition, a good deal of public housingbeing built, road construction occurring.
So on one hand, a lot of activity.
(05:59):
But unfortunately, much of that activityled to demolition of communities,
and even where housing was built,the housing wasn't designed for
the existing class of residents.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Jenny, let me turn to you. (06:13):
undefined
In those early days, is there anillustrative story or community that
You think about even today, about theimpact that this organization has had?
I, I just think
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): watching over the years how (06:26):
undefined
these residents became leaders.
Um, in one example in Ithaca, NewYork, uh, a woman who just came on
as an interested resident eventuallybecame a city council person and
talked about how much she had learned.
And that was another thingthat we did at NeighborWorks.
We had so much training.
(06:48):
For residents.
So they really did become leaders.
There was another instance here,right here in New York city.
We were developing an organizationin New York city where this really
young resident is part of the process.
And we asked her to speak atan event and she was terrified.
And then as we got ready for the event,she just got stronger and stronger.
And she got up there in front of like300 people talking about the program
(07:12):
and just those stories of leadership.
development.
So those are just a few examples.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Steve and Jenny, you both had a front (07:18):
undefined
seat to how NeighborWorks has evolved.
Um, Steve, let me ask you,how did NeighborWorks innovate
over those first few decades?
What strategies did we use to supportthe investment into communities?
And then how did theyevolve over, over time?
Steve Tuminaro (07:40):
I mean, the first thing to recognize is nothing
like this had occurred before.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): There wasn't a template. (07:47):
undefined
There
Steve Tuminaro (07:48):
was no template at all.
Neighborhoods were seen astransitional, in decline, and
there was only one direction.
And the Effort began as a effort toorganize owners of one to three unit
homes to rehabilitate the homes.
(08:09):
Over time, the organizationbegan to respond to the
problems of the neighborhood.
So one of the first things they did wasdevelop the strategy to deal with large
scale buildings, rental properties.
They then began to deal with economicdevelopment issues and other issues.
(08:30):
It wasn't so much us sitting back anddeciding what would be cool to do.
It was responding to theneeds of the communities.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): In real time. (08:40):
undefined
Steve Tuminaro (08:41):
Yeah.
And then internally, alot of things developed.
Our focus on real hard data, datacollection, data analysis as a way
of reporting to Congress on thefederal funding we were receiving.
Innovation was just a constant process.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Yeah, I think that's, that's a real (09:01):
undefined
key to the kind of impact and successthat we've seen at NeighborWorks.
Having our ear to the ground andhaving the network organizations
telegraph their needs andchallenges that they were facing.
Joanie, let me, let me ask you,let's move up to the aughts.
Um, can you identify a moment in thepast 20 years where NeighborWorks has
(09:24):
had to quickly adapt to a changingeconomic landscape in order to
really meet the needs of communities?
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): Well, you know, one thing (09:31):
undefined
that, that really comes tomind is the foreclosure crisis.
In the 2000s, it was amazing how,well, first of all, NeighborWorks
America was seen as the vehicle by theDepartment of Treasury to, to manage
millions and millions and millionsof dollars in funding to assist.
These communities and peoplethat were facing the foreclosure.
(09:53):
More recently, you know, we'vebeen recognizing, uh, a lot of our
organizations and it's the industryitself is struggling with recruiting
and retaining talent, um, to work in ourorganizations and to work in the industry.
And we've been responding by severalpilots that we've been running that
provides training, that providesmentorship, that provides creating
(10:15):
cohorts, Um, to really hopefullyhelp people stay within the industry.
So those are two examplesthat come to mind for me.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And I think what's so powerful of those (10:23):
undefined
two examples, both, um, the foreclosurecrisis and the retention of talent and
attraction of talent into the field isthat we received early indicators about
both of those things from the network.
In other words, therelationship that we have with.
(10:44):
The more than 240 organizations isthat they tell us what they're dealing
with in real time in an ongoing basis.
Um, Joanie and Steve, you both havesuch a, a deep understanding of our rich
history and the communities that we serve.
When you think about our next 45 years.
(11:08):
What, what challenges do you
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): see? (11:09):
undefined
Whew.
Where to start?
So obviously we've been hearingtremendous, uh, concerns about
insurance costs, the rising costs ofinsurance for our organizations, both
for homeowners and for our multifamilydevelopers and owners of, of properties.
Um, housing affordability overall,um, we're hearing about inheritance
(11:30):
related issues, tangled titles,probate issues in power of people,
uh, generations afterwards.
Maintain homes that parentsand grandparents own.
Um, we're hearing about, um, outsideinvestors buying up properties
for cash, um, which affects, um,supply, uh, of, uh, properties,
(11:51):
and of course, the climate issues.
Obviously, we're, good news is there'sabundance of resources available to
deal with the climate, but a lot ofpeople haven't gotten their arms around
how to really use those resources.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): And they're all, you know, (12:04):
undefined
they're all interrelated, right?
So some of the climate issueswe're seeing reflected in the
rising insurance costs, right?
That make it really difficultfor our network to own and
manage affordable rental units.
Um, when you think about thesebig picture issues like housing
(12:24):
shortages, like climate resilience.
And, um, I wonder, Steve, ifthis feels at all familiar.
Steve Tuminaro (12:33):
Yeah, I mean, in one respect, uh, it's been our entire history.
You know, I think in the early days, wethought there might be some quick fix.
You could, uh, Kind of change the waybanking lending is done in the country.
When I think back, I'd have tosay we haven't changed the world,
(12:57):
except we have changed the world forhundreds of thousands of people and
tens of thousands of communities.
One of the very first places I visitedwhen I joined NeighborWorks was a
neighborhood in Dallas known as Love Park.
A housing professional, as I drove throughthat neighborhood, I have to admit, even
(13:22):
I was questioning, is this worth it?
I mean, these buildingswere in pretty sad shape.
Well, that was nearly 50 years ago.
Fast forward.
And I'm getting a littleemotional thinking of it.
My son bought a home in theLove Park area of Dallas.
(13:44):
A wonderful, diverse neighborhoodthat so many people, sadly, perhaps
even I, were ready to give up on.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): That's an incredible full circle moment. (13:54):
undefined
I really love it.
You know, those early pioneers, uh, reallythought they were changing the world.
They had a determination and acommitment that was unwavering.
And, and I think.
That still is true for people whowork at NeighborWorks and work
(14:14):
in NeighborWorks organizations.
But as Joanie, you've said, attractingtalent and retaining them is so important.
Oftentimes, people don't knowthey can make a career out of
community development work.
So, it would be remiss if we Ended thiswithout asking each of you, what piece
(14:35):
of advice would you have for someone whofeels strongly about giving back to their
communities but doesn't know what anentry point is or who are just starting
their careers in community development?
What piece of advice do youwish someone had given you?
Steve we'll start with you.
Steve Tuminaro (14:50):
Hmm.
Well, going back to Bill Whiteside and theearly days of the organization, one of the
things that was almost drummed into us.
was no matter how knowledgeable,experienced, informed we were,
our role was never that of flyinginto a city, dropping in as the
(15:15):
expert to solve their problems.
Our role was to be a facilitator,to bring people together, to
try to identify leaders, notnecessarily the recognized leader.
Might have been the guy in the barbershop.
Or the woman behind thecounter in a grocery store.
But people had seeds of leadershipin them, and by talking to
(15:39):
people, begin to identify them.
So I would say for people interested incommunity development work, the things
that I have found to be most important isfirst to actively listen to the community.
I mean, not to assume what the problemsare, not to assume what the priorities
(16:01):
are, But listen, being patient, youcan't do this work on a timetable.
I mean, we would work out timelinesfor our planning purposes.
But you can't squeeze acommunity into your timeline.
Your timeline needs to beflexible, it needs to adjust.
(16:23):
Uh, again, going back to the earlydays, there was a small book, it's
not very involved, but it was reallyviewed as required reading then.
Joanie's probably familiar with it.
It was The Servant as Leader.
The Servant as Leader.
It's a simple book.
(16:45):
It's almost a pamphletby Robert Greenleaf.
Anyone involved in this work or interestedin this work, I highly recommend.
Get your hands on that.
Read it.
It may change you.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Thank you, Steve. (16:59):
undefined
Joanie, the same question.
What would you advise someone, orwhat do you wish someone had told you?
Joann Straussman Brandon (Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, NeighborWorks America): Yeah, yeah, yeah. (17:06):
undefined
No, every, everything Steve said.
I mean, absolutely.
And you can't just assume, you know,you can't have any assumptions.
The other thing I say, a book thatunfortunately only came out a few years
ago, I think we're all familiar with, buteverybody should read is The Color of Law.
So we, we all get a real understandingof how we got to where we are today, the
(17:27):
history, the history of getting there.
Um, and, and taking advantage of alllearning opportunities that are out there.
Marietta Rodriguez (President & CEO, NeighborWorks America): Thank you. (17:34):
undefined
I, you know, I've been at NeighborWorksfor about half of its life, so I really
appreciate and owe so much to thosewho were there in the early days who
paved the way and developed these toolsand strategies so that we continue
this incredible, incredible mission.
(17:55):
Thank you so much.
I have to say, Steve and Joanie, as wewrap this episode, I'm really filled
with a sense of hope for what's to comewhen I think about the challenges of the
past and how we rose to the occasion.
It's clear that the work ofNeighborWorks and its network is more
important and more critical than ever.
(18:16):
Thank you both for sharing yourwisdom and your passion today.
Your insights have been invaluable.
Your dedication.
To community developmentand to the mission of
NeighborWorks is truly inspiring.
And I have to say to thoselisteners, thank you for joining
us for this journey today.
Remember the community effect isabout empowering people, fostering
(18:38):
connections, and creating placeswhere everyone can thrive.
We hope this podcast can beone of those places for you.
Join us next week as we continue toexplore the stories and strategies They're
shaping communities that we call home.
Until then, keep believing in the power ofplace and the people who make it possible.
Voice Over Narrator (18:59):
This is the Community Effect brought to
you by NeighborWorks America.
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