Religious institutions of all faiths play a special role in community building, especially in distressed urban communities, according to HUD Secretary Henry G. Cisneros. Secretary Cisneros discusses the role of religious institutions in housing and community development in Higher Ground: Faith Communities and Community Building, the latest in a series of essays.
In acting as catalysts for community deelopment, religious institutions possess four unique strengths:
They often hae a longstanding presence in their neighborhoods, and tend to remain as a source of community support after other institutions have left distressed areas.
They have traditional missions of charity that extend beyond their congregations.
They can leerage other resources. "Inner city religious institutions are seldom well-off financially," writes the Secretary, "but they do have resources in their inherent strengths as institutions and in their linkages to the outside world. Most important, their leaders typically represent a rare source of organizational skill."
They can proide nurturing and support, especially for youth in distressed neighborhoods.
Many religious institutions sponsor housing rehabilitation and deelopment projects. In addition, some religious institutions have established ambitious commercial development, credit access, housing counseling, social services, and employment programs. For example, in Chicago, the Antioch Baptist Church has rehabilitated and developed 177 apartments and 120 houses with HUD assistance.
In Brooklyn, New York, the Bridge Street African American Methodist Episcopal Church joined with 10 local churches to renoate 40 housing units and build 22 duplexes. In Oakland, California, the Allen Temple Baptist Church sponsored a 126-unit housing development, a credit union, a blood bank, and other crucial community services.
In carrying out these projects, religious institutions hae enlisted the aid of public and private funding and technical assistance. The National Community Building Network (NCBN), a national 22-city network of community-based organizations, was founded in 1993. HUD's Religion Organizations Initiative, which the Secretary established in the Office of the Secretary early in his tenure, provides outreach to communities of faith and engages religious institutions as partners moving forward on HUD priorities.
"It is the work of faith communities I hae described that inspires much of my optimism about the future of our cities," Secretary Cisneros comments.
Single copies of Higher Ground: Faith Communities and Community Building are now aailable free of charge from HUD USER. Please contact HUD USER to obtain print copies.
