Jubilee Housing recently hosted recording artist John Legend and other affordable housing thought leaders as part of Legend’s HUMANLEVEL Initiative in partnership with Brookings Institution to learn about Jubilee’s Justice Housing model and to discuss affordable housing production and policy in Washington, DC.
The visit included a walking tour of some of Jubilee’s development projects with local government officials and Brookings, National Fair Housing Alliance and Economic Architecture representatives. At the end of the tour, Legend and others participated in a roundtable discussion with some of Jubilee’s residents, leadership staff and organizational partners.
According to Jubilee Housing, “During the tour, Jubilee’s President and CEO Jim Knight and other thought leaders stressed that affordable housing is not about housing – it’s about the people who will live there, that research demonstrates that where one lives matters and that zip code is the highest predictor of future success; and place making is done best when working with vested community partners who are there for the long haul. These elements make up Jubilee’s Justice Housing® model – deeply affordable housing, with onsite or nearby services, in resource-rich neighborhoods with good schools, grocery stores, businesses, transportation and employment.”
Legend’s visit spotlights the importance of affordable housing and his HUMANLEVEL Initiative and partnership with Brookings are chances to advance research and policies addressing the root causes of inequality and to support community-led initiatives.
