From the Desk of the Executive Director

We are delighted to bring you our first issue of Sustainable Communities for All. Communicating electronically expands our efforts to embody sustainable business practices, and this e-news is part of a larger endeavor to introduce a fresh brand that marks a new beginning for Homeword. We have evolved over the last 18 years and so has our brand. We are innovative and progressive in our work, compassionate and community-oriented in our approach, and we wanted our logo to reflect that.

Our new brand honors our past and sets the course for our future – to build sustainable, affordable housing and to provide housing counseling services and education programs for those most in need in our communities – until every person in Montana has a safe, decent place to live.

As anyone about to come of age, we are excited to take the leap into adulthood. One way we’re embracing this rite of passage is through our new logo, which is more than just a visual change – it is a sign of many exciting things to come! We are relocating to new offices and opening a regional HomeOwnership Center in our Solstice building in Missoula in early 2012. Yep – we’re like that graduating senior, anxiously awaiting a place of our own. But we’re also utilizing the lessons we learned as teens by ensuring we employ a thoughtful plan for how to remain a viable and sustainable organization well into the future in order to address community housing solutions. The Board and staff of Homeword have been committed to drafting a strategic plan for the next three to five years that will do just that. 

In these uncertain times of economic stagnation where the housing market continues to slump and federal funding that has leveraged private investment is potentially on the chopping block, we are participating in the discussion to ensure policy makers and the public fully recognize the economic impact affordable housing makes in Montana. We are also looking inward assessing our business model and preparing for the future.

As scary as it is, this is also an exciting time for our country. Dialogue about our socio-political system is reaching new heights. We hope to contribute to the discussion via our “HomeBlog” on our website. Please take a few minutes to peruse our new website; we hope you like what you see. And thank you for your continued support of Homeword. Here’s to the next 18 years!

Warmest regards,

Andrea Davis, Executive Director