Winter/Spring 2025

This issue of the Beacon is about how we as a community are addressing the lack of quality affordable housing in our neighborhoods. This kind of work takes dedicated, creative, and passionate individuals.

Two such people are Andre Jones of Jones Urban Development and Reverend Lisa Anderson of Room In the Inn. Both Mr. Jones and Reverend Anderson are responsible for the creation of homes and spaces where the basic human need of having a roof over one’s head is met, and in a way that gives dignity and enables people to move further on their path towards increased flourishing.

Through the Essential Housing program, the CRA is looking to partner with more individuals like these to create new home construction in the Uptown and Binghampton TIF districts. The CRA launched this program with fanfare at the first annual Convergence Land Expo, held at First Baptist Church Broad Avenue. We have already received much interest and I am very excited to see the number of new, quality homes that emerging, minority-owned, and infill developers will build through this new program.