Pictured from left to right: David Bowers (Enterprise Community Partners), Aspasia Xypolia, (PGC DHCD), Courtney Battle (HAND) & Leah Hendey (Urban Institute)

Prosperity Now Summit Recap

The Housing Indicator Tool: Tracking Regional

Progress Towards Housing for All

Last week, HAND was honored to present during the 2024 Prosperity Now Summit alongside our research partner, Urban Institute, and two HAND members from Enterprise Community Partners and Prince George's County Department of Housing & Community Development (PGC DHCD). During the summit, HAND showcased its Housing Indicator Tool (HIT), a dashboard that tracks our region's progress toward meeting affordable housing goals and the key policies that make the work possible. Courtney Battle, HAND's Executive Director, detailed the tool's origin and development over time, the strategy for garnering community buy-in, and emphasized that the tool is grounded in racial equity principles - making it an essential resource for case-making, raising awareness, and shaping development strategies. The presentations by David Bowers, Enterprise Community Partners, and Aspasia Xypolia, PGC DHCD, illustrated how the HIT underscores the significance of transparency, data, and accountability. Below are their insights on the practical application of the HIT.

The HIT In Practice

I think it was very important as we were educating internally, both our elected officials and people in our administration we work closely with about finance, to show them the landscape of what's going on in other places in the jurisdiction, and what kinds of tools and resources they put on the table in order to make incremental progress.

-Asapasia Xypolia, Director, PGC DHCD

[The challenge] is two primary things, small thinking and lack of open and honest conversation. The technical side of things are difficult, but there are folks who can do that right...So the HIT tool, in terms of how we use it, is a platform and a foundation for having honest conversations about, 'so, what does health look like? Oh, we need this many units to be produced, we need this many units to be preserved - affordable homes preserved. Okay, great. Where are we now? How close, or how far, are we to that North Star that we've acknowledged?'



-David Bowers, VP, Mid-Atlantic Market & Sr. Advisor, Faith-Based

Development Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners

The HIT is a tool designed to support the production, preservation and protection of affordable housing throughout the region. It serves as an accountability tool and provides an opportunity to see what policies and programs other localities have in place that make it possible for them to reach their goals. Having open, accurate data is also an essential resource for: case-making with local officials, community members and stakeholders; strategic decision-making on investment and developments; and building greater awareness around our region’s housing challenges. We invite you to check out the HIT today!

A COLLECTIVE EFFORT

An all-hands-on-deck approach is required to deliver solutions that can solve for the housing affordability crisis. We encourage you to check out the resources below!

• Executive Summary
• HIT 4.0 Release Recording
• Launch Event Presentation
• HIT Calls to Action 
• HIT Resource Center

REQUEST A HIT DEMONSTRATION

Looking to take a deeper dive into your jurisdiction's data? You now have the opportunity to get familiar with the HIT through personalized demonstrations. Reach out to Courtney at cbattle@handhousing.org and schedule a session tailored just for you and your team. Make the most out of the data and get in touch today!

The HIT Is Empowered By