Tip #1: Articulate your housing vision

What's your vision? A community that knows what it wants is much better positioned for taking action than one that only knows what it does not want. Yes, it's always easy to articulate that failures we have seen - broken windows, rundown houses, disrespectful neighbors, peeling paint - that oftentimes is a result of poor property management. However, what if we focused on the future we wished to see and then set the coordinates for making it our destination? Why did we choose this destination? What does it look like? How will we know when we get there? Knowing what we want is truly half the battle. Writing it down seals the deal. When we do this in a sincere way that engages all stakeholders, balancing the needs and desires of those who live there now with those of the people who would likely choose to live there if the right housing options were available, we paint a true picture of a future that the community can not only embrace and support but one that energizes today's and tomorrow's leaders to execute with precision.