Partnering for Progress: Firstenburg Foundation and Community Roots Reshape Housing

There are few things more deeply personal than our homes. Home is where we feel safe, stable, and empowered to create a space that is wholly our own. For many people experiencing housing insecurity, the idea of being able to have a home—rather than just a safe place to stay on a temporary basis—can feel almost unattainable.

That’s where Community Roots Collaboration comes in, with their mission to provide permanent, safe housing for people who need it most by creating tiny home communities for single people, couples, and families. And to help support that critically important goal, The Firstenburg Foundation has provided Community Roots with a two-year matching grant to help hire their first employee.

By providing this grant, we have partnered with Community Roots to move forward on expanding and scaling their operation to continue serving Clark County. A Firstenburg grant allowed the nonprofit to go to other donors and demonstrate that their mission is one worth believing in. As a result, Community Roots was able to hire a part-time executive director to provide vision and cohesion to the nonprofit’s mission moving forward.

The Complex Spectrum of Affordable Housing

Addressing the housing insecurity crisis in Clark County requires a complex, multi-pronged approach. Community Roots is building tiny homes in our community to provide permanent, safe housing for people who make less than 50-60 percent of the area’s median income. These homes can be anywhere from 100 to 600 square feet, with up to three bedrooms. Rather than temporary or transitional housing, Community Roots is creating permanent homes for our neighbors and families who are struggling to stay housed in Clark County’s increasingly challenging housing market.

In addition, Community Roots partners with XChange Recovery to provide communal clean and sober living to people who need stable transitional housing. This creates an interconnected web of housing resources for people with complex needs, so no one gets left out in the cold.

Scaling for Future Challenges

We’re thrilled to pledge our support to such a passionate and important nonprofit in our local community. In the Foundation's ongoing mission to help vulnerable people in our community find the homes they need, we believe that Community Roots is a critical piece of the affordable housing puzzle.

With our grant, Community Roots can hire an executive director to handle grant reporting, operating locations, and other logistical challenges. This will allow them to focus on scaling their organization to continue providing affordable housing for years to come—a need that will only become more pressing.