Housing and Community Well-Being: A Funder Conversation on Innovative Housing and Health Impacts
Monthly Housing Hangouts are a series of community conversations on Triad housing needs, convened by Dr. Stephen Sills of Innovative Research Insights. Since July of 2025, these sessions have hosted a variety of speakers, panel presentations, and open discussion on the needs and trends related to affordable housing. The series creates a space for learning and candid dialogue about housing supply, affordability, and the challenges facing neighborhoods and community members across the region.
For the May Housing Hangout, held at the Forsyth County Central Library on West Fifth Street in Winston-Salem, the Foundation joined other funders for a panel discussion on the role that philanthropic organizations – particularly family foundations and community foundations, can play in driving housing solutions.
The panel discussion in Winston-Salem included three key leaders from the Greater High Point philanthropic ecosystem: the High Point Community Foundation, the Congdon Family Foundation, and the Foundation for a Healthy High Point. Additional participants represented the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and the Winston-Salem Foundation. All offered perspectives which were unique yet underlined the need to do more – and to do more creatively.
Stable housing affects social determinants of health: medical care, behavioral health, education, economic mobility, and quality of life. The robust conversation reinforced what we see in neighborhoods across Greater High Point: Housing is one of the most important factors influencing individual and community health; offering improved food, education and economic stability; improving family, social and community networks; impacting access to medical care and services; and improving employment rates. It is a foundational aspect of overall community health and wellness.
As part of our strategic priorities, developed in 2022, the Foundation has supported and continues to support a variety of housing-related efforts and partnerships. These investments range from place-based initiatives to investments in community-based organizations serving individuals and families experiencing housing instability. Today, a substantial portion of the Foundation’s grant-funded projects is connected to housing and housing stability.
The Foundation is currently supporting several Funded Partners that are addressing different points along the housing continuum, from homelessness prevention and housing access to neighborhood revitalization, homeownership, and community development. As these and other collaborative conversations – among funders, residents, city and county staff, developers, and nonprofit groups – continue, we are excited to engage in ongoing dialogue.
As shared during the recent panel and in conversations with our funded partners and City of High Point leaders who are facing these concerns daily, we know that no single organization or approach can solve these challenges. It will take all of us – including philanthropic entities – to create impact. The Foundation is committed to continuing our investment in both grantmaking and in community collaboratives. Coming together with others across multiple sectors, we can be transparent about the limitations that exist within our existing infrastructure. Through our ongoing dialogue we open our communities up to new approaches and, together, can develop and encourage innovative ideas to reduce the housing pressures we all feel.