As a part of my summer internship, I was given the unique opportunity to meet many of the passionate, fascinating people working in affordable housing organizations around West Virginia.
One word that was continuously thrown around was “self-sufficiency”. Indeed, the American Dream for many revolves around independence and stability. Affordable housing organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, help so many people achieve a vital part of that dream. The safety and stability of a self-sufficient life is the foundation upon which the American Dream is built.
But self-sufficiency seems to imply that it is achieved solo. We must remember that independence does not mean isolation. This is true on every economic level. No one achieved their American Dream without others. Every business needs investors and customers; every athlete needs a team and fans. This week the Urban Institute posted an article on loneliness as a public policy concern, stating that not only is loneliness a mental and physical health issue, but it also has detrimental economic effects. Isolation creates a viscous economic cycle. Those of us who are isolated from the larger economy are more likely never to find success within it (Take a look at the article here).
Successful affordable housing programs know this and maintain community building as vital to their missions. In fact, after meeting representatives from these organizations, I realize that they are community builders first and foremost. Their work depends on the volunteerism of engaged community members, and they unite economically isolated families with the community. At Habitat, future homeowners volunteer in our home builds, dedicating hundreds of hours of work to the organization. These organizations harvest citizenship and community engagement while providing for one of the nation’s most fundamental necessities.
Let’s remember that independence is a worthy end, but that interdependence is the only means to achieving it.
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