American Public Human Services Association (formerly the American Public Welfare Association) – Develops, promotes, and implements public human service policies that improve the health and well-being of families, children, and adults. Website provides links to all state Human Service Agencies, plus a link to Medicaid agencies.

American Public Human Services Association (formerly the American Public Welfare Association) – Develops, promotes, and implements public human service policies that improve the health and well-being of families, children, and adults. Website provides links to all state Human Service Agencies, plus a link to Medicaid agencies.

California Housing Law Project – Provides governmental advocacy and information services on state affordable housing legislation to California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Western Center on Law and Poverty, local legal services programs, local government housing agencies, rent boards, nonprofit and private housing corporations, affordable housing coalitions and tenant, senior and public interest organizations.

Center for Law and Social Policy – National non-profit organization with expertise in both law and policy affecting the poor. Through education, policy research and advocacy, CLASP seeks to improve the economic security of low-income families with children and secure access for low-income persons to our civil justice system.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities – Researches a broad range of budget and policy issues, including federal and state budget and tax policies, poverty and income trends, wage and unemployment issues, and welfare, job training, and housing issues, with an emphasis on those affecting low- and moderate-income Americans.

Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions – Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are private-sector, financial intermediaries with community development as their primary mission. They find ways to make loans and investments that conventional financial institutions would consider unbankable, and they link financing to other developmental activities. The Coalition is an ad hoc policy development and advocacy initiative dedicated to increasing public and financial support for and awareness of CDFIs through advocacy, public education, training, and outreach.

Coalition on Human Needs – Alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations. The Coalition’s members include civil rights, religious, labor and professional organizations and those concerned with the well being of children, women, the elderly and people with disabilities.

Community Development Society – The Community Development Society is a professional association for community development practitioners and citizen leaders around the world. CDS’s web site provides members an opportunity to learn what’s new in the profession, exchange ideas, obtain the research and reference information, and share professional experiences and expertise.

Community Opportunity Program (Philly Corps) and Institute for the Study of Civic Values – Aimed at helping civic associations and human service agencies promote self-sufficiency for the low-income residents of their own neighborhoods. The web page examines the alternative proposals now given most serious consideration in Congress and around the country.

Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA) – National Association advocating and enhancing the leadership role of states in community development through innovative policy development and implementation, customer-driven technical assistance, education and collaborative efforts.

Edward Lowe Foundation – Dedicated to supporting small business entrepreneurs. Its library is available online, and it has programs to foster networking among small businesses.

Enterprise Community Partners – National, nonprofit housing and community development organization dedicated to bringing lasting improvements to distressed communities. Through a network of more than 1,100 nonprofit, community-based organizations in more than 400 locations, Enterprise is helping build a national movement to promote housing and community development in low-income neighborhoods.

Fair Lending Guide Page – Provides information on The Fair Lending Guide and offers access to FAIR LENDING ALERTS updates regarding new fair lending developments. Also provides access to other resources for lenders, community groups, regulators, and others interested in fair lending issues.

Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. – The Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. (FJF) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the living and working conditions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout the United States.

Habitat for Humanity – Provides information about Habitat’s volunteer-driven work to build low-income housing, including where they build, how the process works, and how people can get involved.

Handsnet – Promotes information sharing, cross-sector collaboration and advocacy among individuals and organizations working on a broad range of public interest issues. The site previews the benefits of subscribing to Handsnet, including Action Alerts, Weekly Digest, Welfare Watch, an OP/ED page, links, and information on Training and Resource Center.

Institute for Community Economics (ICE) – National organization that addresses the needs of low-income families. Its founders developed the Community Land Trust model in the 1960s; since then, ICE has worked to establish local CLTs. ICE is the only provider of technical and financial assistance focused on CLT development; it has promoted CLTs through loans, consulting services, national conferences and regional training events, videos and publications.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) – Works through over 40 local offices around the U.S. to provide grants, loans and equity investments to Community Development Corporations for neighborhood redevelopment.

Mercy Housing, Inc. – National, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and strengthening communities.

National Alliance to End Homelessness – Nonprofit membership organization dedicated to solving the problems of homelessness and to preventing its continued growth. National forum for policy on poverty aiming to strengthen, promote, represent and serve its network of member agencies; to assure that the issues of the poor are effectively heard and addressed. The site contains policy discussion, access to publications, information about development meetings and resources. Also links to CAAs & State Associations.

National American Indian Housing Council – National membership organization that promotes, supports, and upholds tribes and tribal housing agencies, encouraging culturally-relevant, decent safe, sanitary, and affordable housing for native people in American Indian communities and Alaska native villages.

National Center for Farmworker Health – Focuses on the midwest migrant stream. Its mission is to improve the health status of farmworker families through public awareness, partnerships with other organizations, and improving health centers for farmworkers.

National Community Reinvestment Coalition – The National Community Reinvestment Coalition is a national nonprofit membership organization founded in 1990 to help increase the flow of private capital into traditionally underserved communities.

National Fair Housing Alliance – Monthly newsletter on fair housing issues. The website provides text of the newsletter and a discussion forum, as well as fair housing information from other sources.

National Housing Law Project – Works to increase and preserve the supply of decent, affordable housing. Provides legal assistance, advocacy advice and housing expertise to legal entities, low-income housing advocacy groups, and others who serve the poor.

National Housing Trust – National nonprofit organization formed to preserve and improve federally assisted housing for low and moderate income use. Emphasis is on preserving federally assisted and insured properties at risk of conversion to market rate housing and resolving the problems of troubled projects that suffer from physical deterioration and financial and social distress.

National Low Income Housing Coalition – Committed to educating, organizing, and advocating to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods for everyone. NLIHC provides up-to-date information, formulates policy, and educates the public on housing needs and the strategies for solutions.

National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) – The National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) is dedicated to ending homelessness through grassroots advocacy and inclusive partnerships. NPACH works to accomplish its mission by: educating the public and policymakers on the causes and consequences of homelessness, thus creating the political will necessary to end homelessness; creating and advocating for appropriate federal policies in collaboration with local communities, thus ensuring that those policies reflect the reality of local communities and meet their needs; and connecting community-based organizations, schools, and work places to national anti-homelessness policy through advocacy and public education initiatives.

National Rural Housing Coalition – NRHC promotes and defends the principle that rural people have the right, regardless of income, to a decent place to live or an affordable home, clean drinking water, and basic community services. NRHC was formed in 1969 by a group of concerned rural community activists, public officials, and non-profit developers to fight for better housing and community facilities for low-income rural people.

NeighborWorks® America – NeighborWorks® America is a national nonprofit organization created by Congress to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts. NeighborWorks America, local NeighborWorks organizations and Neighborhood Housing Services of America make up the NeighborWorks system, which has successfully built healthy communities since 1978. Here is how the three elements work together to create new opportunities for residents while improving communities.

New York State Rural Housing Coalition – The New York State Rural Housing Coalition, Inc., supported by more than 200 member organizations, is committed to providing safe, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income rural New Yorkers. Their website includes a page where you can find a list of Rural Preservation Companies in NY.

Office of the Comptroller of Currency: Rural Community Development Banking Resource Directory – This directory provides descriptions and contact information for a number of organizations and web sites that can provide resources to banks interested in lending, investing, or providing retail financial services in rural communities.

Poverty & Race Research Action Council – PRRAC is a non-partisan, national, not-for-profit organization convened by major civil rights, civil liberties and anti-poverty groups. Their purpose is to link social science research to advocacy work in order to successfully address problems at the intersection of race and poverty.

Rural Assistance Center (RAC) – A product of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rural Initiative, the Rural Assistance Center (RAC) is a rural health and human services “information portal.” RAC helps rural communities and other rural stakeholders access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can enable them to provide quality health and human services to rural residents. Resources include a Housing & Homelessness Information Guide and funding links. RAC also can provide customized grant searches in The Foundation Center database.

Rural Community Assistance Partnership – National network whose purpose is to improve the quality of life in rural areas. It is composed of a national office, six community-based organizations that act as regional offices, and more than 150 field-based rural development professionals. RCAP provides training and technical support for water and wastewater systems, housing, economic development, nonprofit and government capacity building.Read about the national network and the link to the regional offices here, or use the links below to go directly to an individual office.

Regional RCAP Offices

• Midwest Assistance Program – Midwest Region: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
• Great Lakes Community action Partnership – Great Lakes Region: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin
• SERCAP, Inc. – Southeast Region: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
• Community Resource Group (CRG) – Southern Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
• Rural Community Assistance Corporation – Western Region: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington

Rural LISC – Rural-focused program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) that provides funding, information, technical assistance, and capacity building to designated community development corporations.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) – Non-profit organization based in Boston, MA, providing state-of-the-art technical assistance and training to housing and human service organizations to effect positive outcomes on behalf of people who are disadvantages and/or have disabilities.

Unidos US– Since 1968, UnidosUS—formerly known as NCLR—has remained a trusted, nonpartisan voice for Latinos. They serve the Hispanic community through our research, policy analysis, and state and national advocacy efforts, as well as program work in communities nationwide.

YouthBuild USA – Founded in 1990, YouthBuild USA is a national nonprofit organization that supports a nationwide network of 180 local YouthBuild programs. In YouthBuild programs, unemployed and undereducated young people ages 16-24 work toward their GED or high school diploma while learning construction skills by building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people.