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Housing

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Issues » Housing


How can my giving help to provide and improve housing in struggling neighborhoods and communities? 

Housing is often the starting point from which families move toward self-sufficiency. With stable housing, families can more easily find and keep jobs, stay healthy and engage more effectively in children’s schools and upbringing. 

What do you need to know about housing?  The following links will help break down the components of housing and how your giving can influence this critical community issue. 

How do you want to make change?  For each housing sub-topic, you can explore five Take Action categories. Each walks you through a specific approach to a housing topic and the ways your giving can make a difference. 

Learn More About Housing


Measure the Results

Making a Difference

andersen fdn

Hugh J. Andersen Foundation: quiet philanthropy bucks trends and credit

Created in 1962 “to better people's lives and strengthen communities”, the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation does pretty much the opposite of what many foundations do. “The Hugh J. Andersen Foundation is not about making a huge, immediate impact and leveraging big dollars; we’re about doing many small, good things in our area,” says program director Brad Kruse.

Created by Andersen Family members, founders and owners of the Bayport, Minnesota-based Andersen Corporation, the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation's primary geographic area of focus is the St. Croix Valley, a mix of rural, suburban and urban communities that span the Minnesota/Wisconsin border just east of the Twin Cities. The Foundation primarily supports nonprofits in Washington County in Minnesota, and Pierce, Polk and St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin. Read More…

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Facts & Figures

  • Adults in more than 9 million families (with 19 million children) work regularly but do not earn enough to meet the household’s needs.
  • The estimated value of a volunteer's time is $18.77 per hour for 2006
  • Since Sept. 1997, the cost of living has risen 26%, while the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged
  • In 2006, Giving Circles donated $13 million for community needs.
  • One year after the storms, the City of New Orleans black population decreased by 57%, while its white population declined by 36%.


In the News

  • Minimum wage facts at a glance Read More...
  • The New Orleans Index: A Review of Key Indicators of Recovery Two Years After Katrina  provides comprehensive research and analysis of recovery efforts.  Read More...
  • Giving circles multiply donor's impact Read More...