Employer-Assisted Housing Initiative

Much of our workforce, including those who provide vital services to a community such as firefighters, police officers, teachers, health workers, cannot afford to live in the communities where they work or serve.   Employer-Assisted Housing is one tool that can be implemented to address this challenge.

Employer-Assisted Housing refers to any employer-sponsored program that provides assistance, including education, counseling and financial assistance, to employees in obtaining affordable housing.  It also refers to government-sponsored programs, including matching programs, to help residents purchase homes in the communities in which they work.

As a REALTOR® Association, you can become a leader in your community by helping to address this challenge including planning and implementing an employer-assisted housing (EAH) initiative to help working families in your community move beyond the most common homeownership hurdles enabling them to purchase, or rent, a home, often within neighborhoods located near the workplace.   Your association is in a unique position to work in partnership with others in your community to plan and coordinate an employer-assisted housing initiative.

NAR’s Employer-Assisted Housing Initiative program makes available technical and financial assistance, as well as resources, to help you plan and implement your own EAH initiative.    Technical assistance includes consulting with staff to discuss what may be best for your association and community and having staff participate in a state or local EAH-related event or conference.    Funding assistance is available via NAR’s housing opportunity program or issues mobilization grants.   

Our newest resource is the Employer-Assisted Housing Initiative Guide for State & Local REALTOR® Associations.  The Guide provides a roadmap for your association to plan and implement an EAH initiative to help increase affordable housing opportunities for working families in your community.

The EAH Initiative program is a service of NAR’s My REALTOR® Party initiative, which provides state and local REALTOR® associations with a personalized gateway to custom build their own advocacy and community outreach programs.

To discuss starting an EAH initiative for your association, contact Holly Moskerintz at 202-383-1157 or hmoskerintz@realtors.org.