Creating a Road Map for Our Next Five Years

Editorial by Alisa Magnotta

Every five years when we enter the strategic planning process, it provides an opportunity to step back and reflect on what we are hearing from our community, what trends we are observing in the housing market and what we need to achieve as an organization to meet the moment.

In 2025, we saw a 40 percent increase in the number of individuals served by Housing Assistance – a leap from 6,500 to 9,000 people seeking support. We are seeing the need increase on every rung of the housing ladder, with 550 individuals experiencing homelessness, inflated rental and utility costs, and the outmigration of those who want to put down roots but cannot afford a home here.

The strategic planning process is our opportunity to create a blueprint to address these needs, from shelter to affordable rentals to the creation of attainable opportunities for homeownership. We have done this planning work at Housing Assistance through ongoing conversations with our board, staff and community partners.

Many of our discussions have pointed to the same reality: the housing challenges facing our region are growing more complex and a path forward requires both immediate action and long-term focus. At the same time, we spoke to people about what makes the organization strong. They pointed to our human-centered approach and the breadth of services we provide to meet people where they are with empathy, respect and a commitment to providing fair access and opportunity.

These considerations helped shape the development of our new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and the direction of our work in the years ahead.

This plan reflects the urgency of this moment and the values that have guided Housing Assistance for decades. At its core is the belief that a community can only support people at every stage of life when those who make it run can live and build their lives here. Housing plays such a central role in the community because it is directly tied to health, financial security and long-term stability.

Creating the plan

Creating the new strategic plan was a six-month process, according to chief of staff Marissa Cyr.

“We worked with a consultant and that helped us make sure we were going through all the steps and getting all the necessary stakeholder input,” she said. “We spent a lot of time getting input from staff. In addition to surveys, Alisa and I spent time joining department team meetings. We had a steering committee with key staff from different departments giving feedback. We also got feedback from our board and external folks, especially in the housing development space, around what opportunities or creative ideas or solutions are out there to create more housing. It was interesting to hear people’s feedback on what they think we’re doing well, where we can improve, where there’s gaps in our services or how we’re able to help clients.”

 

In the years ahead, our work will focus on five interconnected goals. We will:

• Deepen and better connect our support for individuals and families by implementing longitudinal support systems and enhanced programming;
• Build and sustain a diversity of partnerships and funding sources that will allow us to create a lasting impact well into the future;
• Sharpen how we tell our story so more people understand our mission and can benefit from our services;
• Preserve and create more year-round housing for our most vulnerable community members through innovative development, programming and financing models; and
• Continue to invest in a strong, supported team and effective operations, because when our people and systems are equipped to do their best work, we can deliver deeper impact across every part of our mission.

Some of this work will happen behind the scenes and some of it will be visible in the programs we grow, the housing we help create and the conversations we lead with our legislative partners and the broader community.

We walk alongside clients as they navigate complex systems, and that perspective shapes how we support individuals and families and how we speak up and boldly advocate for changes at the local, state and national levels. All that we do is aimed at creating and preserving pathways to stable, attainable year-round housing that empowers individuals and families to stay rooted and thrive in our community.

I am grateful to everyone who has helped develop this plan and to all who continue to support our mission. We look forward to sharing more in the months ahead as this work takes shape. – Alisa