Affordable housing has been on the minds of many Grand Rapidians lately, from the hundreds waiting for housing assistance from Salvation Army’s Housing Assistance Program, to the City Council’s work on the Housing Advisory Committee’s Housing NOW! recommendations. While the housing market’s rebound from the recession has been a boon for many property owners and businesses, stagnant wages among the lower classes have brought the issue of affordability to a head. Private investors have been willing to come on board for below-market-rate returns on investment instead of the standard 7 percent because they know their investment is helping families and doing good in the community,” says VerWys, pointing to a larger trend he sees in the market. “Social impact investing is the buzzword right now; people are looking at leveraging their philanthropic dollars to make an impact on the market.” ICCF is working to leverage that trend to preserve affordability during a time of “rapid reinvestment in the community.” Permanent supportive housing tends to target higher needs homeless individuals and families than rapid rehousing,” Dwelling Place Executive Director Dennis Sturtevant says, “which means the tenants are more likely to need services.” This is one of the reasons why Dwelling Place employs eight full-time social work staff, funding for which is supported by Dwelling Place’s own fundraising and United Way matching grants. Social workers provide referrals, advocacy, educational, and sometimes direct services.