Insights and Updates

South Florida is experiencing a housing crisis. More than half of renters are cost-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on rent. Many are one unexpected expense away from eviction or homelessness. This is not just an economic problem; it is a moral one. It is time for our churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples to bring their full power and purpose to the affordable housing movement.

For most of my professional life, I have worked in the uneasy space between capital and community. I have spent decades in rooms where people discussed affordable housing deals, economic development strategies, redevelopment plans, tax credits, neighborhood decline, investment gaps, poverty rates, loan pools, and public policy. Sometimes the conversations were inspiring. Sometimes they were transactional. Occasionally they were transformative.

James Carras is one of the most respected voices in community development finance. As Principal of Carras Community Investment, Inc., he has spent over three decades supporting mission-driven organizations, developers, and financial institutions in building equitable, thriving communities.