We Dream CDC is dedicated to creating affordable housing developments, homeownership opportunities for low-income individuals and families, and workforce mentorship for Tampa Bay youth. Tampa Bay is no exception to the national affordable housing crisis, nor to the fact that families spending more than 30% of their income on housing are predominantly low-income, and people of color. A recent Hillsborough County community needs assessment identified affordable housing as one of the top five obstacles contributing to poverty. Alleviating this problem has been made more difficult by the county commissioners’ decision to rescind impact fee relief for affordable housing units. Habitat for Humanity estimated this will increase their building cost by 30%. We Dream CDC is working locally to provide a path to home ownership for the people who need it most. Equipping low-income families with the tools to become homeowners, We Dream CDC is building healthier, vibrant and equitable communities.
Partnering with AAA Restoration and Builders, We Dream CDC kicked off their “Painting for the Holidays Community Blessings,” program with a team of volunteers renovating and refreshing homes for the area’s seniors. Photo: AAA Restoration & Builders
A small organization with deep roots in the Tampa Bay area, We Dream CDC understands the power of collaboration. The organization’s executive director and vice-chairwoman, Yanira Sánchez-Rogers, is a Tampa local with 10 years’ experience in the mortgage industry, and in non-profits including Rebuilding Together Tampa and Habitat for Humanity. It was her experience with those nonprofits – where assisted with homebuyer education, housing counseling and other services – that led her to We Dream CDC, where she has worked to bring those same services to her clients. At the same time, the organization’s youth workforce mentorship program focuses on providing training in construction trade fields. At the end of each year, We Dream CDC also organizes a “Paint for the Holidays” event, where volunteers help seniors by giving their homes a fresh paint job. After We Dream CDC painted Lillian Griffin’s East Tampa home honeycomb yellow, she smiled and told WFTS. “I’m blending in! I’m looking new.”