The CSH Supportive Housing Institute is a signature initiative designed to accelerate the development of quality affordable and supportive housing. CSH launched the first Supportive Housing Institute in 2003, and since then has hosted more than 100 Institutes across the country, building the capacity of communities to develop and operate quality supportive housing.
The Institute brings together multidisciplinary development teams for intensive training, individualized technical assistance, and peer collaboration that help participants gain the skills, partnerships, and tools needed to move supportive housing projects from concept toward implementation. Teams develop detailed housing and service plans while receiving guidance on financing and funding, operations, property and asset management, service delivery, and trauma-informed design.
Photo Credit: OHCS (Oregon Housing and Community Services)
Each Supportive Housing Institute team connects with their local CSH Community Investment Officer. As a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), CSH can provide affordable and supportive housing developers with various early-stage, low-cost loans.
Pairing the intensive training from the Supportive Housing Institute with CSH’s loan program has been a successful combination for helping get affordable and supportive housing projects off the ground. By strengthening organizations, fostering cross-sector partnerships, and building a pipeline of development-ready projects, the Institute increases a community’s long-term capacity to create and sustain quality supportive housing. Making CSH’s predevelopment and acquisition capital available to Institute projects offers a unique and innovative way for CSH to invest in the communities we serve.
Supportive Housing Institute and Investment Spotlights
OREGON
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), the state’s housing agency, partners with CSH to host the Oregon Supportive Housing Institute. Selected teams complete a five-month Institute together to learn best practices for supportive housing. Teams work to apply what they’ve learned to their projects. Each team that completes the Institute is considered a member of the funding cohort. Cohort members are prioritized for supportive housing funding from OHCS. Since 2019, OHCS and CSH have had 37 projects participate in the Institute, resulting in the creation of more than 2,000 units of affordable housing across the state.
Oregon Project Highlights
Project Name: North Bend Family Housing Phase I and II
Development Team: North Bend City Housing Authority (Owner); DCM Communities (Development Consultant)
Location: North Bend, Oregon
Description: A two-phase project; Phase I is 105 units, including 30 units of supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Phase II will bring 48 more affordable units, including 20 supportive housing units for youth-headed households, parenting youth, and families experiencing chronic homelessness.
Institute: 2023
CSH Investment:
- Phase 1: $500,000 predevelopment financing
- Phase 2: $1,000,000 predevelopment financing
Timeline: Phase 1 is under construction; Phase 2 will start construction in Fall 2026.
CSH expanded its lending to Oregon in 2022 to strategically grow its lending pipeline in a market that produces high-quality supportive housing.
GEORGIA
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs and CSH partner to host the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute.
The Georgia Institute offers an interactive workshop series that builds the capacity of development teams and equips them with the knowledge to develop new supportive housing projects. The Institute brings together housingdevelopers and owners, homeless service and healthcare providers, property managers and other sponsors to navigate the process of developing housing with supportive services. By strengthening planning, development, and initial project implementation, the Institute helps teams seek and obtain funding more efficiently.
Georgia has completed two Institute cohorts since 2024 and is preparing to launch the 2026-2027 cohort this Fall. So far, nine teams have participated in the Georgia Institute. Two projects per year have been funded through the DCA.
Partnering with DCA to host the Institute in Georgia has been a strategic way for CSH to expand its lending and investment into a new market. This partnership helps ensure that CSH’s investments in Georgia projects are supported by valuable technical assistance from the Institute and backing from the state’s public funder.
Georgia Project Highlights
Project Name: Willow Song
Development Team: Tapestry Development Group (Developer) and The Georgia Mountain Women’s Group (Service Provider) and PHASE Housing Management Group (Property Manager
Location: Cornelia, GA
Description: A 60-unit project, targeting individuals fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking, particularly those with disabilities
Institute: 2024-25
CSH Investment: $100,000 Project Initiation Loan
Timeline: CSH loan closed in April 2025; the project will start construction Fall 2026
Project Name: Residence of Hope
Development Team: Gorman & Company (Developer) and Hope Atlanta (Service Provider)
Location: Atlanta, GA
Description: 42-units targeting people who are formerly homeless and seniors at-risk of homelessness
Institute: 2024-25
CSH Investment: $1,930,000 Acquisition Loan
Timeline: CSH loan closed in early 2026 and construction is anticipated to start this Fall
ILLINOIS
The Illinois Supportive Housing Institute is one of the oldest and longest running Institutes in the country. Since 2006, CSH has hosted more than 10 Institutes in Illinois. In recent years, CSH has partnered with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) as a co-host. Since 2022, 38 teams with different levels of expertise and experience have participated in the Institute. Teams develop projects serving a range of priority populations, including people experiencing chronic homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, older adults, people reentering the community after incarceration, and more. Projects have successfully been awarded Low-Income Tax Credits at 4% and 9%.
The partnership between IHDA and CSH has enabled Institute projects to apply for predevelopment financing to help launch their projects and earn a Predevelopment Quality Endorsement, certifying that their projects meet the highest standards for supportive housing.
Illinois Project Spotlights
Project Name: Villa Guadalupe
Project Team: Claretian Associates (Developer) Villa Guadalupe (Service Provider)
Location: South Chicago, IL
Description: CSH’s investments provided significant rehabilitation of 53 units, including 47 supportive housing units targeted for seniors (55+) who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, disabled, or justice involved.
Institute: 2024
CSH Investment*:
- $500,000 predevelopment loan
- $2,500,000 construction loan
Timeline: The CSH predevelopment loan closed in October 2024. The CSH construction loan and financing closing in September 2026. Placed in service is expected in April 2028.
*CSH used Capital Magnet Funding (CMF) with this project, enabling a reduced interest rate loan for the development. CSH has access to CMF, a competitive grant program that provides funding to CDFIs and nonprofit organizations to finance affordable housing and community development projects for low-income families. CSH uses CMF to reduce the interest rate on qualified projects.
Project: Hero Homes
Development Team: Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans (Service Provider and Co-developer); New Directions Housing Corporation (Co-developer)
Location: Wheaton, IL
Description: 20 supportive housing units targeted for people experiencing homelessness and at-risk veterans and their households
Institute: 2024
CSH Investment: $1,072,000
Timeline: The CSH predevelopment loan closed in March 2026. Placed in service is expected in November 2027.
A New Reality in Supportive Housing
The CSH Supportive Housing Institutes have a proven track record of helping teams fund and develop quality supportive housing. As a CDFI, CSH has built strategic lending partnerships across the country for decades. By lending to and investing in projectsparticipating in Institutes, CSH can help put the pieces in place for communities to move quality supportive housing from an idea to reality, creating the foundation for lasting impact.
CSH recognizes the challenges affordable housing developers face in developingnew projects, and the struggles that existing projects face in maintaining project operations and delivery of quality services to tenants. Significant increases in operating costs, loss of funding for services and a lack of long-term housing vouchers, and tenants with increasingly complex needs is putting a strain on supportive housing developers and operators.
CSH remains committed to its mission to empower those who build and manage supportive housing to create safe homes and thriving, resilient communities. To help address these challenges, CSH has developed new preservation tools for supportive housing developers, including our Project Assessment Tool and Operations Clinic. These offerings help strengthen housing operations, preserve affordability, improve service delivery, and ensure housing stability for tenants.
From early-stage planning and financing to long-term operational success, CSH’s integrated approach helps communities create and preserve quality supportive housing that can continue serving residents for years to come.
