Barriers to Housing

Housing may seem straightforward, but there are many hurdles to renting or purchasing a home. This workshop will help you discover the hidden barriers that plague many people, which result in unfair limitations in their search for housing.

We will discuss practical ways to ally with your neighbors and friends to expand their options and overcome barriers that they may face.

Learn about big-picture changes that can be made to dismantle structural obstacles in our community and allow everyone to flourish.

Key topics:

• Recognize privilege in our own lives/backgrounds without being defensive or ashamed of it
• Learn ways to ally with neighbors and friends to improve their outcomes
• Become aware of the barriers in our housing markets (racialized name discrimination, difficulties in obtaining loans, etc.)

Mike McKenna served most recently as CEO of Tenfold, the union of Tabor Community Services and Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership. Mike led the merger effort, rooted in the belief that housing is a human right. During Mike’s tenure, the organization engaged more deeply with its legacy of racial justice and expanded services to meet the extraordinary need during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019-2021, Mike was the President and Chair of the Board for Lancaster Equity, a collaborative non-profit focused on helping residents of Lancaster City thrive through coordinated projects in housing and workforce, including their signature partnership with Willow Valley Communities to revitalize Southern Market Center into a thriving food hall and culinary entrepreneurship hub. Mike is passionate about economic mobility and equity, having served previously as the Chief Impact Officer at Community Action Partnership and the Associate Director for Poverty and Faith Connections at Loyola University Maryland. Since the end of May, Mike has been relishing time in a new role, stay-at-home Dad, caring for his 3 young children (and growing menagerie)! Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from Georgetown University.