September 2025 | Message from our Executive Director
| Can We Consider Ourselves “Artists”?: Our Eviction Prevention Incubator I can’t draw, and I definitely can’t sing. I’ve never thought of myself as a “creative” person in the usual sense. But the truth is, much of our work is creative—we are often building something new, sometimes even creating something out of nothing. Other times, taking what exists and making it new. Creativity isn’t only about art; it’s also about solving problems in new ways. It is about envisioning the outcome you want and finding fresh ways to get there. So while it may not be “painting a picture,” it is creating—creating space, process, and new ways of working together. At the Housing Alliance, we recently put this kind of creativity into practice with the launch of the Eviction Prevention Incubator—a new way of helping communities think about and plan for preventing eviction. Our Director of Programs and Outreach, Gale Schwartz, began by explaining what we mean by “incubator.” In this case, it’s a structured, time-limited workshop where people come together to generate new ideas and turn them into real, workable strategies. The goal is to bring in partners from across sectors, brainstorm solutions, test approaches, and lay the foundation for action. In each incubator, participants worked together to map out the current community resources available, build a shared data-driven understanding of eviction trends, and identify points where timely intervention could make a difference. They then began shaping pilot strategies tailored to their local communities. Our first incubator brought together stakeholders from Cumberland and Dauphin Counties. Our second brought them together in Beaver County. While each community is unique, they share a commitment to creating something new that will better serve all stakeholders – tenants, landlords, and the community at large. We can’t wait to see what our local partners do next! In partnership, Phyllis Chamberlain Executive Director |
