Columbia-based Enterprise marks 25 years of community building

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Since Jim and Patty Rouse founded Enterprise Community Partners 25 years ago, the Columbia-based nonprofit has worked to see more than $8 billion invested in affordable housing and community developments, providing more than 215,000 homes across the country.

The company’s founding principles remain the same, but its business and organizational structure has expanded to where Enterprise anticipates a lot more money invested and many more homes built in the next 25 years.

“From where the organization started, and considering the work we continue to do, surviving for 25 years is actually quite remarkable,” said Jeff Donahue, president and CEO of Enterprise Community Investment, the for-profit subsidiary of Enterprise Community Partners. Doris Koo is president and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners.

Enterprise totals more than 500 employees doing work in 47 states. The company creates partnerships among large financial institutions and small nonprofits to generate about $1 billion annually in community revitalization.

“You’re not here because it’s a cakewalk or it’s a really high-paying job,” Donahue said.

Enterprise celebrated its 25th anniversary at a Community Conference last week in Cleveland. Developers, lenders and nonprofit organizations gathered from across the country.

“It was everyone who does affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization,” said Michele Hartson, who worked out of Enterprise’s Columbia headquarters for seven years with the company’s Housing and Community Development Workgroup. Hartson is now president of Inner Harbor Partners in Baltimore.

Hartson said, after 25 years, the Enterprise staff continues to stay focused on helping people despite dealing with decreasing funding for low-income housing.

“We don’t have the luxury of giving up,” Hartson said. “The problems are still there, but we won’t stop doing what we’re called to do.”

Bill Wilson, also of Inner Harbor Partners, attended the conference and helped lead several workshops on housing planning.

“Jim Rouse was such a visionary and so committed to rebuilding the inner city,” Wilson said. “For me, Enterprise is a national voice for low-income people.”

At a glance

Enterprise Community Partners

10227 Wincopin Circle,

American City Building

Columbia, MD 21044

800-624-4298;

www.enterprisecommunity.org

acannarsa@baltimoreexaminer.com