Enterprise is a national nonprofit that addresses America’s affordable housing crisis from many angles. The organization has 40 years of experience, thousands of local partners, and over 1,100 expert employees nationwide.
Bold visions are essential to fuel hope…We can’t accept life as it is in this country. It has got to change. And it has got to be changed radically by us.—Enterprise Co-Founder Jim Rouse, 1988
The developer and urban visionary Jim Rouse and his wife Patty co-founded Enterprise in 1982. They had an ambitious vision of ending poverty in the U.S. and giving every person the opportunity to live in a decent, affordable home. To succeed, they knew the organization must be driven by mission, fueled by business discipline, and sustained by philanthropic support. When it came time to name the organization, Jim thought of the spirit that had made our country great in the first place: the spirit of Enterprise.
Jim and Patty Rouse, founders of Community Enterprise Partners, 1982
Our Vision
A country where home and community are steppingstones to more.
Our Mission
To make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging, and platforms for resilience and upward mobility for all.
Who We Are
Enterprise is the only national nonprofit that addresses America’s affordable housing crisis from every angle, combining 40 years of experience, thousands of local partners, and the expertise of over 1,100 employees nationwide.
What We Do
- We develop and deploy programs and support community organizations on the ground.
- We advocate for policy on a nonpartisan basis at every level of government.
- We invest capital to build and preserve rental homes people can afford.
- And we own and operate 13,000 affordable homes and provide resident services for 22,000 people.
“All so that people not only make rent, they build futures.”
