The Kempner Fund is committed to addressing housing insecurity as a foundational element of Galveston’s resilience, community identity, and economic opportunity. We prioritize investments in workforce housing to support middle-income and essential workers (e.g., first responders, teachers, and nonprofit professionals) who are increasingly unable to afford housing in the community they serve.

In addition, we are committed to addressing the root causes of homelessness and housing instability to ensure all Galveston residents have access to safe, dignified, and affordable housing. By co-investing with partners, the Kempner Fund seeks to expand housing options for workforce and middle-income residents, as well as individuals experiencing homelessness, fostering community stability, economic diversity, and greater access to secure housing for all.

The Kempner Fund also supports strategies to help long-time residents remain in their communities by addressing rising housing costs and gentrification pressures. While this is a secondary priority compared to workforce housing and solutions for those experiencing homelessness, we recognize its role in preserving Galveston’s community fabric.

The Kempner Fund focuses on four core priorities in this area:

• Co-invest in the Galveston Essential Workforce Housing Fund I to support housing for essential workers in Galveston.

• Co-invest in permanent supportive or transitional housing models for individuals experiencing homelessness in Galveston.

• Support resident retention strategies to help long-time residents stay in the community amidst rising housing costs and gentrification, with a focus on vulnerable community members.

• Fund initiatives to track and analyze housing and community vitality indicators - including homelessness, workforce housing, and retention - through both quantitative and qualitative data collection.

The Kempner Fund recognizes the critical value of social services and homelessness prevention programs. However, our funding priorities are specifically focused on initiatives with a direct housing component. As such, we are unable to fund social services or prevention efforts that are not part of housing solution(s). We encourage organizations to collaborate with housing-focused initiatives to integrate these essential services and support those facing housing instability.

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