Mission

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Building America draws on the strength of its parent company, the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT), with nearly 40 years of community development investment experience, deploying investment capital to finance housing while creating union construction jobs. 

Building America’s mission is to bring jobs and services to severely distressed communities as it works towards solving endemic problems of poverty and lack of access to training and job opportunities. 

Key elements of Building America’s strategy include:

  • Quality Jobs. Provide quality, accessible construction and permanent jobs for low-income people.

  • 100% Union. Ensure that all construction work is carried out by union workers, assuring pay and benefits substantially above area living wage levels – even for entry-level apprentices.

  • Jobs for Low Income Residents. Work with project sponsors to meet or exceed the goal of at least 20% of all construction and permanent workers being low-income community residents.

  • Job Training and Access. Link to union construction and high quality permanent jobs, with access to pre-apprenticeship and job training programs to put low-income community residents on a career path paying wages beyond the living wage.

  • Revitalize Neighborhoods. Bridge the gap to help finance projects that revitalize neighborhoods and act as catalysts for additional development in low-income communities.

Paying low-income community residents livable wages allows families to remain in their evolving communities, reduces financial burdens and reverses the cycle of poverty by promoting wealth creation and family stability.