For decades, conversations about housing in disinvested communities have been framed almost entirely around affordability. While well-intentioned, that framing often misses the deeper issue and, in some cases, misdiagnoses the problem altogether. The real challenge in many struggling neighborhoods isn’t the absence of affordable housing, but the absence of a functioning housing market.

“Sometimes we talk about affordable housing, and we should be talking about building markets. Sometimes it’s vice versa but either way, we’re confusing the issue,” said Dennis Roberts, Chief Strategy Officer at Cuyahoga Land Bank.

This confusion has real consequences, especially in places like East Cleveland, one of the most disinvested cities in the nation. With an average household income of roughly $22,000 per year, the instinct is often to double down on affordability. But research (and lived experience) tells us that the most vibrant, resilient communities are those with mixed incomes.

“Experts say the most vibrant communities are those that have mixed incomes,” Roberts said. “That means, we need to bring new people to East Cleveland with higher incomes, while we continue to create and support housing opportunities for the people who have lived there for years.”

That statement can sound provocative, even uncomfortable. But the point isn’t to exclude existing residents, but rather to expand the market so opportunity, investment and demand can return to benefit everyone.

The Real Diagnosis: Concentrated Poverty

Concentrated poverty doesn’t just limit individual households; it weakens entire systems, including schools, commercial corridors, public services and civic life. When everyone in a neighborhood is financially constrained, there’s little capacity to demand or sustain quality amenities.

“The sickness is being misdiagnosed,” Roberts explained. “We need more quality housing that supports people at various income levels; these homeowners with higher incomes in turn will demand better schools, shopping centers, amenities, which will be a benefit to everyone in that community.”

At the core, most people (regardless of income) want the same things. Roberts explained, “They want a decent place to live, decent schools, amenities, a walkable community, a place to take their kids – and they want it to be safe.”

Mixed-income neighborhoods make those shared aspirations achievable.

Market-Building Is a Team Sport

Creating these conditions requires coordinated action across sectors, particularly in places that have experienced decades of disinvestment.

“The local government could take responsibility for land assembly, signaling that it will act in a strategic and sustainable way,” Roberts said. “That would give the private sector the confidence to invest for the long-term. The philanthropic community could also have to help de-risk early investment opportunities. Each sector plays a role.”

No single organization or team can do this alone. Market recovery is an ecosystem effort.

Being Willing to Be the Loss Leader

At Cuyahoga Land Bank, that ecosystem approach often starts with intentional risk-taking.

“Many times, when the Cuyahoga Land Bank goes into a community, we are the loss leaders. We often lose money on those initial homes and we recognize that,” Roberts described. “But we are creating the conditions for private investment to come in afterwards, make money and create a healthy market.”

This is how markets are rebuilt: not by avoiding loss entirely, but by using strategic losses to unlock long-term value.

Poverty as a Societal Issue, not a Local Flaw

The logic behind public investment in housing markets isn’t fundamentally different from how we think about schools.

“A school system is an investment that we all make because we recognize the importance of it,” Roberts said. “If we recognize that, we should also recognize that pockets of poverty are not good for society. We have to recognize that, like schools, concentrated poverty is a collective societal issue.”

Mixed-income neighborhoods aren’t charity. They’re infrastructure for opportunity.

Patience Is Part of the Strategy

Finally, there’s no shortcut around time.

“If it took years in order to create a situation, it’s going to take years to fix it,” Roberts said.

Rebuilding markets, restoring confidence and rebalancing neighborhoods is slow, deliberate work. But the payoff is profound: communities that are not only affordable, but functional, vibrant and durable.

The goal isn’t just housing people. It’s rebuilding places, and mixed-income neighborhoods are one of the most powerful tools we have to do exactly that.