What Community Frameworks does

Community Frameworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Spokane, Washington, with a secondary office in Bremerton and programmatic reach across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The organization operates four core service lines: Homeownership Services (HUD-certified counseling, education, and down payment assistance); Development Services (project structuring, financing, construction management, and community engagement for nonprofit partners and housing authorities); Rental Housing (owned and professionally managed affordable apartments in the Spokane metro area); and administration of HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), for which it serves as one of only four national intermediaries. The organization is a chartered member of the NeighborWorks America network, a national affiliation of approximately 250 community development organizations.

The organization serves three primary constituencies: first-time homebuyers facing affordability barriers, low- and moderate-income households seeking quality rental housing (residents pay rents averaging 34% below private market rates), and nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities that need development expertise to deliver affordable supply. Cumulative impact includes 1,700+ rental homes created, 5,000+ households guided toward homeownership, $5 million in down payment assistance and low-interest mortgage lending, and $1.24 billion in community economic benefit. In 2025 alone, the organization produced homeownership for 170 families and provided rental homes to 8,500+ people.

Revenue mechanics include rental income from owned properties (outsourced to Goodale & Barbieri Company for property management), fees for development services delivered to nonprofit and public-sector partners, federal pass-through funding via the SHOP program, and philanthropic contributions. Distribution is achieved through direct service delivery, NeighborWorks network affiliations, online education platforms (eHomeAmerica), and partnerships with community organizations. Governance is exercised through a Board of Directors; executive leadership is President & CEO Deb Elzinga. The organization is privately held with no venture capital, private equity, or public ownership.

Name

Community Frameworks

Legal name

Community Frameworks

Website

https://communityframeworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Frameworks is a 51-year-old nonprofit housing organization in the Pacific Northwest that delivers homeownership counseling, down payment assistance, affordable rental housing, and development services, operating as one of four national HUD SHOP intermediaries across WA, OR, ID, and MT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization Housing Programs (FSALAKAO), Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

Keywords

• Affordable rental housing
• Homebuyer education
• Down payment assistance
• Housing development
• HUD counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Down Payment Assistance Programs: Community Frameworks provides down payment assistance and low-interest mortgage lending to help first-time homebuyers achieve homeownership. The organization has provided $5 million in down payment assistance and low-interest mortgage lending.
2. Rental Housing Operations: Community Frameworks owns and operates rental properties across Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Airway Heights, Washington. Residents pay income-based rent, with rents on average 34% less than private market rates.
3. Development Services for Partners: Community Frameworks provides housing development expertise to nonprofit partners and housing authorities, guiding projects from concept to completion. Services include project development, financial structuring, construction management, and community engagement.
4. HUD SHOP Program Administration: As one of only four national intermediaries for HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program, Community Frameworks helps direct critical funding to partners across the Northwest. Since 1996, SHOP has supported more than 35,000 homes and leveraged over $4.2 billion in public and private investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Community Frameworks is a nonprofit organization that facilitates affordable housing access across the Pacific Northwest through four core service lines: (1) Homeownership Services including HUD-certified homebuyer education, counseling, and down payment assistance; (2) Development Services guiding nonprofit partners and housing authorities through project planning, financing, and construction; (3) Rental Housing operating affordable apartment communities in the Spokane area at below-market rates; and (4) administration of HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) as one of only four national intermediaries.

Product overview

Community Frameworks is a nonprofit housing organization that operates as a service-based portfolio rather than a unified software product. The organization offers four core service lines: Homeownership Services (homebuyer education, counseling, and down payment assistance programs in Spokane and Kitsap County), Development Services (project development, financing, and construction management for partner nonprofits and housing authorities), a SHOP program (as one of four national HUD intermediaries for sweat-equity homeownership), and Rental Housing (professionally managed affordable apartments across Spokane-area communities). The portfolio also includes multiple named rental properties and featured development projects across Washington State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ families have achieved first-time homeownership
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NeighborWorks AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Frameworks is a chartered member of the NeighborWorks network—nearly 250 high-performing community development organizations nationwide, recognized for strong financial stewardship and measurable impact. This affiliation provides access to national resources, best practices, and collaborative opportunities across the network.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Frameworks is one of only four national intermediaries for HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), helping direct critical funding to partners across the Northwest. Since 1996, SHOP has supported more than 35,000 homes and leveraged over $4.2 billion in public and private investment.
• Goodale & Barbieri CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoodale & Barbieri Company is the professional property management team for all Community Frameworks rental homes. They handle inquiries, availability, applications, and resident management for properties in Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Airway Heights.
• eHomeAmericasupportingTechnology or IntegrationeHomeAmerica is an online platform for homebuyer education and counseling. Community Frameworks uses this platform to deliver education courses to pre- and post-purchase clients across Washington State.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Homestead Community Land Trust: Seattle-area community land trust preserving permanently affordable homeownership through resale-restricted homes, closely aligned with CF's mission of creating and sustaining affordable homeownership in the PNW.
• Habitat for Humanity (Pacific Northwest affiliates): National nonprofit that builds affordable homes via sweat-equity and self-help models, including affiliates across WA, OR, ID, and MT that overlap directly with CF's SHOP-supported homeownership and down-payment assistance programs for low-income families.
• Bellwether Housing: Seattle-based nonprofit affordable rental housing owner/operator serving low-income households across the PNW; directly comparable to CF's owned-portfolio rental model and resident services orientation.
• BRIDGE Housing: West Coast-focused nonprofit that develops, owns, and manages affordable rental and mixed-income housing; matches CF's combination of in-house development expertise plus owned rental portfolio with resident services.
• Mercy Housing: National nonprofit developer, owner, and operator of affordable rental housing and supportive services across the U.S.; closely comparable to CF in combining development, ownership, resident services, and nonprofit governance in affordable housing.
• Plymouth Housing: Seattle-based nonprofit operating supportive and affordable rental housing for low-income residents in the Pacific Northwest; comparable model of professionally managed affordable units paired with resident services, overlapping with CF's rental portfolio in Spokane.

Regional players

• Spokane Housing Authority: Public housing authority that owns and operates affordable rental housing in Spokane and is a natural partner — and partial competitor — to CF in delivering subsidized rental units and supportive services in the same market.
• Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton: Public housing authority serving Kitsap County that partners with CF on homeownership education and operates affordable rental housing, overlapping with CF's Bremerton office and Kitsap down-payment assistance footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI supporting nonprofit affordable housing developers with capital, grants, and technical assistance; comparable to CF's intermediary role, though at greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Large national CDFI and affordable housing developer that combines financing, development, and policy work; competes with CF for partner development mandates and capital allocations across the Pacific Northwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Frameworks