Creating a New
Paradigm for
Grantmaking in Boston
What is ISHI?
The Innovative Stable Housing Initiative (ISHI) is a project that leverages pooled-funding to identify, assess, and fund strategic approaches to increase housing security in Greater Boston. Founded in 2018, ISHI creates a collaborative environment where funders, grantees, residents, and other community members who are often excluded from this process come together to support innovative housing work.
Rapid Housing Support + Tenancy Preservation + Systems and Policy.
Grantmaking Reimagined
ISHI centers a participatory grantmaking approach focused on power sharing. This commitment to making space for residents who have experienced exclusion by oppressive systems expertise in the grantmaking is vital to ISHI’s DNA, reflected in the ISHI model and HRiA’s organizational commitment to equitable grantmaking.
Upstream/
Downstream Framing
ISHI funds approaches at the individual and policy level of the housing crisis through the Flex and Upstream funds.
FLEX FUND
The Flex Fund provides emergency support services and quick access to resources for individuals and families to maintain or find stable housing.
$1.1M
Distributed
382
Households
served
90+%
Found housing stability
