Rural Housing Playbook - It’s a Process

November 5th, 2009 by Mike Knutson

One of the toughest tasks for rural communities is figuring out how to address the community’s housing needs. In an effort to help communities, the Rural Learning Center helped establish the Rural Housing Collaborative. Essentially a group of housing leaders in South Dakota, the Collaborative created the Rural Housing Playbook. We’ve talked about it previously (look here for those posts). Today, Rita Edwards, who coordinates the Collaborative’s efforts, shares some of her thoughts on the Playbook.

By Rita Edwards
You may have noticed the sign-up link for the Rural Housing Playbook in the right margin of this blog. I have promised (for a long time now!) to explain why I think the Playbook is an important tool and how I think it presents a different approach to housing development in rural areas.

The Rural Housing Playbook provides a process rather than a formula for rural housing development. BusinessDictionary.com provides the following definitions:

Process:

[A] sequence of interdependent and linked procedures which, at every stage, consume one or more resources (employee time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts, etc.) into outputs. These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end result is reached.

Formula:

[An] equation or a set of instructions that solves a certain type of problems (sic) in a prescribed manner. In a formula, the same set of inputs always produces the same output(s).

Since the Rural Housing Playbook was introduced in November 2008, I have described it as a process manual. It is a guide that can help direct communities through several crucial steps toward producing a successful housing development. From the very beginning I definitely wanted to distinguish it from a formula. No two communities can come up with the same inputs to produce the same outputs or results. That’s not what the Playbook is intended to do. The goal of the Playbook is to help communities develop housing that meets their unique needs, not to provide a blueprint or formula for developing any specific type of housing.

People aren’t going to learn how to develop housing in their communities by reading the Playbook. They will have to jump into the process and learn by doing. A “process approach” emphasizes involving all the relevant stakeholders. I think that approach is another factor that makes the Playbook unique. It promotes and encourages community-wide teamwork, collaboration and involvement to identify a goal or reach a result that serves the whole community.

Applying the process definition above to the Playbook, its modules serve as the “interdependent and linked procedures” for communities to “consume resources to convert input into outputs.” Each module presents different opportunities for communities to convert inputs (the talent, efforts and research of their residents) into outputs (a team ready to work together, a knowledge of their assets and needs, an identification of projects that meet those needs). Ultimately, the communities convert those outputs into whatever end result or goal they choose

That process approach-of bringing together the stakeholders that have an interest in creating a better community- is what sets the Playbook apart. From community engagement and self discovery to concept and design, the Playbook gives suggestions for building a team and tackling the community’s housing needs together. Communities working through each of the modules can build a better knowledge of their own needs and what can be done to meet those needs. Because the resources and inputs will be different for each community, each output will be different, too.

The Playbook also presents an opportunity for communities to learn about housing development not only from experts and resource providers, but from their peers as well. The Playbook has been introduced in regional meetings that bring together representatives from several area communities. The goal of these meetings is to connect communities with one another, creating an informal learning network where they can learn from each other. In each of these regional meetings it has been rewarding to see communities connecting with each other, sharing information and ideas.

If your community is interested in engaging in the process, use the link to access your copy of the Playbook. Or, check out the Rural Housing Playbook website directly. As Coordinator for the project, I would be happy to visit with you!

Note: Individuals may also want to attend one of the regional Rural Housing Playbook Conferences. The next conference will be held sometime this winter in Britton, SD. Check back soon at this link for the date.

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