The local workforce is the backbone of every community. Restaurants, retail, groceries, schools, and all services depend on individuals who are being paid wages that have not caught up with the rising cost of living. A community could not survive without the employed individuals who serve it. The local workforce and their families need a viable option to live where they work.

The perception of the local workforce needs to be reconstructed. Most likely they do not qualify for state or federal aid because their income is too high, but even picking up a second job does not guarantee they can afford the cost of living within their community. These people are essential to their communities and should not have to rely on a second or third job to survive.

Attainable home ownership for the local workforce is Upward Community's main intention. The second intention is advocacy for expanding affordable rental housing to include the local workforce who make too much to qualify for state/federal housing programs. It is our firmest belief that housing is the foundation to cultivate a good life, and a good life should be within any persons reach.