Working In Neighborhoods (WIN) staffers Greg Robinson and Rigel Behrens recently attended the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s (NCRC) 2025 Just Economy Conference in Washington, D.C.—a gathering of nearly 1,200 community development leaders from across the country.
Greg Robinson, WIN’s NCRC Fellow, found the experience deeply enriching: “The conference was an incredible learning and networking experience. Hearing from professionals committed to expanding homeownership and economic opportunity was inspiring. I especially appreciated sessions focused on how organizations like WIN can collaborate with financial institutions to strategically invest in the most impactful areas.”
Robinson also noted the honesty of discussions: “There was real concern about uncertain funding in today’s political climate—but there was also hope, resilience, and a determination to keep moving forward.”
Rigel Behrens, WIN’s Community Development Planner, joined a 25-member Ohio delegation for Capitol Hill Day, meeting with Senator Greg Landsman and staff from other Ohio representatives’ offices. “We were able to say: here is our footprint, here’s what we do, and this is why it matters,” she said. “It was a valuable chance to connect with national peers doing similar work.”
Sessions explored housing equity, fair lending, and creative partnerships—like Chicago hospitals partnering with nonprofits to create local jobs by building a West Side industrial laundry.
The Just Economy Conference underscored the importance of collective action and persistent advocacy in advancing equitable housing, job access, and community resilience—core to WIN’s mission in Greater Cincinnati.