The building is the floor, not the ceiling.
Affordable housing is necessary, but it isn't sufficient. The people inside our buildings carry the weight of decades of disinvestment in schools, in savings, in opportunity. We don't pretend a renovated unit closes that gap.
What we can do is design the building, the operations, and the programs that sit on top of them so that the next generation has more room to move than the last. That's what community development means to us.
Capital for the next generation of developers.
The Aequo Fund is a $6.25 million investment vehicle providing vital capital to Black, Brown, women, and immigrant real estate developers. The Fund focuses on projects that expand affordable housing and strengthen community ties across major U.S. cities.
Savings Match Program
The Aequo Foundation is a partner organization — not a subsidiary of EVI — dedicated to community wealth building and resident opportunity. It administers the Aequo Savings Match Program and supports the long-term stability of the communities EVI operates in.
Every child who grows up in an EVI community deserves a shot at higher education. The Aequo Savings Match Program is a 2:1 savings match available to tenant families across EVI's residential portfolio. Families open a 529 college savings plan or ABLE account for their child and make monthly deposits. For every dollar saved by a family — up to $25 per month — the Aequo Foundation double-matches it (Aequo Foundation contributes up to $50). Double-matched funds are held in a dedicated trust and transferred directly to the child's account when they turn 18, while parent's contributions and the first up-to-$25-match are held by the families.
The program isn't just about the money. Participating families complete a financial coaching program, building habits and knowledge that outlast any single deposit. There is no minimum deposit required — just a commitment to showing up month after month. For families who stay in their EVI community through their child's 18th birthday and meet the program's requirements, every matched dollar is theirs.
Community wealth building.
Beyond the Savings Match Program, the Aequo Foundation supports emerging Black, Brown, women, and immigrant real estate developers through scholarships, mentorship, and university partnerships. Its work is rooted in the belief that real change in communities starts with who gets to build — and who gets to benefit.
Learn more at aequofoundation.org.