The Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment (ACHANGE) is a left-of-center coalition formed by community development organizations in Arkansas to better coordinate efforts to share information and promote affordable housing policies. It favors increased government subsidies to provide low-income housing, and its president has a history of promoting left-of-center framings on racial and gender ideology and so-called implicit bias. ^{1  2  3}

Founding and History

The Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment was formed in 2005 following the November 2004 meeting of seven community development corporations in Arkansas. ACHANGE is a member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. It also partners with NeighborWorks America and collaborates with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. ^{1  4}

Financials

For 2023 and 2024, the Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment reported less than $50,000 in revenue and filed the IRS e-Postcard. As of January 2026, the most recent year for which it filed a full tax return was 2022. That year, ACHANGE reported $139,518 in revenue, of which $132,500 stemmed from contributions and grants, $75 from program service revenue, and $275 from membership dues. It did not report any government funding. ^{5  6}

It reported $22,739 in expenses, of which $19,000 was paid to independent contractors, and $1,344 was spent on printing and mailing costs. It reported no employee salaries. It ended the year with a net income of $116,779 and $154,308 in net assets. ⁷

Organization Philosophy

The Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment exists to promote and facilitate affordable housing opportunities among community development organizations and financial institutions in Arkansas. While its website does not have partisan language, its president has a history of promoting left-of-center framing for issues such as unconscious bias and race and gender ideology. ^{2  3}

It promotes government subsidization of housing and claims that the rental and housing market is inadequate to provide for the needs of people in Arkansas. ⁸

Projects and Initiatives

The Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment hosts various events to share information between institutions involved in community development and financing affordable housing. It also promotes the annual release of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s “Advocates Guide 2025: A Primer on Federal Affordable Housing and Community Development Programs and Policies.” This guide provides information on current federal housing programs and resources. ACHANGE is a member of the coalition. ^{9  8  1}

Leadership

Martie North is the president of the Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment and a senior vice president of community development, engagement, and emerging markets at Cadence Bank. She has held other similar community development positions at other banks, and was also the CEO from 2020 to 2022 of System Critical LLC, a consultancy that provided left-of-center “cultural competency” training for organizations that promoted the controversial theory of unconscious bias, along with left-of-center racial and gender ideologies. ^{3  10}

1. “History.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/history/. 
2. “Mission.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/mission-2/.
3. “Martie North (Hamilton).” LinkedIn. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/martie-north-hamilton-8671999/.
4. “Partners and Sponsors.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/partners-and-sponsors/. 
5. “Tax Exempt Organization Search Details: Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment.” IRS.gov. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/. 
6. Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment. Return from an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990-EZ) 2022, Part I, III.
7. Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment. Return from an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990-EZ) 2022, Part I.
8. “News.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/news/. 
9. “Previous Convenings.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/previous-convenings/. 
10. “Officers and Board of Directors.” Achange.org. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.achange.org/officers-and-board-of-directors/.