In the midst of the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, GAINING GROUND (working title) follows community organizers and residents in one of Boston’s most economically challenged neighborhoods as they successfully fight against the odds to keep low-income, minority families in their homes. Despite skyrocketing foreclosure rates in surrounding areas, not one of the 250 homeowners on the land trust run by the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) is in foreclosure.

GAINING GROUND follows three stories in real time that reveal the roots of DSNI’s success in preventing foreclosures: the efforts of the newly created Foreclosure Roundtable to help the broader community weather the crisis; the construction of a vast new community center in the heart of the neighborhood; and the development of youth leadership from within the neighborhood that has a deep commitment to its vision and needs.

Shot over twelve months as the community center is under construction, we watch local activists and residents take on challenges made even more difficult by the current economic crisis. As the community center slowly rises from the snow-covered lot, we watch organizers mentor the next generation of leaders, strategize how to save homes and reflect on the lessons they’ve learned from successes and failures during 25 years of organizing.

We come to understand that DSNI’s success in creating a stable, vibrant community rests on its long-term vision and commitment, its comprehensive planning that “builds people as well as housing,” and its belief that the most enduring solutions come from the residents themselves.

The co-producers of the original film, Leah Mahan and Mark Lipman, are producing the film in partnership with filmmakers Llew Smith and Christine Herbes-Sommers of Vital Pictures.

The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation and an anonymous donor have provided pre-production funding for the project.

Make a contribution to support the creation and distribution of the HOLDING GROUND sequel. The film is a nonprofit project of the Filmmakers Collaborative, so your donation is tax-deductible. Send an email to info[at]filmmakerscollab[dot]org.