Investing in a better future –
starting here, at home
Taking actionable steps to fostering a culture representative of the world we want to live in
We believe in implementing social change at every level of business—from vendor partnerships, community spaces, and our own workplace culture. We take pride in implementing ethical practices through employee trainings, philanthropic initiatives, equitable hiring procedures, and transparent diversity metrics. Within our company and our communities, we seek to build an inclusive, diverse space where all can belong.
Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
How we recruit
We actively seek to diversify our team, including company leadership and Board of Trustees. We publicly disclose our diversity metrics, and partner with HBCUs and industry groups to recruit those from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and interests.
Who we partner with
We maintain a vendor network of women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses. In addition, we ensure our partners stay committed to the human rights standards set by the U.N., free of discrimination and harassment.
How we hold ourselves accountable
In 2020, we launched a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) council to create a more inclusive environment, and regularly engage third-party experts to provide insight on how to improve DEIB practices and procedures.
We support financial inclusion
Financial inclusion aims to increase the availability and equality of financial service opportunities, remove barriers to the financial sector, and enable individuals to improve their financial wellbeing. How do we start? By providing opportunities to all of our residents to grow their credit scores. Many times, on-time rent payments are not reported to all three of the major credit bureaus, creating a missed opportunity to build credit history and downstream ramifications on financial security.
Elme is excited to partner with Esusu to dismantle barriers to financial inclusion for working families. Through Esusu, we will report on-time rent payments to all three credit bureaus on a monthly basis, providing an opportunity for residents to build their credit. This no-cost amenity is available to 100% of our community residents and helps support their long-term financial wellbeing.
How we give back to our community
Our team is passionate about paying it forward within the regions we call home. We regularly rally together to donate to a food bank, sponsor a toy drive, partake in charity walk, or give back to good causes, including:
Building equitable, inclusive, and healthy communities remains our top priority
Open, honest feedback
Clear communication is the foundation of a high-quality living experience. We conduct regular community surveys to stay in touch with residents, resulting in a 4.1 average Google review score.
Superior customer service
We take pride in offering timely responses to maintenance and service requests. We leverage a number of tools—bulletin boards, social media, and messaging apps—to speed up response times.
Healthy, safe communities
We promote the health and wellbeing of our communities through green cleaning, superb indoor air quality, and various amenities including fitness centers, pools, and dog parks (where available).
Affordable homes
We aim to close the affordability gap. We’re proud that 97% of our homes are affordable to those making the area median income, while over one-third are affordable to those making 60% of the median.