This case study of an innovative and alternative model of community economic development describes a unique project that shows how building and renovating housing can greatly improve the social, economic, and political life of an inner city neighborhood. Using the North End Housing Project (NEHP) in Winnipeg as its focus, the strategy of housing as the centerpiece for community economic development is thoroughly assessed. The NEHP began in one of the lowest-income locales in the city buying, renovating, renting, and selling residences, providing affordable shelter and increasing the nearby housing values. This model proved to be a catalyst for jobs, an economic base, and a foundation of social capital--neighborliness and community organization--in the neighborhood.