Loans

As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), LISC Chicago provides a range of products to support community development efforts throughout metropolitan Chicago. We have a variety of flexible lending products designed to help local groups bring development projects to fruition. LISC loans do not replace traditional financial facilities, such as those offered by private banks. Instead, they may cover the higher risk portion of a development – the predevelopment phase of a project in a low-income community – that most lenders are unable to finance due to their underwriting thresholds.

Borrowers can be not-for-profit or for-profit mission-driven companies. LISC makes loans to support a variety of real estate developments, including:

Rental housing
For-sale housing
Community facilities, such as recreation centers, charter schools, child care facilities, art and cultural centers, and health care facilities
Retail or industrial development

LISC loans are used for:

Acquisition costs
Pre-development expenses (architect, feasibility, environmental tests, legal)
Construction
Bridge loans to advance public or private funding contracts (capital campaigns)
Mini-permanent or leveraged loans for New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) projects
Permanent financing for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects

LISC terms are generally:

Loan size can range from $50,000 to up to $5 million.
Short term, less than three years, but mini-perm loans may be up to seven years
Permanent loans up to 18 years for LIHTC developments
Interest is due monthly
Collateral is required for all loans
Loans are at recourse/guaranteed by the borrower
Borrower must reflect a strong financial condition
Borrower must demonstrate experience to complete the proposed project

Learn more about LISC Lending Products here.

LISC Small Business Lending

LISC helps small, for-profit businesses open or expand in hundreds of underserved neighborhoods and rural communities where we work through flexible loan options and technical support. We are committed to empowering entrepreneurs who have been overlooked by traditional financing channels and supporting them as they turn their visions into reality.