Earlier this year, LISC’s Houston and San Antonio offices received a grant from the Truist Community Catalyst Initiative—a three-year program supporting local initiatives with statewide impact funded by the Truist Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation. The grant is helping LISC to create a standardized training program for emerging developers.
As we approach the end of Year One of the Truist Emerging Developers Initiative, which focused on Research and Discovery, we've gained valuable insights into the needs of developers in both Houston and San Antonio. Our research revealed that developers in these two cities are at different stages of their experience, which will impact both who is included in the training and how the training is presented.
Defining Developer Experience: Emerging vs. Aspiring
In response to these findings, we have developed clear definitions for two key categories of developers: Emerging Developers and Aspiring Developers. These distinctions will help us design more effective and tailored training programs to meet the unique needs of each group.
Emerging Developers
Emerging developers are individuals who have completed at least 1-2 successful real estate development projects and have 2+ years of experience in the real estate industry or related professions. This group has likely completed a developer training program and has a strong desire to produce affordable housing at scale.
Aspiring Developers
Aspiring developers, more prevalent in San Antonio but not exclusive to that city, are individuals with an interest in real estate development. They are often "development-curious," possibly with prior experience in rehabs, fix-and-flips, or other related fields. They are eager to expand their knowledge in real estate development and equitable community development.
As we move forward, we are excited to continue evolving the program to best support developers at all stages of their careers, empowering them to create affordable housing solutions for the communities that need it most.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the launch of Year 2, where we will begin to implement these findings and bring these tailored training programs to life!
For more information contact Jason Grant, Program Officer Housing & Strategic Initiatives at jgrant2@lisc.org