LISC NY Brings Community Partners Together to Tackle Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Development Issues
LISC NY hosted a Community Partner Convening on September 27th, which was attended by over 30 community partners. The event provided a forum for attendees to connect in person and virtually and discuss opportunities and challenges in carrying out the mission of community development in today’s environment. At the event, the LISC NY team described our newly expanded statewide strategy, our current programs and resources, and the purpose of our annual partner survey. A recording of the event can be viewed here.
Following LISC NY's presentation, participants had the opportunity to engage in small group discussions in breakout groups focused on housing, economic development, and workforce development. They were also invited to meet with LISC’s Community Capital Investments (CCI) team. Below are some key takeaways from the breakout sessions.
Housing
What are some common needs that you are seeing in the communities you serve related to this topic?
Community partners identified three top needs in their communities: (1) Staffing/staff retention in the affordable housing space; (2) Capital for affordable housing development and construction; and, (3) Connectivity between government agencies and community-based organizations.
What are the current challenges your organization is facing in addressing these needs?<
Community partners identified a variety of challenges they face in addressing these needs. On an operational level, community partners are struggling to obtain the resources needed to cover staff costs. Externally, community partners are facing a variety of systemic and market challenges. These include: rising interest rates, reduced financing sources, market shifts and deficiencies, difficult property management, the need to build stronger relationships with tenants, and challenges in navigating agency relationships with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
What are some opportunities that your organization has identified to address these needs?
In response to these challenges, community partners proposed a number of solutions. They called for more advocacy around the expansion of fixed and flexible lending rates for their projects (for example, with the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, or NYCERS, program), as well as more permanent lending products and services. They also suggested that LISC’s credit-enhancement fund be made larger to cover broader project scopes and that LISC’s lending products be made as accessible as possible to community-based partners.
Economic Development
What are some common needs that you are seeing in the communities you serve related to this topic?
Many of the small businesses supported by our network of business development organizations (BDOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) are in need of pandemic recovery support and are still struggling with back rent, supply chain issues, the threat of congestion pricing, and a lack of healthy foot traffic on their commercial corridors. Community partners identified a need for more seed funding for start-ups, as well as additional resources and guidance around hiring and transitioning new staff. They also shared that many of the small businesses in their neighborhoods have expressed public safety concerns that are impacting their bottom line.
What are the current challenges your organization is facing in addressing these needs?
Community partners expressed an array of challenges inhibiting their support of small businesses connected to funders, funder criteria, and funder metrics. Partners indicated a lack of funding to support the demand side of economic development to create more job opportunities, and a lack of funding for capacity building, technical assistance, and staffing. Partners emphasized that real change takes time and requires multi-year funding, and that the indicators and metrics set by funders do not always align with the timeframe needed. Navigating funder criteria, while also building trust and long-term relationships with businesses has proven difficult. Additionally, there is not enough interest on the part of funders to cover essential small business needs such as back-office support.
What are some opportunities that your organization has identified to address these needs?
Community partners called for more collaboration and synergy across Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), CBOs, and BDOs. They identified small business support needs related to the effects of the pandemic, such as virtual technical assistance and helping small businesses to build their digital presence. Partners also made suggestions around tailoring small business services to particular geographies and neighborhoods, while also having grassroots organizations, rather than funders, setting priorities and driving conversations. Finally, community partners raised ideas about policy alternatives, such as revising New York City’s congestion pricing plan to apply only to passenger vehicles as opposed to delivery trucks in order to reduce the cost burden on small businesses.
Workforce Development
What are some common needs that you are seeing in the communities you serve related to this topic?
Community partners noted a number of challenges and barriers facing workforce development training participants at all stages of the process. Prospective participants are navigating system impediments and the administrative burden of workforce program applications. Many applicants require some level of remedial education and digital skills training in order to be admitted into these programs. Once enrolled, many participants struggle with the time and cost burden of these programs. Partners called for more funding to support participants financially while they are engaged in training, as well as wraparound services, such as job placement and retention supports, to support them to succeed in training and employment.
What are the current challenges your organization is facing in addressing these needs?
Community partners in the workforce development space highlighted duplicative services and programs, rendering the ecosystem ineffective. CBO partners are also struggling with funder restrictions and requirements. For example, they indicated a lack of funding for program participants that do not fall within the opportunity youth category (18-24 years old). Internally, community partners are challenged with staff capacity and staff burnout.
What are some opportunities that your organization has identified to address these needs?
Community partners generated a number of ideas in response to these challenges. They called for more convenings and collaborative spaces to foster coordination and reduce duplication. They underscored successful wraparound service models and called for more centralized advocacy around the expansion of these models. Partners also suggested that non-profits tap their own networks for hiring to address staff capacity issues.
How can LISC provide support in these areas?
Participants in the breakout groups highlighted ways in which LISC can support them in a variety of areas, including hosting convenings more frequently, creating collaborative spaces, joining coalitions, promoting non-duplicative, coordinated efforts, continuing advocacy around key issue areas like affordable housing, and providing connections to staff development and training opportunities. LISC NY is listening and we are here to support our partners in their incredible work to create thriving, sustainable communities across New York State!
For questions related to our annual partner survey, please reach out to Talor Crawford, Community Development Officer, at TCrawford@lisc.org