Stories
Celebrating 50 Years of CDBG: Empowering Communities and Building Stronger Futures
Since 1974, the Community Development Block Grant program has been one of the most critical federal resources for affordable housing, community development, infrastructure, and disaster recovery. LISC’s Mark Kudlowitz shares LISC’s long history of utilizing the program in partnership with our community-based partners and what’s needed from Congress to strengthen the program for the future.
LISC Statement on Supreme Court Ruling in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson
The new SCOTUS ruling, rather than recognize the roots of homelessness and the resources needed to combat it, punishes those who are most vulnerable and ultimately undercuts the health of our communities and economy.
The Farm Bill’s Potential for Supporting Rural People and Places
The Farm Bill presents an opportunity to provide rural communities and people the resources they need to flourish. LISC’s Mark Kudlowitz and Nicole Barcliff examine where things stand in Congress and how the legislation can support the needs of families while also revitalizing communities that have long experienced capacity constraints that hinder community and economic development opportunities.
To Safeguard Homes in California, Promote Affordability Through the Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program
California’s recently formed Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program (FIHPP) is poised to fund nonprofit housing groups to buy rental properties in or at risk of foreclosure and quickly convert them to long-term affordable housing. Now, FIHPP is hanging in the legislative balance. LISC’s Tahirih Zigler and Enterprise Community Partners’ Jacqueline Waggoner weigh in on the imperative of safeguarding the program to help spare many Californians from the preventable tragedies of displacement and homelessness.
With the Updated CRA in Limbo, What Comes Next?
LISC’s Matt Josephs takes a look at the long-awaited modernization of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), calling it "fair, workable and strong." But he also warns of the chilling effects of uncertainty, as a legal challenge stalls implementation of the final rule, and offers a series of next steps for banks, regulators and community development practitioners. "Right now, it is critical that we maintain the momentum around CRA,” he writes.
LISC Awarded a $28M HUD Section 4 Grant to Strengthen Local Nonprofit Housing Organizations Serving Under-Resourced People and Places Across the U.S.
LISC is among three of the country's largest community development and housing groups receiving a total of $83M in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 4 capacity building funding. LISC will use its $28M allocation to support 480 community development corporations nationwide, focusing on affordable housing access in historically disinvested communities. The grant includes a three-to-one match commitment of $85 million.