Building Inclusive and Healthy Neighborhoods, Block by Block: Findings from 11 Neighborhoods Nationwide

LISC + Brookings Metro

A new report from Brookings Metro examines LISC’s community-centered economic inclusion initiative, which centers neighborhoods as the key setting for driving strong regional economies. The lessons in this report make one thing clear: To truly transform the prosperity and well-being of entire cities and regions, it’s past time to abandon top-down or “trickle-down” approaches and embrace the actionable, community-rooted models that have demonstrated impact in cities and neighborhoods nationwide.  Image courtesy of Jana River Medlock Photography

In recognition of Black History Month, we’d like you to meet four organizations that, through support from LISC and the Black Economic Development Fund, are creating housing, employment and other economic opportunities in the neighborhoods that need them the most.

LISC received a $1 million grant through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge to support Bridges to Green Jobs, a LISC initiative to build pathways to employment in the green energy and climate resiliency fields. “People from communities most impacted by climate change will have the opportunity to be a part of the solution, while gaining access to jobs with good pay and growth potential,” said LISC CEO Lisa Glover.

Route Fifty, a publication that targets state and local government leaders, reports on the extraordinary impact of Detroit’s zero percent home repair loan program, which LISC has been running since 2015. To date, the program has helped nearly 700 families make critical repairs to their homes and is, at its root, “a Black homeownership preservation tool for really intergenerational wealth-building strategy,” says LISC’s Damon Thompson, who is quoted alongside LISC President Denise Scott.

Three years ago LISC launched a program with Ally Financial to integrate financial coaching into existing services for aspiring homeowners and entrepreneurs in four cities. The program, which wrapped up the fall of 2022, achieved strong results despite the health and economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. In this piece, we look back at what our collaboration with Ally has accomplished and share stories about its impact on people and communities.