By Valerie White & Matt Josephs

In a recent opinion piece for the Syracuse Post Standard, LISC New York Senior Executive Director Valerie White and LISC Senior Vice President for Policy Matt Josephs highlight how federal tax credits are being leveraged to address housing shortages in Syracuse. These kinds of public-private partnerships are enabling local developers to construct affordable homes, revitalize neighborhoods, and provide essential housing options for residents. The expansion of such credits nationwide, moreover, including through the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, can help close the gap between construction or renovation costs and home value to mitigate the housing cris

This year, the Coramino Fund, a nationwide partnership between LISC, Gran Coramino Tequila, and Kevin Hart to help entrepreneurs serving Black and Latino communities, awarded $10,000 grants to 50 businesses. For Pride Month, Coramino Fund grant recipients Thrive Cakery and Officiant NYC shared how cookie sales and personalized ceremonies support the LGBTQ+ community year-round.

Amidst record-high rental rates and limited affordable housing opportunities, some New York City residents are finding hope in the Affordable Neighborhood Co-op Program (ANCP). LISC New York helped the nonprofit Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) secure $9.6 million in construction financing to renovate three downtown Manhattan buildings and convert them to affordable for-sale housing. Following two years of renovation, existing tenants at East 12th Street are  preparing to purchase shares in their future cooperative building.

Jonathan Pérez’s parents opened Café Ollin, a Mexican restaurant in East Harlem, in 1997. Twenty-six years later, Pérez carries on their vision. “I want my family to have a better future, and for my father to see that what he originally started so many years ago is paying off.” Keeping a small family business alive and thriving after all these years means continuing to evolve and grow. And that is precisely what Pérez is doing with help from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, a free resource that helps entrepreneurs gain new skills and build community.

More companies are looking to increase employee retention through upskilling, retooling and fostering a culture of belonging. Entrepreneur Ibrahim Jackson wants to harness this momentum to grow his people development firm, Ubiquitous Preferred Services, but first he needs access to capital, which has long been a challenge for Black entrepreneurs. Thanks to financing through Abbott and LISC, Jackson now has the resources to create a highly effective employee e-learning platform, which will lead to more employer contracts for his business.