News
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The New Era of Public Innovation: Part II
In a recent op-ed published in the Huffington Post, Ben Thornley, Director of Pacific Community Ventures, outlined the links between ideas that emerged from the Schwab Foundation’s Social Innovation Summit and LIIF’s recently released publication, Investing in What Works for America’s Communities. Noting the need for evidence-based innovation, Mr. Thornley suggests the international development community…
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Tax Credits Spur Investment in Distressed Communities
Last month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund announced the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) authority for investments totaling $3.5 billion to community development organizations nationwide. In a recent news column for HispanicBusiness.com, LIIF was featured as one of 85 organizations that received awards in the 2012 round …
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85 CDEs Receive NMTC Awards
LIIF was selected as one of 85 organizations nationwide to receive an allocation of New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Selected from a pool of 282 applicants, LIIF received an allocation of $55 million, its sixth allocation award. LIIF was featured…
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Creating Resilient Communities
In a speech at the Federal Reserve Community Affairs Research Conference, Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve System, discussed the growing need for greater collaboration across disciplines to help build healthier, resilient communities. Using illustrative examples of community revitalization, including several featured in LIIF’s recently published book Investing in What Works for America’s Communities, Mr. Bernanke…
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Meals and Housing to Come Together in S.F.
LIIF joined house Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other dignitaries on January 24 as they broke ground on the new St. Anthony’s Foundation (SAF) dining room in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. The new 40,000-square-foot dining room will enable SAF to serve more than 3,000 meals per day and expand its existing free clothing program, fresh food pantry and social work center…
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Northside: Spartanburg Follows Atlanta Redevelopment Model
A team of community stakeholders in Spartanburg, South Carolina are poised to begin a revitalization project aimed at transforming the city’s Northside neighborhood, one of the most troubled in the city, into a healthy and thriving community. City leaders intend to apply the lessons from Purpose Built Communities’ successful transformation of the East Lake neighborhood…
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California Acquisition Fund Launches
The launch of the Golden State Acquisition Fund (GSAF), recently featured in Affordable Housing Finance, will provide flexible acquisition financing to experienced nonprofit and for-profit developers and public agencies for the development or preservation of affordable housing throughout California. LIIF, along with six partner CDFIs, recently debuted the new $93 million GSAF program to support…
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Searching for the Silver Lining in Financing Equitable TOD
Over the past two decades, transit-oriented development (TOD) has emerged as a powerful tool for creating liveable communities that integrate affordable housing and community services with accessible transportation. More recently, the approach of equitable TOD has been gaining greater attention from leading voices in the affordable housing and TOD fields…
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New Hope in the New Year for Sandy-Affected Businesses
In a recent op-ed published in the Huffington Post, Mark Pinsky, President and CEO of Opportunity Finance Network, highlights the response of the CDFI industry in the devastating wake of Hurricane Sandy. Bringing attention to a number of projects that are helping to rebuild small businesses, healthy food providers, charter schools, low-income housing and community facilities, Mr. Pinsky places the spotlight on the key role of CDFIs — a common vision of making a difference for low income communities and people…
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Rebuilding Sandy-Afflicted Neighborhoods With Healthy Food Options
The lack of access to affordable, nutritious, and fresh foods remains a persistent problem as many parts of New York City and surrounding communities continue relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In a recent op-ed on The Huffington Post, Karen Karp, President of Karp Resources, highlights the need to confront the already-strained healthy food supply that has been further depleted by Hurricane Sandy…
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