In mid-March, Vice President, Western Region Pam Berkowitz and ECE Vice President, Advisory and State Policy Shelly Masur joined ~60 other state community development and advocacy leaders at the California Coalition for Community Investment (CCCI) Annual Conference in Sacramento. In meetings with electeds, attendees shared how the California Investment and Innovation Fund (Cal IIP), the state’s CDFI Fund, is helping finance affordable housing, small business (such as child care) and social services in every district.
Shelly was honored to moderate the closing panel, “California State Policy Landscape for Community Development,” which was designed to prepare attendees for meetings with lawmakers –and put the pieces together for attendees to understand the importance of state policy to CDFIs. They talked state budget with Christopher Hoene, California Budget and Policy Center; housing with Anya Lawler, Public Interest Advocates; and small business with Carolina Martinez, CAMEO Network.