These are stories about the work and impact of NCRC members in their communities. What are the economic justice needs and solutions in your community? Submit your story ideas.
As the first state established in the US, Delaware has long been recognized for its role in shaping the nation’s history. It has since emerged as a major hub for the financial services industry – becoming home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of financial institutions. In fact, two-thirds of America’s Fortune 500 companies
Washington State has one of the most complex housing ecosystems in the country. Increasing tech salaries has driven some of the highest cost-of-living rates in the nation, while homeownership has become unaffordable for 80% of households. Low- and moderate-income residents face rising housing costs, displacement pressures, widening wealth gaps and uneven access to capital. As
Vanessa Jackson never imagined herself as a homeowner. Even with a full-time job at a local nonprofit, all the moving parts of buying a home felt overwhelming. That was until Jackson took Benjamin Rose’s homebuyer education courses. Benjamin Rose, a Cleveland, Ohio-based nonprofit founded in 1908, helps aging Americans build the knowledge, skills and access
Investing in community: Benjamin Rose unlocks homeownership for aging Ohioans Read More »
Like most states, Minnesota is facing an affordable housing shortage with over 100,000 residences needed for low-income residents. The Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), a network of community development organizations, is working to fill this gap. MCCD advocates statewide for equitable housing and economic policies that generate wealth for people of color (BIPOC) and
Elsa Beltran never thought she would own a home. Median home prices in Pima County, Arizona have soared by 22% over the last five years to $368,000, and renting is not much more affordable either for Beltran, who works as a seamstress. That was until Beltran connected with the Pima County Community Land Trust (PCCLT),
“There’s a big opportunity for a racial wealth transfer as well as a generational one because of the demographics of who’s in the workforce versus who the owning group is,” said Carolyn Edsell-Vetter, program director at the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast (CFNE). Over the next decade, roughly six million baby boomer small business owners
As Small Business Owners Retire, Worker Cooperatives Could Help Close Wealth Gap Read More »
A 10-year-old fourth grader living in Southwest Detroit’s Springwells neighborhood has a list of barriers to navigate. From living with gun violence and blight to dealing with the effects of poor air quality due to the Marathon Refinery, the child grows up in a community where those barriers are not uncommon, and where navigating them
For many people, staying in their homes is not guaranteed – especially those facing housing instability and disability-related barriers. University Legal Services (ULS) – a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) – works to ensure more people can remain rooted in their homes and communities. ULS has supported low- to moderate-income residents navigating
The policies shaped in Annapolis don’t always reach the communities that need them most. Moving capital from the statehouse to the neighborhood takes work few see and fewer invest in. For Claudia Wilson Randall, executive director of the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN), the priority is clear: “The work has to center on the
Living in apartments and motels never felt like home to Glenn Myrold. That was until he moved into the Crossroads Apartments, a 55+ senior living community in Fargo, North Dakota developed by the nonprofit Beyond Shelter, Inc. Myrold never has to pay more than 30% of his income on rent at the 81-unit community. More
National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) member Community Builders of Kansas City does more than build houses – they build ecosystems where housing, jobs and community spaces work together to create more self-sustaining neighborhoods. Since 1991, the nonprofit has created over 600 affordable residential housing units and 500,000 square feet of commercial space that provide employment
Large banks, often shaped by profit-driven performance indicators, tend to prefer larger loan amounts ($1 million+), leaving small businesses in underserved communities to navigate funding challenges alone. The result is a financial landscape that can restrict economic mobility and long term wealth creation for historically underbanked communities. Founded in 2017 by Malcolm Sykes, a former
The legacy of the urban renewal era is still alive and well in many expensive cities across the US, such as San Francisco. Even many San Franciscans who received Certificates of Preference, a piece of paper meant to guarantee housing for those displaced by urban renewal, haven’t been able to build a community in the
In Russell, Kentucky, a historically Black neighborhood in Louisville, one organization is empowering residents to take an active role in community planning while ensuring real estate investments build generational wealth for the local population. Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP) has been educating residents about real estate planning, engaging them in the land development process
Russell: A Place of Promise Empowers Residents to Build Community Wealth in Louisville Read More »
Despite soaring housing costs, stagnant wages, limited access to financing and the lingering effects of historical policies like redlining, many low- to moderate-income families continue to pursue the dream of homeownership. For over 20 years, the You Can Make It Home Ownership Center (YCMIHOC) has helped turn that dream into a reality in underserved communities
