The national office of
Local Initiatives Support Collaborative (LISC) has awarded its Detroit office $100,000 in its Building Sustainable Communities program. The grant will be used in the five areas of the city that the organization has targeted in its Neighborhoods NOW initiative.
LISC defines sustainable communities as those that are working to expand capital investment in housing and real estate development; increase family income, wealth and employment; stimulate local economic activity and connect to the regional economy; improve access to quality education and support healthy environment and lifestyles. "It is all of those kinds of things that lead to communities being able to be self-supporting," says Program Director Deborah Younger.
Although LISC has been primarily known for its efforts in real estate development, their reach has expanded with their Neighborhoods NOW efforts. "What we're saying is that we're going to do community development activities in these areas in every component, not just real estate," says Younger.
Neighborhoods NOW is a $100 million initiative overall. Detroit is one of eleven cities nationwide that is a demonstration site for the Building Sustainable Communities program.
Source: Deborah Younger, Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.