Field Notes

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 Small Business Owners Retire, Worker Cooperatives Could Help Close Wealth Gap

By / / Field Notes, Views / 5 minutes of reading

“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 »

Early investment for future prosperity: Urban Neighborhood Initiatives creates real economic empowerment for Southwest Detroit communities

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

Early investment for future prosperity: Urban Neighborhood Initiatives creates real economic empowerment for Southwest Detroit communities Read More »

Holding Onto Home: How University Legal Services Advances Legal Advocacy and Disability Rights in DC

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

Holding Onto Home: How University Legal Services Advances Legal Advocacy and Disability Rights in DC Read More »

Leveraging Policy for Community Power: How Maryland’s Community Development Network Connects Housing, Health and Capital

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

Leveraging Policy for Community Power: How Maryland’s Community Development Network Connects Housing, Health and Capital Read More »

Building Belonging Through Housing: Beyond Shelter’s affordable communities create dignity and security in North Dakota

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

Building Belonging Through Housing: Beyond Shelter’s affordable communities create dignity and security in North Dakota Read More »

From Vacancy to Vitality: Rebuilding Kansas City Neighborhoods into Economically Vibrant Communities

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

From Vacancy to Vitality: Rebuilding Kansas City Neighborhoods into Economically Vibrant Communities Read More »

‘Loans are more than capital’: How Private Leverage is advancing economic empowerment for historically underserved Texans

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

‘Loans are more than capital’: How Private Leverage is advancing economic empowerment for historically underserved Texans Read More »

‘We are not fighting this battle alone’: San Francisco Housing Development Corporation addresses the legacy of displacement in historically redlined communities

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

‘We are not fighting this battle alone’: San Francisco Housing Development Corporation addresses the legacy of displacement in historically redlined communities Read More »

Russell: A Place of Promise Empowers Residents to Build Community Wealth in Louisville

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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 »

More Than a Mortgage: YCMIHOC’s Education and Counseling Programs Turn Housing Challenges Into Opportunities

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

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

More Than a Mortgage: YCMIHOC’s Education and Counseling Programs Turn Housing Challenges Into Opportunities Read More »

Social Justice in Action: How Nashville’s Interfaith Coalition is Bridging Divides to Build Economic Equity

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

During this divisive time in American politics, an interfaith coalition in Nashville is giving the nation a stunning example of unity by bringing together people of all backgrounds to advocate for social justice policies.  Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) is a multi-racial and interdenominational coalition of churches, synagogues, mosques, community organizations, nonprofits and

Social Justice in Action: How Nashville’s Interfaith Coalition is Bridging Divides to Build Economic Equity Read More »

“A tool for every type of need”: Capital for Change unlocks community development funds for Connecticut’s disadvantaged communities

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

The legacy of redlining in the US has left some communities at a considerable economic disadvantage, resulting in challenges that can only be addressed by strategically deploying accessible capital. However, many banks avoid lending in these communities, further exacerbating their shortage of quality and affordable housing.  Capital for Change was born from a need to

“A tool for every type of need”: Capital for Change unlocks community development funds for Connecticut’s disadvantaged communities Read More »

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania Helps Homeowners Protect Their Investment Across Generations

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

For the past 17 years, the Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania (AHCOPA) has provided a range of programs designed to build wealth within low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. AHCOPA provides services to approximately 3,000 people each year via their pre-purchase, post-purchase and mortgage prevention counseling programs. When Kenneth Bigos joined AHCOPA as their Executive Director

Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania Helps Homeowners Protect Their Investment Across Generations Read More »

First Community Capital Helps Overlooked Entrepreneurs Become Bankable Business Owners

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

Traditional banks often use the term “unbankable” for entrepreneurs they deem too small, too new or too financially risky. First Community Capital (FCC), a Riverside, California-based community development financial institution (CDFI), has spent six years challenging that label. FCC has deployed over $5 million to more than 200 entrepreneurs, many of whom are Black and

First Community Capital Helps Overlooked Entrepreneurs Become Bankable Business Owners Read More »

“Neighborhoods have a say”: Working In Neighborhoods works to create economic opportunity for all in Cincinnati

By / / Field Notes, Views / 3 minutes of reading

Attracting new investments in lower-income neighborhoods can feel like a Sisyphean challenge for many communities. But, there is a group that seems to have found a magic formula for combining the best efforts of community leaders, elected officials and policy professionals to create lasting change.  Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in

“Neighborhoods have a say”: Working In Neighborhoods works to create economic opportunity for all in Cincinnati Read More »

Scroll to Top

Start typing and press enter to search