Improving
Local Community Development Environments
Between 1999
and 2005, Greater Kansas City LISC invested over $6.5 million to
increase the capacity of community development
corporations (CDCs) on both sides of the state line. Utilizing
standards of performance, with a focus on measurable results, training
and consultation, qualified CDCs receive support in a wide variety
of areas including:
- technical
assistance in the fields of affordable housing and community development;
- organizational, business planning, coaching and
management systems assistance; and
- local and
national LISC training programs, plus scholarships to other training
opportunities; and
- grants,
loans and other financial products.
This support, coupled
with direct access to skilled staff and community experts, results
in a more comprehensive and successful approach to building better
and smarter communities. Greater Kansas City LISC has supported bi-state
CDCs in developing:
- $180 million
worth of affordable housing
- 3,660 new
homes and apartments
- nearly 200,000
square feet of community facilities
- more than
a million square feet of commercial space
- nearly 2,700
minor home repairs
(*Production is for the time period 1999-2004, 2005 figures are
still being tabulated.)
Through NeighborhoodsNOW
we are leveraging past investments in CDCs by utilizing the talent
of our highest performing CDCs as lead agencies. While we remain committed
to supporting community organizations and the expansion of the community
development industry, we are also addressing the broader effort to
create sustainable urban core neighborhoods. Through NeighborhoodsNOW,
Greater Kansas City LISC has added a holistic approach to neighborhood
improvement that promises to significantly increase the quality of
life in several city urban communities. |
