2010 Annual Report

Twin Cities

Integrating Neighborhood Development Strategies

Twin Cities LISC is supporting six community collaboratives in five targeted neighborhoods across the region to implement a more comprehensive approach to community development that includes housing, economic development, education, wealth building, and healthy environments and lifestyles.

Investing in Housing and Other Real Estate

In 2010, Twin Cities LISC provided $977,150 in predevelopment financing and loans to 13 community real estate projects. These financing resources supported the implementation of a variety of strategies including shared equity homeownership, creative neighborhood foreclosure recovery plans and partnerships, and a business growth loan fund - helping stalled projects move forward and new real estate development opportunities become available.

Increasing Family Income & Wealth

Through sub grants from the Social Innovation Financial Opportunity Fund, LISC is working to expand two existing Financial Opportunity Centers and establish three additional centers in target neighborhoods in the Twin Cities region. In addition, through its Careership Program, LISC is preparing people of color for professional work and leadership roles at all levels of Minnesota’s community development industry. The program has over 120 alumni and 73 percent of its graduates now hold community development positions throughout the region.

Stimulating Economic Activity

In 2010, Twin Cities LISC launched its COACTION Fund, a three-year program to support community developers and emphasize the importance of connecting the physical redevelopment of places with economic opportunities for people. An example of how COACTION is strengthening this connection is the collaborative work of Model Cities, Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation, Neighborhood Development Center, and Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation around the Frogtown Square project in the Central Corridor. Nearly completed, the four-story, mixed-use and transit-oriented project includes 50 affordable apartments for seniors and 17,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space, which is already rented out to small businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color.

Improving Access to Quality Education

Twin Cities LISC helped support the development of a new facility for the Yinghua Academy Chinese Immersion Charter School in Minneapolis. In 2009, LISC provided nearly $500,000 to assist the Charter Schools Development Corporation in purchasing and making improvements to an elementary school building that had been closed by Minneapolis Public Schools, enabling Yinghua Academy to expand its successful language immersion model.

Fostering Livable, Safe and Healthy Environments

In 2010, through the implementation of neighborhood Quality-of-Life Plans, Twin Cities LISC became more involved in food production, food enterprise, food education, and active living. One example is the Sustainable Agriculture work of the East Side Prosperity Campaign in St. Paul. This work builds on the community gardens that have emerged and promotes food access, nutrition education, and community engagement.