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Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative

In November 1998, LISC Los Angeles launched the Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative (NTI), an effort to focus resources and technical support in seven geographically defined neighborhoods across the city in order to realize visible transformative change.  NTI operates on the assumption that achieving tangible success in key neighborhoods will have a snowball effect and lead to similar success elsewhere.

PHASE I: 1998- 2002
Phase I of the Neighborhood Turnaround Initiative (NTI) officially concluded in 2003  with eight CDCs making significant strides in revitalizing their neighborhoods. This initial four-year initiative was a functionally broader and more geographically focused approach to community development as a strategy for achieving more tangible results through a greater concentration of resources. Through NTI all of the participating organizations achieved some level of success in complementing their housing development activity with other community development projects in their NTI focused neighborhoods, and all completed or have underway non-housing physical development projects. During Phase I, CDC operations were diversified to other activities including home ownership development, commercial/retail development, facilities development including childcare, community centers, recreation centers, computer/educational centers and business incubator centers, youth training programs and business development.

The linked table shows the collective quantifiable production accomplishments of the participating groups- Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles, Dunbar  Economic Development Corporation, East LA Housing Corporation, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Little Tokyo Service Center CDC, SRO Housing Corporation, Venice Community Housing Corporation and Vermont  Slauson Economic Development Corporation.

PHASE II: Began October 2003
NTI Phase II has a special focus on the establishment of strategic partnerships as a means of coordinating CDC efforts within the context of the broader economic environment in Los Angeles. In order to sustain previous accomplishments and to achieve more impactful outcomes, CDCs must not only continue devising comprehensive community building strategies, but also develop partnerships with historically disconnected organizations and corporations with the expertise, proven track records and more supplemental resources to effect positive change within underserved communities.

The five CDCs selected to participate in Phase II are Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles, Dunbar Economic Development Corporation, East LA Housing Corporation, New Economics for Women and San Fernando Valley Financial Development Corporation, an affiliate of Valley Economic Development Corporation.