Stories
Strong Support for Communities in the 2024 State of the Union
LISC’s Matt Josephs reflects on this year’s State of the Union speech, taking particular note of the president’s comments about affordable housing, child care, climate solutions and community safety. "Taken as a whole, the speech offered a strong and hopeful statement of purpose,” Josephs said, adding that it will take sustained leadership at all l [...]
Diving into the Deep, Hard + Imperative Work of Community Violence Intervention
As part of its partnership with the Department of Justice, LISC s supports practitioners and policy makers with best practices and overcoming challenges facing community violence intervention (CVI) work in American communities. An article from the National Criminal Justice Association highlights the many voices represented during a recent webinar for nearly 1,000 attendees, led by on-the-ground experts in violence intervention, researchers and DOJ leaders. The webinar is now part of a robust online resource center hosted by LISC and the DOJ’s Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.
LISC’s CEO 100 Days In: Priorities for the Future, and Right Now
LISC president and CEO Michael T. Pugh reflects on what he's learned in his first months helming the organization, and shares top priorities for the year, both internally and for supporting the communities we work with. Green housing, second-chance employment and AI as a tool for more efficient credit-building and lending are at the top of the list, along with strengthening and streamlining LISC's operations to achieve maximum impact in people's lives.
This App is Giving Kansas Residents with Criminal Records a Second Chance
A criminal record, no matter how old, still prevents people from securing employment, housing, and participating in their communities. But getting an outdated record cleared or expunged can be a financially and emotionally burdensome process. With support from LISC, Kansas City Digital Drive (KCDD) has been piloting the use of Clear My Record, an app designed to simplify the process of expunging criminal charges. And it’s already working, changing lives and paving the way for formerly justice system-involved Kansas City, Kansas residents to realize their goals. It’s also a promising new technology with potential to ramp up expungement efforts across the country.
Settling In—and Getting to Work—at LISC
LISC’s new CEO, Michael T. Pugh, reflects on the full-tilt activity and relationship-building of his first five weeks on the job. Meeting funders, community partners, residents and colleagues has been the most enriching part of the journey.
Op-Ed: What It Will Take to Temper the Gun Violence That’s Tearing Our Communities Apart
In an opinion piece for Philanthropy News Digest, Mona Mangat, LISC’s vice president for Safety and Justice, and Dr. Shani Buggs, a an assistant professor with the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis, a national expert on gun violence and a LISC partner, describe the efficacy of community violence intervention strategies and the acute need for more support for these proven solutions. “When we put our trust in community members, when we choose to listen rather than dictate and when we have people in power who understand and fund community-based work, we will begin to see progress,” they write.
Federal Programs in Action: How Funding Fuels Social and Economic Gains
In a new blog, LISC’s Matt Josephs connects the dots from community development policy discussions to actual funding streams, highlighting positive local outcomes that would not otherwise move forward. "It would be nearly impossible to unlock the tens of billions of dollars of private financing needed each year to scale up progress without strong federal support,” he writes. "We are grateful for the confidence federal agencies have shown in LISC and others in the community development finance field…"