Stories
Home Ownership is Near for Long-Time Renters on New York City's Lower East Side
Amidst record-high rental rates and limited affordable housing opportunities, some New York City residents are finding hope in the Affordable Neighborhood Co-op Program (ANCP). LISC New York helped the nonprofit Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) secure $9.6 million in construction financing to renovate three downtown Manhattan buildings and convert them to affordable for-sale housing. Following two years of renovation, existing tenants at East 12th Street are preparing to purchase shares in their future cooperative building.
Empowering Agriculture: A Black-Owned Grain Storage Facility Marks New Era in Mississippi Delta Farming
Delta Diamond Ag stores and handles grains, a critical service for helping farmers bring their crops successfully to market. With a $500,000 loan from LISC’s Black Economic Development Fund, this rare African-American-owned facility is poised to change agriculture in the Delta. In recognition of Black History Month, we’re sharing this conversation with CEO Leigh Allen about how the company can serve area growers and the larger community, the importance of African-American representation in the agricultural supply chain, and his own deep affection for Delta farming.
What Three Years of Investment Can Do: Stories from LISC’s Black Economic Development Fund
In recognition of Black History Month, we’d like you to meet four organizations that, through support from LISC and the Black Economic Development Fund, are creating housing, employment and other economic opportunities in the neighborhoods that need them the most.
Single Parents are Saving Energy and Staying in School at Indiana’s First Net-Zero Affordable Housing Community
Black and White Investments LLC, with help from a $635,000 permanent loan, added a solar array to housing for low-income adults attending college, helping manage the property’s sustainable features and reducing energy costs. The project can be a model for affordable housing everywhere.
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.
“I Didn't Know What a Business Plan Was”: How LISC + Verizon Are Helping Entrepreneurs Flourish
How does an emerging entrepreneur learn the ropes of small business-building if they don't have someone to advise them? Angel Fant, owner of Coqovel Cosmetics and Skin Care in Indianapolis, is one of dozens of diverse entrepreneurs around the country who, with help from LISC, are accessing online business courses, one-on-one coaching, grants and other free resources that are part of Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready initative. Watch her inspiring story!