Stromness Community Development Trust’s Post

It Takes a Village: Building British Communities The age-old saying "it takes a village" carries profound meaning in British community development. Across the UK, from rural hamlets to urban boroughs, successful communities thrive through collective effort and shared responsibility. In British villages and towns, this collective spirit shows itself in many ways. Parish councils and town meetings guide local decisions, while community groups like the Women's Institute and local charities provide vital social connections. Village halls host everything from yoga classes to youth clubs, while community-owned shops and pubs serve as crucial meeting points that keep rural life vibrant. The British approach skillfully blends tradition with modern needs. Weekly markets still bring people together, while new community apps help neighbors share resources and information. Local history societies preserve heritage, even as communities welcome newcomers and embrace diverse cultures through festivals and shared celebrations. Success stories span the nation. Cornwall's Eden Project transformed a clay pit into a world-renowned environmental center through community vision. Scottish highland villages have purchased their land through community buyouts, taking control of their future. Urban communities have created thriving gardens from neglected spaces, bringing nature and neighbors together. In essence, British community development works best when everyone contributes their unique skills and resources. Whether organizing a village fête, supporting a local food bank, or joining a beach cleanup, each person's effort adds to the whole. This collaborative spirit proves that when people work together, they can create positive change that benefits everyone, preserving the best of British community life while building for the future. https://lnkd.in/esXj9YY9 https://lnkd.in/eexBCHPc

Dover is exploring options for a new pot of money dedicated to economic and community development funds stemming from recent sales of city-owned property. #netde #DoverDE #realestate https://lnkd.in/g3UZNq3b

Over the past 50 years, the Community Development Block Grant program has significantly improved community well-being. Since 1974, HUD has issued over $160 billion in grants, helping meet the housing needs of 1.9 million households between 2005 and 2023. Beyond the numbers, CDBG has driven tangible change, from rehabilitating homes to improving infrastructure, helping build stronger, healthier communities nationwide. Read more about the accomplishments and future of CDBG: https://hubs.la/Q02Q6b7-0

Welcome to day three of our "ABCs of Affordable Housing" series! Today, C stands for Community Development Corporation (CDC), an influential player in shaping resilient and inclusive communities. Community Development Corporations are nonprofit, community-based organizations focused on revitalizing the areas they serve, primarily in underprivileged neighborhoods. CDCs engage in a wide range of activities including economic development, education, community organizing, and particularly, affordable housing development. By fostering partnerships with public and private entities, CDCs not only build homes but also strengthen community ties and stimulate local economies. These organizations are pivotal in driving sustainable community growth. They work by identifying local needs—such as affordable housing, improved infrastructure, or enhanced services—and developing projects that address these needs in meaningful ways. Moreover, CDCs often help in managing properties and providing crucial services to residents, ensuring that developments truly benefit the community. Stay tuned for more enlightening posts as we decode the alphabet of affordable housing. Remember to like, share, and tag your friends to spread the word about the critical role of Community Development Corporations in building better neighborhoods! #AffordableHousing #HousingPolicy #CommunityDevelopment #SocialImpact #HousingCrisis #PolicyChange #AffordableLiving #HousingLaw #ABAForum #AffordableHousingForum #CommunityDevelopmentCorporation

New Jersey's Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit (#NRTC) program provides a unique funding method for community development organizations. By offering a 100% tax credit to businesses that fund nonprofit revitalization plans, NJ focuses on the ability to plan and execute comprehensive community projects rather than adhering to strict #CDC definitions like in #SC or #MA. Should more states offer flexible funding procedures to enhance community development efforts? https://bit.ly/3Run2ji #CommunityDevelopment #UrbanDevelopment #SocialGood

More exciting news coming out of Enterprise Community Partners!

Community partnerships are the cornerstone of creating sustainable solutions, fostering collaboration, and addressing complex social issues by leveraging the unique strengths and resources of diverse stakeholders. 👏👏👏

For too long, community development finance has fallen prey to market conservatism, prioritizing scale over social mission and uniformity over community-tailored solutions. But a different model is sprouting up that empowers community voice, prioritizes equity, and responds flexibly to local needs. Community development experts David Fukuzawa, Nancy Andrews, and Rebecca Steinitz take readers from Appalachia to Coachella to understand this dawning revolution: “Taking community development impacts to scale requires high-volume capital deployment and the conservative risk thresholds that attract and retain private, public, and philanthropic investors. The result is a virtuous cycle of expanding capital, expanding deployment, and broader reach. Yet it is increasingly clear that to achieve the impacts it seeks, community investment needs to better address the roadblocks of structural and systemic racism, local complexities, and overly restrictive views of philanthropic leverage and investment.” Read the full story in SSIR’s new winter issue: https://lnkd.in/eaYGbpgk

A must read for those looking at transformative and systemic changes: "Patient, flexible leadership and funding will be needed for the field of community development finance to evolve from the principles of market, scale, and self-sufficiency and fulfill its promise of increasing equity and opportunity in historically disadvantaged communities. Philanthropy will be essential for this move, but so will public and private developers, other public- and private-sector partners, and, most important, the empowered community residents and organizations who will be in the driver’s seat."

Investing in Orlando's future through affordable housing We continue to work with our community partners to ensure that every person, regardless of economic status, has access to quality housing that is safe and affordable. Orlando City Council recently approved over $2 million for projects that will continue to support and expand affordable housing options for residents in Orlando. Here’s how these funds will make an impact: ✅ Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): Over $1 million will support projects like replacing roofs of 132 housing units for formerly homeless residents and upgrading kitchens, bathrooms, and plumbing in 36 apartments for low- and moderate-income households. ✅ CRA Funding: Over $1.2 million will support The Beacon at Creative Village, a new 115-unit multi-family development with housing for residents across all income levels. These initiatives reflect our commitment to creating a stronger, more inclusive community for all Orlando residents.