State Farm® provides support to LISC with new $4 million grant
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., February 25, 2016 — State Farm and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have announced an expanded effort to build economic opportunity in struggling communities through programs that encourage business development among entrepreneurs and skills development among low-income workers.
A new, two-year $4 million State Farm grant will expand LISC Financial Opportunity Centers (FOCs) in under-resourced neighborhoods—helping people improve their incomes, credit scores and savings through education and long-term financial coaching.
At the same time, these efforts will help lift up commercial areas and provide safer and more vibrant places for business owners to set up shop, create jobs and grow local incomes.
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| Michael Rubinger LISC President/CEO |
When it comes to helping people pull themselves up out of poverty, we need to address the unique range of economic factors they face in their communities,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC president and CEO. “Certainly, they need strong neighborhood businesses and good jobs. But that’s not enough. Residents need the skills to be able to take advantage of an improving job market and build stronger financial futures. Our goal is to drive programs that work on both ends of that scale, while also addressing other critical issues that impact standards of living.”
In addition to the LISC Financial Opportunity Centers, State Farm funding will provide financial support for LISC’s national Community Safety Initiative, a program that helps to build partnership networks among residents, police and other stakeholders to reduce crime.The range of work is as varied as the communities being supported.
Mesa mayor John Giles, among other city, state, and national leaders working in public-private partnerships, has been a strong supporter for transit-oriented development to regenerate the New Urban Downtown Mesa.
He was a part of the on-site visit here last summer by SF Fed Reserve Bank President John Williams to encourage investment in Creative Place Making.
[more about Creative Place Making farther on in this post]
Read the entire LISC press release here >>
http://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-state-farm-build-on-16-year-partnership?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Stapp interviewed Graham as part of the LISC Phoenix celebration on Nov. 18. More than 250 people attended the Valley’s premier community development event to honor the 2015 award recipients: The Caterpillar Foundation (exemplary partner), Arizona Department of Housing Director Michael Trailor (exemplary advocate) and Victory Place, a Cloudbreak Community in Phoenix (exemplary project)
Stapp and Graham continued a line of thought Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton shared in his welcome remarks about the strength and popularity of light-rail and transit-oriented development (TOD) being signs of a maturing city.Graham said a recent review of sales taxes shows revenue is flat in the suburbs; all the growth basically is in urban areas. The revenue trend presents an “a ha moment” about urban development for business leaders and policy makers, he said.
Use the following underlined link for a recap of the Nov 2015 Gala.
She is formerly the only woman appointed to fill in an empty seat on the Mesa Counc left open when John Giles became mayor in 2014. She was nominated to her position at LISC/Phoenix in April of last year and has been both a prime advocate and mover-and-shaker for Creative Place Making and transit-oriented development.
At the present time she's also an active member of the Economic Development Advisory Board here in the City of Mesa.
When asked for some of her thoughts in a recent email, she said
In Mesa, 40 percent of our households have total income of less than $35,000. (The starting salary for a Mesa Public Schools teacher is $36,500.)
The average size of a Mesa household is 3.48 people.
These fellow Mesa residents spend 50 percent of their income on housing and transportation, leaving little money left for other necessities such as food, clothing and healthcare.
These families are long-time community members who contribute to our neighborhoods by teaching our children and working in our stores and restaurants.
The new affordable housing built through tax credits gives Mesa families opportunities to live in quality, energy efficient, well-managed, desirable places.
Tax credits are used to build and maintain communities where profits in market-rate housing are often derived through deferred maintenance or cutting corners on management of complexes, which contribute to neighborhood decline.
Mesa’s strong sense of community comes from thriving social connections, especially in our neighborhoods. Establishing quality residential options in areas of Mesa where investment has been ignored enhances social connections and invigorates neighborhoods
This blog probably has more posts about Creative Place Making than other blogsites about the strategies of new urbanism that is regenerating urban centers once emptied by the expansion of suburban car-dominated development.
Please take the time to go back and read those posts where you will information, updates, and comments about results and proposed plans here in Mesa. There is a whole playlist from ArtSpace America for your 411.
CREATIVE PLACE MAKING embraces Government, Civic/Social & Faith groups, Non-profits, Commercial enterprises, and Philanthropy to all interact in the ten different areas:
- Workforce Development
- Agriculture + Food
- Energy +The Environment
- Immigration
- Transportation
- Education + Youth
- Public Safety
- Housing
- Education & Youth
- Health
LISC celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a Gala event in Washington, DC. In this video, Michael Rubinger, LISC's president & CEO delivers remarks.
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