By Olivia Barrow, Low Income Investment Fund (original post) Billions of dollars in community development investments have been poured into communities over the last several decades, both in pursuit of drawing resources in to improve places as well as creating pathways to opportunities in other communities. But as Black Americans continue to be murdered by […]

SPARCC’s second Virtual Learning Conversation: Engaging for Equity in a World of COVID-19 included over 175 participants from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Memphis. It brought together local and national advocates, planners, policymakers, and development partners working to advance radically re-imagined community engagement practices that government can utilize and […]

With the ravages of COVID-19 illuminating disparities in racial equity, health, and environmental conditions, we must reiterate a fundamental principle from the last three years of SPARCC work:Community-driven development rooted in multi-sector collaboration must be at the core of supporting equitable, healthy, and resilient communities. COVID-19 is affecting low income and families of color disproportionately, […]

Quick Navigation to Categories: Impacts from COVID-19 and the accompanying economic strain will have far-reaching effects on our communities, especially those that have historically suffered disproportionately from under-investment and neglect. As communities across the country come together to respond, the local and national partners at the Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge are taking action […]

  Proposed changes to federal regulations in community development and lending are an assault on decades of work in fighting the impacts of racial segregation, discriminatory and race-based investment practices, increased risks from pollution and climate change, and unchecked government power in approving projects. The threats are real and they are coming fast. Related Content: […]

Proposed changes to AFFH, NEPA, and CRA taken together compound the many racial, environmental, health, and economic injustices faced in housing and community development. National and local partners in the SPARCC network have shared how these proposed changes might negatively impact their communities if implemented. Related Content: Regressive Federal Rules Would Set Back Decades of […]

We’ve compiled a few resources from across the country that help explain what each of the proposed rules mean and how it could impact communities. Please see below for deadlines and templates to support drafting your own comments. Related Content: Regressive Federal Rules Would Set Back Decades of Progress in Housing and Community Development Perspectives […]

Dr. Hanaa Hamdi, Director of Health Impact Investment Strategies and Partnerships for New Jersey Community Capital, sat down with NRDC’s Stephanie Gidigbi of the SPARCC national team to expand on a SPARCC Virtual Learning Conversation event highlighting the vital importance of parks in the health and well-being of communities. “Every community has a right to have access […]

Public planning processes have evolved in recent years from being a one-time, mostly one-way effort to inform the community about a proposed investment or policy change, i.e., a new highway project or a zoning change, to more community involvement to shape and design projects and policies. Equitable community engagement practices can take this even further […]

SPARCC’s flexible capital helps Denver nonprofits build wealth, stabilize neighborhoods, and minimize displacement In the nonprofit world, it can take up to a year or more to get the money together to fund a program or development. So, when Jose Esparza, executive director of BuCu West Denver, a local economic development nonprofit, saw an opportunity […]