Field Notes

These are stories about the work and impact of NCRC members in their communities. What are the economic justice needs and solutions in your community? Submit your story ideas.

First Community Capital Helps Overlooked Entrepreneurs Become Bankable Business Owners

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Traditional banks often use the term “unbankable” for entrepreneurs they deem too small, too new or too financially risky. First Community Capital (FCC), a Riverside, California-based community development financial institution (CDFI), has spent six years challenging that label. FCC has deployed over $5 million to more than 200 entrepreneurs, many of whom are Black and […]

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“Neighborhoods have a say”: Working In Neighborhoods works to create economic opportunity for all in Cincinnati

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Attracting new investments in lower-income neighborhoods can feel like a Sisyphean challenge for many communities. But, there is a group that seems to have found a magic formula for combining the best efforts of community leaders, elected officials and policy professionals to create lasting change.  Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in

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Unlocking Wealth on Trust Land: NCRC Member Helps Tribal Families Gain New Paths to Homeownership

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Homeownership isn’t just part of the American dream – it’s a critical tool for building wealth and financial security. Because unique federal rules and regulations make it harder for tribal communities to achieve homeownership, the Tribal Homeownership Coalition of the Southwest (THOCSW) is working to bridge that gap. Founded in 1999 and serving Native communities

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How CASA of Oregon Is Rewriting the Rules of Affordable Housing for Farmworkers and Their Families

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For 37 years, CASA of Oregon has been helping turn marginalized farmworker families into financially empowered landowners. Founded in 1988, CASA of Oregon began as a development consultant agency working with other nonprofits and housing authorities creating affordable housing for farmworkers and their families across Oregon. The organization now operates four interconnected programs, including affordable

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New York’s Empire Justice Center Empowers Rochester Residents to Advocate for Equitable Housing Policies

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Founded in 1973, the Empire Justice Center (EJC) is a legal advocacy nonprofit that fights for social and economic justice for disenfranchised New Yorkers by protecting and expanding their legal rights. Using a multi-pronged approach that focuses on litigation, education and advocacy efforts, EJC has provided services to more than 12 million people across a

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Building Roots and Prosperity: African Community Housing & Development Secures Hundreds of Housing Units for Seattle’s African Community

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In South King County, Washington, the African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) organization works to re-envision what community-driven housing development looks like for African immigrant communities. ACHD was established in 2018 from the community organizing efforts of Somali American mother and daughter Hamdi Abdulle and Bilan Aden.   In the seven years since its inception,

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Arkansas Agency Empowers Low-Income Residents to Become First-Time Homebuyers

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As homeownership in the US gets less accessible, the Mississippi County, Arkansas Economics Opportunity Commission, Inc. (MCAEOC) is empowering its rural community members to become homeowners and build economic security by way of their support services.  MCAEOC is one of 15 community action agencies in the state that were established under the 1964 Economic Opportunity

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“Providing support for everyday needs”: How ¡HICA! advances economic equity in Alabama

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Immigrant households often face significant challenges in their pursuit of financial stability, from learning a new language to better their chances of finding work to navigating their new country’s court system. It was these challenges that inspired advocates in Birmingham, Alabama to create the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!).  ¡HICA! was founded in

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East LA Community Corporation Builds Opportunity Through Housing and Advocacy

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Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the East LA Community Corporation (ELACC) was formed by activists dedicated to serving their Boyle Heights and East LA communities. The nonprofit has funneled over $250 million into housing and other community development resources to strengthen low-income neighborhoods. Through its affordable housing portfolio, asset and wealth-building programs, homeownership counseling

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Woodstock Institute Uses Data to Advocate for Community Reinvestment and Fair Lending Across Illinois

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Nestled in the heart of downtown Chicago, the Woodstock Institute has been working to advance economic justice and racial equity within financial systems at the local, state and national levels for over 50 years.  The organization was founded in 1973 by Chicago philanthropists Sylvia and Aaron Scheinfeld as the program arm of the couple’s foundation

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“You can’t out-budget poverty”: MakingChange, Inc. helps people overcome financial instability in affluent Maryland

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Experiencing poverty in an affluent community like Howard County, Maryland can seem like a strange oxymoron due to the area’s high median income and low poverty rates. In 2022, the area was ranked as the sixth-richest in the nation with a median income of over $124,000 and one of the lowest poverty rates in the

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Rebuilding Generational Wealth: How Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Creates Pathways to Black Homeownership

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As one of the largest Black-led affordable housing nonprofits in the state of Oregon, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI) continues to expand pathways to homeownership for Black communities systemically disenfranchised by discriminatory housing practices. Founded in 1992 after taking over properties from a discriminatory mortgage company, PCRI’s holdings have grown to over 700 properties, including

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A strong and stable force: How Ceiba created a lasting community and economic development ecosystem for Latine families in Philadelphia

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Ceiba, a coalition of Latine community organizations in Philadelphia, is named after the ceiba trees that grow in the Caribbean. These trees, known for their hardiness and far-reaching foliage, are complete ecosystems that provide shade and meet the needs of humans, animals and plants alike.   The Ceiba coalition reflects its namesake by acting as a

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Power Through Partnership: The Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development’s 25-Year Journey

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Twenty-five years ago, the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (i.e., the Coalition) was born from a simple realization that local advocacy organizations were weakening their impact by not working collaboratively. Two groups of local advocacy organizations focused on affordable housing and economic development respectively were constantly competing with each other for the same

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Representing the voice of the community: Rise Economy advocates for equitable community development efforts across California

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BIPOC-led affordable housing organizations in California have few options to turn to for help with capacity building and grant funding, but one organization is trying to change that.  Rise Economy was founded in 1986 by a group of legal aid attorneys and other advocates who wanted to improve affordable housing access in California. The organization

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