Duluth LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation)

LISC CEO Michael T. Pugh joined National Housing Conference CEO David Dworkin on NHC's podcast for a lively discussion. They talked about innovative housing projects in Detroit, Dallas, and Charlotte, and the critical work of promoting generational wealth and homeownership for underserved communities. Check it out!

LISC CEO Talks Affordable Housing, Generational Wealth and the Wonders of Detroit on “Beyond Four Walls” Podcast | Local Initiatives Support Corporation LISC CEO Michael T. Pugh joined David Dworkin, CEO of the National Housing Conference (NHC), the nation’s oldest and broadest affordable housing coalition, on NHC’s podcast “Beyond Four Walls: Conversations on Affordable Housing.” The wide-ranging and energetic conversation between these two...

Wells Fargo is a key funder for LISC Duluth's Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) program. We look forward to continuing this partnership to strengthen and grow the FOC program going forward!

Big news! Wells Fargo has committed a new $1M, one-year grant to support LISC’s Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) network in under-resourced communities nationwide. In the last year alone, our partnership has helped pave a path to resilience and sustainable financial and career success for nearly 12,000 people. To celebrate this renewed support, we’re sharing our favorite stories about people touched by the Wells Fargo partnership. https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-wells-fargo-improving-financial-health-families/

Sumair shared some thoughts on LISC's role in Housing and Economic Development in Duluth with Finance & Commerce

Q&A: Housing and economic development in Duluth with LISC’s Sumair Sheikh - Finance & Commerce Sumair Sheikh talks about how the implementation of the Duluth Housing Trust Fund has worked and gives his thoughts on the recovery of Duluth’s downtown.

We were lucky enough to meet the wonderful Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols this week at a conference and we offer her our warmest Duluth welcome to LISC!

Ruth Jones Nichols, Formerly of HUD, Joins LISC as Executive Vice President to Lead Nationwide Program Activity | Local Initiatives Support Corporation Dr. Jones Nichols will oversee LISC’s 37 metro-area program offices, Rural LISC and all its national programs. In addition to her federal leadership experience, she brings to LISC decades of experience working at the local level on critical issues related to housing, jobs, racial and gender equity...

🎉 We're ! 🎉

We're thrilled to announce a new job opening at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Duluth, MN. We are seeking a passionate and experienced Lending Program Officer to join our team. This role will focus on facilitating and deploying capital, guiding development capacity, and managing lending workflows. If you have a strong background in community development and a commitment to increasing equitable access to resources we want to hear from you!

Program Officer, Lending Duluth, Minnesota, United States

“Lifting As We Climb”: In South Minneapolis, a Historic Restoration Heals | Local Initiatives Support Corporation In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, one South Minneapolis community convulsed in pain and suffered massive destruction. On Juneteenth this year, it celebrates the fruition of a project that speaks volumes about community agency and ownership, and how support from intermediaries, including L...

From Housing to Economic Mobility: Inside LISC’s Strategies for Change with CEO Michael T. Pugh | Local Initiatives Support Corporation In a wide-ranging interview with Denver Fredericks, host of the Business of Giving podcast, LISC CEO Michael T. Pugh describes the pillars of LISC's work investing in communities and what's on the horizon for the CDFI under his leadership.

This week LISC, Enterprise and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published What’s Possible, a book on climate change and community development. brings together experts from the climate, finance and community development sectors and offers actionable solutions to build more , and communities.

Longtime LISC Duluth partners, Ecolibrium3 and City of Duluth, MN Government of Duluth are mentioned in the chapter “Beyond Demonstration Projects: Principles for Transformation at Scale” on page 327.

We're thrilled to share that : Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods is available for download! brings together experts from the climate, finance and community development sectors and offers actionable solutions to build more , and communities. And that includes chapters from our very own Madeline del Carmen Fraser Cook (https://ow.ly/pmCA50RuMyW) , Laura Mixter (with Enterprise Community Partners’s Anna Smukowski), Terry Benelli and the LISC Massachusetts office. We’re very proud to be part of the project!

Get your free copy at https://ow.ly/bgeO50RuMyV

Our team was excited to kick off Earth Week yesterday with Ecolibrium3! It was a fascinating and fun lunch!

Happy Earth Day! Big things are happening at LISC around the country. Check out the post below.

Happy ! All of us at LISC are feeling this one as we double down on our commitment to help create a more resilient and green future for all. Because the time is now.

Earlier this month, together with our partners in Power Forward Communities, we were named the recipients of a $2B Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant, which will help us ramp up work to decarbonize affordable homes and invest to strengthen communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-coalition-partners-awarded-national-clean-investment-fund/

And not only that: we're excited to be on the cusp of publishing, with our wonderful partner Enterprise Community Partners (and support from Wells Fargo), "What's Possible: Investing NOW for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods," a guide to collaborating with communities and residents to bring the best tools and strategies for resilience and sustainability to under-resourced places. https://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/lisc-enterprise-launch-new-book-community-development-climate-resilience/

Congratulations to the 4 inspiring women on their new homes! and to Divine Konnections on an incredible 1st Qtr. We're proud to be partners in the expansion of Annie's House and look forward to working together on future projects!

LISC is proud to be a part of a coalition with some of the country’s leading housing, climate, and community investment groups to deploy a $2B grant from the to help combat the climate
crisis by supporting healthier, safer, and more resilient communities.

LISC and Coalition Partners Awarded $2 Billion via National Clean Investment Fund | Local Initiatives Support Corporation LISC is one of five organizations leading Power Forward Communities, a new coalition investing in green housing and jobs to support economic opportunity and climate resilience. Today, the EPA awarded the coalition $2 billion to implement a decarbonization strategy that also lifts up under-resourced....

We're thrilled to see this good work happening in the community!

Yes that is Stephanie Cummings' smiling face on this post from National LISC honoring LISC Advisory Board chairs for Women's History Month. We're sorry that she didn't get interviewed this time around but we are so proud to have her as our LAB chair!

Thank you, Stephanie, for all you do in the Duluth Community!

Bridge Builders for Stronger Communities: The Women of LISC’s Local Advisory Committees | Local Initiatives Support Corporation LISC’s Local Advisory Committees (LACs) serve as guides and champions for the organization’s many local offices and rural program. Women leaders from the finance, philanthropy, government and community development worlds bring a special—and especially important—set of skills and insights to ...

In honor of Women's History Month, we have invited leaders in community development to share their story with our Duluth community. This week we are featuring LeAnn Littlewolf!

LeAnn is the Executive Director of American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) a long time partner of LISC Duluth. She has been with AICHO for 6 years, in economic development, before returning to AICHO and becoming Executive Director in 2023.

Thank you, LeAnn, for all you do in the Duluth community.

https://www.lisc.org/duluth/regional-stories/womens-history-month-partner-profile-leann-littlewolf/

In honor of Women's History Month, we have invited leaders in community development to share their story with our Duluth community.

This week our featured partner is Classie Dudley, Executive Director of Community Action Duluth.

Thank you Classie, for all you do in our community!

https://www.lisc.org/duluth/regional-stories/womens-history-month-profile-classie-dudley/

In honor of Women's History Month, we have invited leaders in community development to share their story with our Duluth community.

This week our featured partner is Emily Edison, Executive Director of SOAR Career Solutions

Thank you Emily, for all you do in our community!

https://www.lisc.org/duluth/regional-stories/womens-history-month-partner-profile-emily-edison/

LISC thanks Secretary Marcia L. Fudge for her years of service as leader of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. From her first day in office, she has built an agency focused on housing and community development that is dedicated to equity, inclusive communities, and quality, affordable homes for all. Her passion in helping low-income families, seniors, and communities across the country has been evident throughout her career, and we congratulate her on her retirement. Here are some words from LISC's President & CEO Michael T. Pugh:

In Recognition of HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge | Local Initiatives Support Corporation As HUD Secretary Fudge prepares to retire from public service, LISC CEO Michael T. Pugh reflects on her impact and the career-long dedication to creating affordable housing for all.

In honor of Women's History Month, we have invited leaders in community development to share their story with our Duluth community. Our first featured partner is Elena Foshay, Director of Workforce Development for the City of Duluth.

Thank you Elena, for all you do in our community!

https://www.lisc.org/duluth/regional-stories/womens-history-month-partner-profile-elena-foshay/

In a wide-ranging radio interview with Audacy, Inc.'s 94.7 THE BLOCK LISC CEO Michael T. Pugh talks with Patricia Robinson, PHR, about how nurture economic mobility, why good financial advice is so important, and how we can use AI for alternative methods of building credit.

https://soundcloud.com/patricia-robinson-30289199/michael-pugh-president-lisc-mixdown?si=8918d500e9fa4d2f8a7b720f42a5e4c6&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Lt Gov. Peggy Flannigan stopped by Oasis Del Norte for lunch today! We had a great conversation about the importance of BIPOC business ownership and spaces that reflect the diverse identities within our community. LISC Duluth will be partnering with Latino Economic Development Center in an effort to bridge resources and bring more culturally responsive economic development to our region

Chad Ronchetti, City of Duluth Director of Planning and Economic Development and LISC Duluth Board member is featured here highlighting the exciting and timely opportunity we have to revitalize downtown, which includes housing.

NORTH Home Style & Life Magazine

Nice job, NORTH Home Style & Life Magazine amplifying the housing challenges our region faces and the partners working on solutions!

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, APEX Area Partnership for Economic Expansion, City of Duluth, MN Government, Cook County HRA

We know the community needs quality housing that is affordable. That's why we are working to build public, private, and nonprofit partnerships in our region to solve the housing challenges we face.

Study finds nearly 1 in 3 Duluth renters are severely cost-burdened | Finance & Commerce Around one in three renting households in the Duluth area, Minnesota’s fifth largest city, are spending more than 50% of their income on housing costs, according to a new study.

Join us for our FINAL event of the year is coming December 14th, featuring Sumair Sheikh, Duluth LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Executive Director.

Housing is at the forefront of our downtown’s future success. And LISC Duluth can play a role in that. On December 14th, learn more about Sumair Sheikh and his vision for LISC Duluth’s new direction. You will also find out how LISC Duluth helps to provide access to capital, technical assistance, and capacity building with our community.

December 14th, 2023
Pier B Resort Hotel
11:45am-1:00pm
Cost: $30 member, $35 non-member

Sponsored by Advanced Design Awnings & Signs Inc.

Register here:
https://members.downtownduluth.com/ap/Events/Register/9p8Bj1ZL

Join us for our FINAL event coming December 14th, featuring Sumair Sheikh, Duluth LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) Executive Director.

Housing is at the forefront of our downtown’s future success. And LISC Duluth can play a role in that. On December 14th, learn more about Sumair Sheikh and his vision for LISC Duluth’s new direction. You will also find out how LISC Duluth helps to provide access to capital, technical assistance, and capacity building with our community.

December 14th, 2023
Pier B Resort Hotel
11:45am-1:00pm
Cost: $30 member, $35 non-member

Sponsored by Advanced Design Awnings & Signs Inc.

Register here: https://greaterdowntowncouncil.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/9p8Bj1ZL