October 2007

In this issue:
	Lakeside Apartments
	Community Development Leadership Institute
	Funder Spotlight: Wells Fargo
	News Notes: Events, Announcements, and Sponsors

Letter from the Director

Healthy communities are multifaceted communities: affordable housing, vibrant economies, safety, good education, and more combine to create neighborhoods that are great places to live, do business, work, play, and raise families. This fall we look at three components—a project, a program, and a partnership—each of which is helping to create holistically healthy communities. We look at the transformative power of community investment, the training of a new generation of leaders, and the importance of partnerships. Our new "News Notes" section also offers LISC's latest funding, training, and job opportunities.

The Bay Area is truly fortunate to have such a strong group of committed advocates, actors, and supporters of community development. I hope you enjoy these glimpses at just a few of the many community-building efforts going on in our communities.

Stephanie Forbes, Executive Director

A Monumental Achievement

Kids and Their Families Win Classes, Play Space, and a New Home

Lakeside Apartments in Concord's Monument Corridor was long known in the community as an eyesore—and worse. "There was drug use, there was prostitution," says Lakeside's new Residents' Manager Paola Laird. "It was a really bad and dangerous place." Thanks to a major overhaul by Resources for Community Development, the property is now a point of pride and a catalyst for broader neighborhood revitalization efforts. The 8.8-acre property was acquired through a $2.5 million loan from LISC, and has become a focal point in the broader redevelopment efforts of Concord’s Monument Corridor community. The new Lakeside Apartments, which opened in February, now provide 114 units of clean, safe, affordable housing and offers many amenities to the families who call Lakeside home. Kids now have plenty of room to roam with a play ground, two swimming pools, and access to the lake. The community center offers story time for preschoolers and homework help for older kids, plus ESL and computer classes for adults and special programs for seniors.

"All this makes a huge difference for families," says Laird, particularly pleased with the brand new computer lab and the reading and homework programs for kids. "We’re making an effort to get kids interested in reading from early on. Hopefully we can make a big difference in these kids’ lives." Through the Monument Community Partnership, Resources for Community Development (RCD) has joined forces with a number of other organizations to provide the services that neighborhood residents need. "We’ve never had this sort of demand-driven programming there before," says Molly Clark, Executive Director of Monument Futures, an economic development nonprofit and a partner in the Monument Community Partnership. "RCD became the point people for developing the programming that residents wanted to see."

And what do Lakeside residents think of RCD and the ‘demand-driven programming’ they’re providing? Resident John Simpson reports, "They’re doing a heck of a job."

Leading the Way

The Community Development Leadership Institute Trains a New Generation of Community Leaders

For even the most experienced of housing developers, property managers, human resources officers, or other community development staff, being thrust into a new position of leadership can be a surprisingly difficult challenge. In 2005, Bay Area LISC launched the Community Development Leadership Institute (CDLI) to help provide new senior managers the skills they need to lead and administer their organizations. One graduate of the 2006-07 Institute reflects, "The one thing that I really needed, I got. Perspective. I was working really hard instead of working smart. I got the tools I needed to find a better work/life balance, and as a result, am working more efficiently and am much, much happier and productive."

The supervisor of another 2006-07 graduate explained the difference he had observed in that person’s on-the-job performance during the course of the year: "CDLI was a great resource to get him ‘ratcheted up’ quickly, and it filled in technical gaps that one usually gets filled over time ... Overall, he has grown in confidence as a director and supervisor significantly this year." Bay Area LISC congratulates the 2006-07 graduating class and welcomes the third round of new community leaders.

Funder Spotlight: Wells Fargo

Since 1995, Wells Fargo has provided Bay Area LISC $624,000 to support community development activities in neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area.

"Just like LISC, Wells Fargo is absolutely proud to help our communities become more successful," said Brenda Wright, Senior Vice President and Community Development Manager in the San Francisco Bay Area. “When the community prospers, everyone is more likely to be successful."

Wells Fargo contributed a record $14 million – more than a $1 million increase – to local nonprofits last year. Supporting community development efforts was a primary area of focus of Wells Fargo's grant giving last year, as the company contributed $3.5 million to support affordable housing, job creation, small business technical assistance, financial literacy, and more.

Wells Fargo's commitment to local communities has included support for small-business owners and families striving to buy a home. Through LISC's Commercial Corridor Revitalization & Stabilization program, Wells Fargo supports small businesses in places like the Third Street commercial corridor in San Francisco's Bayview district. Wells Fargo also sponsors Bay Area LISC’s efforts to foster affordable homeownership opportunities through special training, technical assistance, and a peer network for nonprofit housing developers.

"Supporting our community's development is the right thing to do," said Wells Fargo’s Wright. "Personally, I hope more organizations will do what they can to support LISC and other organizations that make a difference in our communities. Whenever we work together to help people become more successful, that’s really positive for our community."

News Notes

Upcoming events:

October 2: Building Systems Commission Training for Multifamily Affordable Housing
October 21: 5th Annual Portola Festival in San Francisco, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
October 24: Satellite Housing to host the grand opening of Helios Corner, a green development sponsored in part by LISC.
November 1: Grocery Store Attraction Symposium

Announcements:

2006 Operating Cost Database released.
South County Housing opened Nuevo Sol in Santa Cruz, a green development sponsored in part by LISC.
October 12 proposal deadline for NFL Grassroots funding for school and community playing fields.
Job Announcement: Assistant Program Officer, Green Connection
Job Announcement: NURVE Program Coordinator

Sponsors:

Bay Area LISC thanks the following sponsors for their recent awards:

RESOURCES

BAY AREA ENEWSLETTER