LISC Virginia

We're proud to share the significant impact we've made since our office opened in 1990! Over the years, we've worked to improve access to affordable housing, foster economic development, and enhance the quality of life for residents across the Richmond region. Interested in supporting our work? Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter or invest in our mission: https://lnkd.in/d7a9dpkH

The LISC Virginia team completed another #FieldTripFriday last week! We took a short cruise along the Richmond Canal to learn more about all phases of Richmond's history. Along the canal, you’ll see public art, statues and exhibits. Want to read more about the history of Richmond's Riverfront? Visit the VENTURE RICHMOND, INC. website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/exHRzuas

Happy #IndigenousPeoplesDay! Today, and every day, we celebrate and honor the #IndigenousPeoples of America and commemorate their deep roots, histories, and cultures that have shaped and enriched our country. Virginia is home to 11 state-recognized American Indian tribes. You can read more about Indigenous communities in Virginia at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture's website, linked here: https://lnkd.in/eratfdAj

Huge thanks to Wells Fargo and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) for last month's Wealth Opportunities Realized Through Homeownership (WORTH) convening! The Virginia team was proud to host our WORTH RVA collaborative partners at this convening to share stories of local success. We're grateful to the WORTH RVA Collaborative partners, PlanRVA, Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation, Inc., Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc., Better Housing Coalition, project:HOMES, Virginia Housing, and HDAdvisors, for their continued thought leadership and dedication to housing equity! Read more about WORTH RVA here: https://lnkd.in/eFs9r2MN

The LISC Virginia team was honored to host fellow Virginian and LISC Executive Vice President of Programs Ruth Jones Nichols, Ph.D. last week! Dr. Jones Nichols joined us as we held an important conversation about affordable housing in the Greater Richmond region. Thank you to Mayor Levar Stoney and the City of Richmond, Partnership for Housing Affordability, and all of those in attendance for your engagement as we tackle the affordable housing crisis together!

I’m writing this as I mark my first-year anniversary as President & CEO of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The past year has been a time of learning and growth for me while gaining new insights and forging meaningful and impactful relationships with colleagues and partners. I am grateful for all the things I’ve experienced in my role and for all the ways in which LISC has welcomed me. I am also mindful that while this year was a fruitful one on many levels, both for me as CEO and LISC as an organization, it was also a time of great upheaval and chaos with regards to the climate.    We’ve experienced a year of escalating, and seemingly endless, ruptures in daily life due to climate change and its profound impact on each of us, especially, and most often disproportionately, the residents of communities where LISC works. Hurricane Helene caused a 600-mile swath of devastation, including in many places where our staff and partners live, work and invest. The effects aren’t finite; the repercussions may take years to understand and repair. And more hurricanes are already beginning to form.   Helene comes on the heels of a year of relentless forest fires, violent storms and flooding that have impacted LISC markets across the country including Houston, Jacksonville, and rural California, just to name a few. LISC will continue to stand with communities that need us, just as we’ve done for the past 45 years, helping to rebuild, and create resiliency anyway we can. And climate resiliency is truly one of our best tools for facing an uncertain future.   A year in a life can really fly by. So much happens that it’s often hard to see all that you’ve gained in that time. It’s rarely as hard to see what’s been lost. The losses communities across the country experience every day, because of the climate crisis, are devastating. I look forward to continuing our commitment and partnership with the people, places and organizations that are doing the work to address the climate crisis and its impact on all of us.    It’s been a year. Thank you.

There are currently 5.4M millennials who are “mortgage ready”. Join us in Richmond, VA for this free event to discover effective strategies for engaging with this high-growth, high-potential segment. Learn how to build trust with today’s buyers while expanding your pipeline with new leads.   Michael Urban Urban from Virginia Housing & Jane Ferrara from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Virginia will share their commitment to multicultural communities and their affordable lending programs. Additionally, representatives from Freddie Mac will discuss how to leverage their affordable lending solutions to help close the homeownership gap for your clients.   Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your outreach and impact! Use this link to see additional details and register: https://lnkd.in/e4ctfPyM

Last weekend, we wrapped up our first digital workshop of Fall 2024! In Virginia’s Crater Region, LISC Virginia is taking on digital inclusion through computer workshops that support digital upskilling and provide participants with a free laptop upon completion of the program. In addition to our instruction, Virginia State University undergraduate interns answer tech questions, provide individual support, and help engage our participants! Congrats to the 10 folks who completed the program and earned their laptop on Saturday! Read more about the program here: https://lnkd.in/evFjd4_H

Huge congrats to our team member Brett Brooks for her incredible presentation at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions SHIFT Conference! Brett is leading LISC Virginia's Financial Opportunity Center program network with innovation and an eye for equity. You can read more about the FOC program, services, and get in contact with Brett at this link: https://lnkd.in/eB_tRgDa

The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene over the past few days is almost incomprehensible: the destruction that has claimed lives and ravaged communities across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama—leaving over 600 miles of damage in its path—is unprecedented and threatens to have far-reaching impacts on supply chains, water and power access, and so much more. We are fortunate to be in touch with our many colleagues in the affected places who, at present, are safe. And we will maintain close contact with our partners and the communities we work with, especially those struggling to access basic necessities. As the climate crisis intensifies, we will see more and more weather-related catastrophes like this. It is critical that community development organizations like LISC be poised to help rebuild, but also to actively engage in efforts that build resilience. When the news cycle moves on, LISC will remain committed, helping communities recover and foster long-term resilience.