Resident and Community Engagement in Community Land Trusts
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This report investigated the engagement practices of six successful Community Land Trusts.

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Community Land Trusts have emerged as an effective model for affordable housing creation and preservation. Resident and community engagement are critical to the success of these organizations. This report investigated the practices of six successful Community Land Trusts and found that CLT’s must 1) accommodate the lifecycle of residents, 2) address capacity constraints, 3) involve partners for efficacy and efficiency, and 4) attend to challenges relating to growth and geographic spread. read more

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Building American Cities Toolkit™
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A living resource on how to improve a city’s built environment and bring about equitable revitalization. 

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The Center for Community Progress, with the support of Enterprise Community Partners, produced a toolkit to help local practitioners think through strategies and utilize specific tools to carry out those strategies. The toolkit is divided into four elements: read more

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Regional Collaboration Toolkit
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Economies function on a regional level, so smaller legacy city stakeholders will need to work closely with partners across their region to develop and execute economic development strategies.

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Many challenges facing cities of all sizes do not stop at municipal borders – issues related to development, taxation, economic competitiveness, and environmental resources are shared among many communities and political subdivisions within a region. Confronting these shared issues can present yet another challenge, as stakeholders from different jurisdictions may have competing priorities. read more

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Employer-Assisted Housing
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Employer-assisted housing programs provide financial assistance to employees to rent or purchase a home near their job, helping employers attract and retain high-quality employees.

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Housing costs are one of the largest monthly expenses for many households. Many jobs are located in higher cost areas of a community, putting an even greater strain on household finances if employees live near their work. read more

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Workplace Financial Wellness Programs
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According to a 2017 survey by PwC, 53% of U.S. employees found it stressful to deal with their personal finances. Employers can help employees reduce the stress of financial management through workplace financial wellness programs.

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Financial wellness programs are increasingly being offered as a benefit to employees as a way of helping boost their economic security. These programs vary between employers, but are all aimed at increasing financial literacy, promoting savings, and managing debt or financial emergencies. Examples of services provided include financial coaching and counseling, debt management services, savings products and services, short-term loans and accrued wage advances, online financial management tools, and financial education classes read more

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Community Engagement Toolkit
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Leading Inside Out and the Collective Impact Forum created a toolkit to help guide community engagement efforts, with a particular eye on equity and inclusion.

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The toolkit aims to take engagement beyond simply “checking the box” of public participation and instead authentically incorporating the perspective of the people that will be most impacted by changes. read more

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Main Street America
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Main Street America is a network 1,600 neighborhoods and commercial districts that share a commitment to building stronger communities.

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The “Main Street Approach” is centered around forming a focused and deliberate plan for revitalizing a downtown or commercial district’s economy. The approach has an explicit focus on the communities historic assets such as buildings, parks, or riverfronts. read more

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Partnerships between Land Banks and Community Land Trusts
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Land banks have a disposition problem. Land trusts have an acquisition problem.

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A land bank is a public authority created to efficiently deal with vacant and abandoned properties. A land bank acquires, holds, manages, and disposes of these vacant properties on behalf of the municipality or government entity. Cities, counties, and states provide land banks with a variety of tools that ensure the land bank can properly deal with these nuisance properties. Land banks are often given unique legal powers that help them acquire problem properties and have the expertise to match redevelopment with the long-term interests of the community. read more

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Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
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Business Improvement Districts can clean up a city’s central commercial district and open the door for private investment. 

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The Business Improvement District (known as a Special Improvement District in some states) is a community development tool that brings together property/business owners in a defined geography to self-fund improvements to the district’s infrastructure and public spaces. Once the district is established, the BID assesses a fee based on property values to the property owners within the district’s boundaries to pay for these services.   read more

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