Fall 2016 NewsletterHousingPhoto: NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation New York Land Opportunity ProgramIn October, LISC NYC launched the New York Land Opportunity Program (NYLOP). In partnership with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit, this program will help mission-driven organizations with limited real estate experience form joint venture partnerships to develop affordable housing on their underutilized land. Learn more during one of our upcoming technical assistance workshops. The next workshop is in the Bronx on December 8th. Zombie and Vacant Properties Remediation and Prevention InitiativeOn October 11th, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced grant awards totaling $12.6 million to help communities across the state address the problem of vacant properties and so-called “zombie homes” – vacant and abandoned homes in foreclosure that are being neglected. The grants were awarded under the Zombie and Vacant Properties Remediation and Prevention Initiative, which LISC is overseeing through its New York State Housing Stabilization Fund. LISC has committed $350,000 to New York City through the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Read the press release and the NY Daily News story. Economic DevelopmentNeighborhood 360°On October 27th, in partnership with New York City’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and Citi Community Development, LISC NYC launched Neighborhood 360°, a new program that strengthens and revitalizes commercial corridors and small businesses that anchor New York City neighborhoods. LISC will provide Neighborhood 360° grant winners with financial resources, storefront improvement expertise, and retail attraction support. Together, LISC NYC and Citi Community Development have contributed $525,000 to the initiative, enabling organizations to make visible and meaningful change in their communities in a relatively short time period. Read more >> Photo: Ricky Flores Green & Healthy Neighborhoods Photo: Kate Milford Two Shades of Green We’ve been on the road sharing our Two Shades of Green (TSG) model and the power of creating partnerships between the affordable housing and public health sectors. We are seeing that together, we can move the dial on using building rehabilitations as a platform to improve the health of tens of thousands of New York City’s low and moderate income families. Our TSG partner Deborah Nagin from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently spoke about the program at the Opportunity Finance Network Conference and our very own Colleen Flynn recently presented TSG at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo and Building Energy NYC. Communities for Healthy FoodOver the summer, the New York City Council awarded the Communities for Healthy Food NYC program a second consecutive allocation of $500,000 for Fiscal Year 2017. Several prominent New York City-based community development corporations (CDCs) were awarded funds: Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in Cypress Hills/East New York; New Settlement Apartments in Mt. Eden, the Bronx; Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; and West Harlem Group Assistance in West Harlem, Manhattan. LISC NYC would like to thank the NYC City Council for ongoing support, especially Council Member Inez Dickens, who helped secure these funds. Read the press release! Community LeadershipSt. Nicks Alliance Honors LISC NYCOn November 2nd, LISC NYC was honored at the St. Nicks Alliance Annual Awards Benefit and 41st Anniversary Celebration. A generation ago, LISC NYC and St. Nicks joined forces to bring North Brooklyn back from a debilitating period of decline and disinvestment. Since then, LISC and National Equity Fund have financed 508 units of St Nicks’ affordable housing, representing an investment of over $83 million in total public and private investment. LISC NYC has also supported St. Nicks’ strategies in Youth and Education, Healthcare for the Elderly, and Work Force Development. “This award carries a lot of weight for us,” said LISC NYC Executive Director Sam Marks. “We share with St. Nicks a vision for an inclusive city, and nonprofit ownership of community assets is a critical strategy to achieve that vision.” Photo: Stefano Giovannini New Faces at LISC NYCJoan Tally, LAC Chair We are pleased to announce that Joan Tally has been appointed Chair of LISC NYC’s Local Advisory Committee (LAC). Joan is Executive Director of Morgan Stanley's Global Sustainable Finance group, where she manages national operations for the Firm’s CRA business and leads community development lending and investing in the Northeast. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Joan spent 12 years at the NYC Housing Development Corporation directing real estate lending and asset management. Joan’s deep experience and long leadership in community development will be a great asset to LISC NYC’s work. Alyssa Katz, LAC Member We are also pleased to announce that Alyssa Katz has joined LISC NYC’s Local Advisory Committee as its newest member. Alyssa brings a wealth of experience in journalism and community development. She is a member of the New York Daily News editorial board and the author of Our Lot: How Real Estate Came to Own Us. She has also worked with the Pratt Center for Community Development and was editor of City Limits, an award-winning magazine investigating the institutions and policies at work in New York City’s neighborhoods. Anisha Steephen, Staff Member Anisha Steephen has joined LISC NYC as a Community Development Officer for Impact Development & Real Estate Lending. She most recently worked at the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs and previously held positions at the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC). In her new role at LISC NYC, Anisha will provide technical assistance and financing to community partners to create a pipeline of economic development real estate projects. We are grateful to Citi Foundation for supporting this work through its award of a Community Progress Makers Fund grant to LISC NYC. 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