December 2022

LISC Connecticut Launches Year 3 of Statewide Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) Network 

The Connecticut FOC Network was launched in Fall 2020 in an effort to address racial wealth, health, and opportunity gaps worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, LISC Connecticut continued contracts with six community organizations to operate as Financial Opportunity Centers across five communities: Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, Norwalk, and Waterbury, and onboarded a new site to serve Stamford residents in September 2022.

The CT FOC Network currently consists of seven sites including:

·       The Village for Families and Children (Hartford) 

·       Urban League of Greater Hartford 

·       Human Resources Agency of New Britain 

·       Community Action Agency of New Haven 

·       Open Doors (Norwalk) 

·       Naugatuck Valley Community College (Waterbury) 

·       Person to Person (Stamford)

As of November 30, 2022, The CT FOC Network has served over 1,100 people with 73% receiving two or more services. Approximately 210 people have been placed in jobs with an average hourly wage of $18.74. Over 600 clients were screened for income supports with over a third (215 clients) accessing benefits including medical insurance, SNAP, and utility assistance.

In Year 3, LISC hopes to continue contracts with all current FOCs. Sites will be announced before January 1, 2023.

LISC Connecticut has begun the process of transitioning Open Doors in Norwalk to a Bridges to Career Opportunities (BCO) center. BCO’s teach clients foundational literacy and math skills, get technical training and pursue certifications—and receive support like financial coaching to set long-term goals and help manage expenses during training. These programs connect clients to “middle skills” jobs with a career pathway and help local employers staff up with employees who can get the job done.

Jim Horan, Executive Director 

Message from Jim Horan, Executive Director 

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on LISC Connecticut’s work and highlight meaningful achievements of 2022.

These include increasing our investments in affordable housing and securing funding from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood to implement the $15 million Early Childhood Education Facilities Renovation and Construction Fund over the next two years. This is a grant program using ARPA funds, focused on childcare deserts, with a focus on infant/toddler slots and providers of color. We’ve also maintained a development pipeline of 495 housing units (487 rental, 8 homeownership), totaling $144 million in development costs, and preserved 1,007 units of affordable housing with enhanced asset management. 

We are grateful to our donors, funders, nonprofit partners, staff, and Local Advisory Committee members who helped make possible our work to close racial health, wealth, and opportunity gaps that keep tens of millions of Americans from sharing in our country’s prosperity and realizing their full potential. Advancing financial stability and affordable housing would not be possible without their support and partnership. Here is a brief recap of LISC Connecticut’s impact in 2022: 

• Financial Opportunity Centers: As of November 30, 2022, The CT FOC Network has served over 1,100 people with 73% receiving two or more services. Approximately 210 people have been placed in jobs with an average hourly wage of $18.74. Over 600 clients were screened for income support, with over a third (215 clients) accessing benefits including medical insurance, SNAP, and utility assistance.
 
• Racial Equity: LISC Connecticut is initiating a BIPOC-led peer cohort to provide seven  CDCs with opportunities for leadership coaching and organizational capacity-building. LISC will use our proprietary CapMap (Capacity Mapping) tool to assess capacity, with modules focused on board development, community connections, executive leadership, financial management, fundraising, human resources, real estate development, and real estate asset management. In addition, LISC is currently selecting a consultant to provide 1:1 technical assistance to support individual executive leadership and to facilitate peer learning sessions regarding executive leadership. The Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute, which provides training to engage new leaders in the field, focusing on women of color, wrapped up its first year of operation. HCDLI is funded by the Department of Housing and CT Housing Finance Authority. HCDLI currently has four participants in internships, one participant completed their internship in the spring, and 16 participants completing the program. We are recruiting our next cohort, and interested applicants can learn more here. And our AmeriCorps program focused on nonprofit organizations led by people of color and encouraged them to recruit community residents. 
 
• Investment: LISC’s core work is attracting investment to disinvested communities. This year, we expect to close to $5 million in loans including one loan with funds from Trinity Health Of New England, for property acquisitions by Real Art Ways and the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance.
 
• Neighborhood Revitalization: We completed our Building for Health initiative with CT Children’s Medical Center. In the spring of 2022, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) was selected by LISC CT to perform an independent evaluation of the program.  We requested an evaluation of the program with a particular interest in answering two questions: 

•  What are the strengths and limitations of the Building for Health referral process?
•  What is the value of the program from the perspective of program partners and residents?

LISC Connecticut's work alongside our partners this year has deepened. As members of the community still feel the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come together to ensure critical resources reach those communities with the greatest need. We could not do this without our CDC and FOC partners, our small but mighty local staff, and our Local Advisory Committee, comprised primarily of our generous funders. LISC is financially strong, with tremendous lending capacity. We’ve seen increases in support from numerous funders, including Santander, M&T, and JPMorgan Chase. Others have continued their core support, including the Farmington Community Foundation and Webster Bank. Thank you all for your support, your generosity, and for making a difference to so many.

A Message of Gratitude and Holiday Greetings from LISC   

(Above) Pablo Werner Pacheco and Corey Tyler (below)

Program Highlight

The Housing & Community Development Leadership Institute (HCDLI), funded by the Connecticut Department of Housing and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, fosters a talent pipeline for the community development sector. HCDLI supports a cohort of participants who each complete a defined list of courses designed to introduce fundamental aspects of community development. The participants engage in internships or other learning opportunities with a partnering CDC or other community development organization. LISC Connecticut interviewed two HCDLI participants. 

Pablo Werner Pacheco was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, migrated to the United States in 2019 and lives in Granby. Pablo graduated from the University of Buenos Aires in Social Communication Sciences (BA). Pablo completed his HCDLI internship with Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford (MHAGH), Inc. In November, Pablo started a position as a Real Estate Development Associate at MHAGH. Corey Tyler has worked in retail management/customer service for most of her career. Corey has worked in real estate for more than seven years and spent more than four years in banking. Corey just completed her internship with Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. 

a.Tell me about what problem this program/service addresses?

Pablo: I think that this program addresses two problems that are interconnected. First of all, it addresses the lack of racialized people in a field that historically has been directed towards racialized people. Second of all, it addresses the lack of new talent in a field that historically lacks diversity in background, age, life experiences, etc. This program has been a good catalyst for both the organizations and the members of the cohort since it has connected the new talent with the organizations.

Housing is an urgent matter that affects mostly low-income people, which in the United States are [mostly] Black and Latino people, so it’s just as urgent that these communities are also participating in the solutions.

Corey: the program provided participants with monthly scheduling of workshops and webinars, so participants can manage their involvement and lives equally. 

b. What attracted you to join this program/initiative?

Pablo: When I moved from Argentina to the United States, I didn’t have a network of people that I knew, which meant I could only access jobs in the service industry. In these jobs, as everyone knows, you are underpaid and overworked with very low to non-existent benefits. I moved at the end of 2019 and right at the beginning of 2020 the pandemic hit and I became unemployed. During this period, I never stopped educating myself, taking many online courses, and researching topics that interest me. Since a young age I have been interested in design and architecture and I believe that beautiful and comfortable design should be available to anyone and not only to the people that can afford it. While doing online courses I came across the HCDLI program, which was later facilitated by LISC, that allowed people like me to get a foot in the door of the affordable housing field.

The program appealed to me because it was an offering of free education, something that in the United States is very expensive (I come from a country where education is public and tuition-free) and something that I wouldn’t be capable of affording during the pandemic. The fact that there were workshops and courses to put yourself in a better position to look for a better employment opportunity, interested me a great deal. It is not only the aspect of education that interested me but also the possibility of an internship at the end of the program. I also think that I wouldn’t be where I am right now with full-time employment at the organization I interned with if it weren’t for HCDLI and LISC.

Corey: I was looking for another work journey that I could help people become homeowners, learn more about affordable living, and the many programs available to the public. Many people don't have a clue. Many people ask me about homeownership and how to get started. I can now direct them to several different programs to help them with their dream.

c. Now that you’ve gone through or are engaged in this program, what are some of your greatest takeaways? What is your outlook for the future?

Pablo: As I said before, the greatest takeaway for me was the possibility of an internship and seeing myself in the affordable housing field. At the beginning of the program, I was in need of a better job situation. I knew that full-time employment wasn’t on the table, but I knew that the internship might lead to that and I worked towards that goal. Besides working very hard in the program I also recognize that I was fortunate to be at the right time and place. Another takeaway was to get to know many different people from Connecticut that I wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. I believe that getting to know other people’s experiences is also a way to learn new things and new perspectives, something that enriches our lives if we pay attention enough.

My outlook for the future is to keep working in the affordable housing field and hopefully in the near future hold a decision-making position. I'm interested in real estate development, which is my current area of work, and would like to explore this further. Like I said before, I'm passionate about design so it'd be wonderful to bring this interest into my work. Fortunately, I was offered a full-time position with the Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford, Inc. (MHAGH) and I look forward to keeping working under their wing but also bringing my varied experience to the table.

Corey: I hope to work in community lending and in a capacity to advocate for affordable homeownership, affordable rental properties, and affordable senior housing.

d. Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of? Why?

Pablo: I think that I am very proud of myself overall. As I said before, migrating to a new country with a different language and not knowing anyone is not a small thing. But I am also proud of gaining full-time employment, a desire that I had since the program started.

Besides this, I feel that the contribution MHAGH is doing for its residents is enormous. I have found an organization whose mission aligns strongly with my beliefs, and from the time I’ve spent there, I feel like they do really work for the benefit of the people. Being part of an organization like this makes you understand there is so much to do, so little time and that every step is not enough, but that collective work is what keeps us going. When some things won’t change from the top, the change must come from the bottom. Without a base, there is no pyramid.

Corey: I and an assistant finished the Block and Building surveys. We had 48 blocks and 98 building surveys to complete by the end of November. We accomplished that.

e. What do you think other people should know about this organization/program/initiative?

Pablo: I think that this program allows a great deal of opportunity in different ways. It allows people to keep educating themselves in different aspects of the affordable housing field. During different stages of the program, I learned about the diverse backgrounds of the members of the cohort. This is something other people should know.

In my opinion, there were two essential parts of the program: the possibility of becoming a Public Housing Manager, which allows for wider job possibilities, and the possibility of an internship with an organization.

The people at LISC are very hands-on and responsible in what they do. They have asked for our feedback multiple times, and I feel that they listened and improved the program as we went along.

One last thing is that the program asks for a reasonable amount of participation, and this is something a person should understand and commit to before joining.

Corey: I believe a commitment is needed to get the most out of the program. You get out of it what you put into it, there is a lot to learn, and it's free. 

I think it is a good program to learn about HUD's commitment to housing, the smaller agencies in the bigger cities that are involved in creating viable/sustainable communities as well.

Hartford's Community Action Task Force Lays Groundwork for New Supermarket

Denise Holter, CATF 

Denise Holter is a member of Hartford hub’s Community Action Task Force (CATF)

LISC actively supports and participates in CATF in Hartford. The CATF is working to bring a full-service grocery store to North Hartford, a food desert, as well as health-promoting services, small business development, and homeownership. In 2015 several city leaders, local organizations and citizens came together to launch the North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative. These supporting organizations reached out to community members to make sure that any initiative was reflective of the community’s wants and needs. A market assessment and a separate resident food purchasing study were sent out to determine feasibility of an anchor supermarket. The market assessment indicated that the ideal anchor supermarket will be a full-service market with a focus on healthy and affordable foods, especially quality fruits and vegetables, with pricing competitive for a diverse population of city residents. The optimal location to ensure the sustainability of the project will be at or near the intersection of Main Street and Albany Avenue. In August of 2018, Hartford Food System (HFS) convened the Community CATF to provide input and guidance into the development of the project. 

Thank You for Your Support

Our Deepest Gratitude!

As 2022 comes to an end, we want to take a moment to thank all of you for all your kindness and support. Throughout the year, you helped us provide services and ensure critical resources to those in our community with the greatest needs. Our work would not be possible if not for the generosity of our funding and community partners. Thank you all for your support, your generosity, and for making a difference to so many.

LISC Connecticut Staff 

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