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On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Community Reinvestment Act,
the question of whether we’re targeting our community development
resources most strategically is worth asking. It’s important
to take time to
reflect on what we’ve learned from the past three decades and
approach
neighborhood revitalization from the standpoint of success.
In this latest issue of Community Investments,
we look at the challenges facing low-income
neighborhoods and explore some of the principles underlying successful
integrated approaches to community development. We also highlight
strategies being
used to realign resources for greater community impact.
Many of the ideas presented here will not seem new.
They are things we’ve been
doing all along: building affordable housing, encouraging asset and
workforce
development, and financing childcare or healthcare clinics. The challenge
is to
increase our understanding of the unique needs of each of our communities
and to
address those needs in a strategic and comprehensive way.
But this is only the beginning of the conversation.
Join us in Las Vegas this March
where a separate track – and in fact the theme of the entire
2006 National Community
Reinvestment Conference – will be devoted to strategic approaches
to community
development. The conference will provide opportunities to explore what
we do right
and what we do wrong, and will offer tools and ideas for how to have
a greater impact
in low-income neighborhoods.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we hope to see you
in March.
Scott Turner
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