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Community Development Articles

Short-form insights on key community development topics, informed by research and engagement in the 12th District.

  • From Legislation to Application: ADUs as a Response to Housing Affordability Challenges

    Leilani Barnett

    A constrained supply of new housing throughout California has exacerbated the challenge of housing affordability within the state. One solution to housing affordability challenges that has gained prominence through new state legislation is to construct more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on single family home lots. In this interview with Susan Long, program director at Self-Help Enterprises, we explore how ADU financing programs can help meet housing needs.

  • Wildfire Smoke’s Impact in Los Angeles

    Jason Vargo

    At the SF Fed, we’re conducting research to quantify the economic impact of wildfire smoke across the region because climate risk affects our core responsibilities of conducting monetary policy, regulating and supervising the bank system, and ensuring a safe and sound payment system. Our Community Development team looked at wildfire smoke in the LA region over time and its potential effects on the economy and disadvantaged populations. Here’s what we learned.

  • Reimagining Financial Systems to Create Thriving Economies

    The SF Fed’s Community Development team offers lessons learned from the 2022 National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference (NICRC), which sought to spark ideas, conversations, and actions to reimagine the community development field.

  • Beyond the Numbers: Inflation Concerns in the Federal Reserve’s Twelfth District

    To help guide her decision-making about the scale and scope of the Fed’s actions, President Daly has stressed the importance of hearing the stories beyond the inflation numbers dominating the headlines. To that end, the San Francisco Fed is listening to and learning from the District’s communities and businesses so we can understand how rising prices are affecting household budgets and bottom lines.

  • Key Event Takeaways: Harnessing the American Rescue Plan Act to Support Innovation in Child Care

    The pandemic exposed many of the cracks in how our country approaches child care and early care and education (ECE), but it also created an opportunity to address and improve how we support children, working parents, and ECE professionals. Find takeaways from a recent virtual event focused on managing and organizing around American Rescue Plan Act funds and the role of business in supporting and empowering change.

  • Community Development Corporations: Preserving Cultural and Economic Space through COVID-19

    Naomi Cytron

    Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are cultural and economic anchors in their communities. Naomi Cytron spoke with four San Francisco Bay Area CDCs about the unique challenges they face in the COVID-19 recovery as well as the supports they need to continue to serve communities.

  • Strengthening Financial Health in Times of Crisis

    Laura Choi

    COVID-19 makes it clearer than ever that inclusion in the financial system is critical for households and businesses to access timely relief funds. Distributing funds at scale, however, presents numerous challenges, including issues related to technology and communication. To explore what it takes to have an inclusive financial system, Laura Choi sat down with Leigh Phillips, CEO of SaverLife, for a conversation on leveraging fintech, data, and strategic partnerships to strengthen financial health in times of crisis.

  • Overcrowding in the Bay Area: Where the Housing Crisis meets COVID-19

    Jackelyn Hwang, Bina Shrimali

    The issue of overcrowded housing has known health consequences and is particularly concerning in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To better understand the issue of crowding, we examined trends in people moving to more crowded conditions in the Bay Area using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax Data. Here’s what we found.

  • Overcoming Homeownership Challenges in Rural America: Lessons from Alaska

    Craig Nolte

    With its stunning landscape and rich culture, Alaska is known as the “The Last Frontier.” But the real “frontier” begins outside populated areas like Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau where decent, safe, and energy-efficient housing becomes scarce.

  • How Can Native American Veterans Gain Access to a Benefit They Earned?

    Craig Nolte

    A federal program exists to provide more homeownership opportunities for Native Americans veterans on Indian reservations, yet less than one in six of the over 570 federally-recognized tribes have accessed the program. This is a program that Native American Veterans have earned but relatively few are able to enjoy the benefit.