Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc.’s Post

As we continue to talk about affordable housing and empowering communities, I’m passionate about taking action. In 2024, I have vowed to spend time in rooms where people and organizations are prepared to invest in the things that make communities thrive - youth education, small business support, and healthy, safe, sustainable and affordable housing. It's time to write checks, support organizations actually doing the work, and invest in our communities. #communityinvestment #affordablehousing #youtheducation #smallbusinesssupport

Lots of stimulating conversation at last week’s Community Land Trust Network conference. Some key take-aways (hopefully accurate) • collaboration and partnership were top of the agenda for how to scale community ownership/stewardship (we’ve got lots of thoughts on this! https://lnkd.in/gxXiNe6p ) • Lots of lessons to learn from Kennet CLTs partnership with Bellway Homes, and Aster Homes are the largest RP partner to rural CLTs… • …but only 20% of local authority officers feel they have the support they need to work in a different way - Pooja Agrawal / PUBLIC PRACTICE • meanwhile Daniel Hill highlighted that 80% of homes built by the largest housebuilders are run by private management companies - a model that has been highly criticised by the Competition and Markets Authority • all of this raising questions for what community led management/stewardship models could look like (we’ve lots of thoughts on this too!) - one option being Public Commons Partnerships, nicely framed as “public sector access to finance with community led governance” (forgot the speaker, sorry). Looking forward to picking these ideas up at Housing 2024 this week!

📣 Registration is now open for the 2024 SBAN Summit on Community Ownership on November 14! REGISTER: https://lnkd.in/egeMrCSg Community ownership can provide stability for small businesses and mitigate commercial gentrification pressures. At the summit, we’ll explore individual and collective ownership models that support BIPOC- and immigrant-owned small businesses and help them stay in place, including commercial cooperatives, community land trusts, community investment trusts, and commercial property acquisition funds. The event will feature panel discussions, working sessions, and keynotes by small business advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in community ownership efforts across the United States and abroad. We’ll discuss community ownership as an anti-displacement strategy, develop collective policy priorities, and outline how to advance this strategy at multiple scales. The summit will also feature insights from SBAN research, case studies, and working groups. Note: The event is open to SBAN members and non-members. Register now and join the conversation!

💪 With a shifting political landscape, we want to represent community businesses as accurately as possible. ⏰ Please take 15 mins to complete our 'Community Ownership: A Better Form of Business' survey if you haven't already done so. 👀 Survey deadline now extended to 14 June! 👉 https://lnkd.in/eE5_BWFV #combiz #communityownership #charityresearch #charitysurvey

Development is all about supporting the host community - we can help you plan ahead to make sure that your community benefits from the projects that you invest in. Let's get started — https://brnw.ch/21wH30F #realestateadvisory #economicanalysis #datadrivendevelopment

PB Connect: Bridging the gap, providing families the support they need. Connecting you to resources for a stronger community is as easy as these three little steps! If you or someone you know could use assistance finding community resources, check out: www.pbconnect.org to learn more. #strongertogether #2GenMidland

This morning I drank my coffee thinking about my last few weeks of learning in the City of Cumberland's Citizens Local Government Academy. We've spoken with City Council members about their roles, spent the day with the public works department, learned about zoning and code enforcement, and even enjoyed a walk through some of Baltimore street's newest Economic Development projects with the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation and the Historic Preservation departments last night. I'm feeling grateful for the opportunity for tax-payer supported learning, the kind and open-minded leaders facilitating Cumberland's public services, and for a surge of inspiration and know-how to improve my community. Things that are clear to me so far: ☎️ Small Government involves a lot of "just pick up the phone and ask". Sometimes you need to know what to ask for, but a phone call to City Administration or a drop in to a Council meeting is a good start. 🤑 City Government is at all times a steward of local funds. Making, keeping and saving money is a priority for a financially strapped region. Finding a way to tell the story of any kind of investment in people through its monetary impact is a sad and necessary reality of this community. 🗣❗️Setting the priorities for our area comes from within the community. Finding the right room to be in and when to be there can feel daunting, but I'm committed to showing up and speaking up anytime I'm at the table. 💝 I'm starting to see how an entire city comes into being what it is through many small actions from many caring and passionate individuals who give their heart and soul to their community. Bottom line: Gratitude and awe for these small communities that power us forward. Thinking next about what's next. Do you have a small town city government to boast about? Who else is doing this work well?

Funds for Revitalization Available! Are you looking to launch or lead a revitalization project for your community? Financial resources are available to make it happen. Check out this amazing summary from the St. Louis Fed on how to source financial resources for your community or urban revitalization project. This is for residents, developers, builders, community leaders, government agencies, private organizations, or any “Changemaker” interested in leading a movement to revitalize their area. This brief guide provides the process, including tips, strategies, and step-by-step instructions to help you secure the funding you need. Don't let financial constraints hold you back! Discover the secrets to funding your community revitalization dreams by clicking on the link below.   Don't forget to share this valuable resource with your fellow “Changemakers”, and let's make a real difference in our communities together! #CommunityDevelopment #FinancialResources #UrbanRevitalization #PositiveChange #StLouisFed #SourcingFunds #RevitalizeYourCommunity #PostGeniusApp https://lnkd.in/ejvqJmVH  

Data collection and community engagement is now easier for #CityManagers than ever before. ✨ With Polco, you can: ✅Quickly engage your community with online surveys ✅Access public data about your city instantly ✅Easily understand community funding and project priorities ✅Build trust with transparency tools See how it works! https://lnkd.in/e6ezR76P

Capital grants are a game-changer for new centers, providing essential funding to cover costs for acquiring, building, or renovating facilities. These grants enable organizations to create state-of-the-art spaces, enhancing service delivery, supporting innovation, and improving community engagement. By alleviating financial burdens, capital grants empower centers to focus on core missions and long-term sustainability, fostering growth and positive impact within communities. Has your organization conducted its feasibility study? Do you need to explore various funding opportunities to achieve your goals?