FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
One of 13 Organizations Selected by the Citi Foundation and Low Income Investment Fund to Advance the Community “Quarterback” Model
NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2013 — LINC Housing will receive $250,000 in Citi Foundation funding to increase economic progress in Los Angeles as part of the Partners in Progress (PIP) initiative launched today in New York City. The initiative, backed by the Citi Foundation and the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), aims to advance the “Quarterback” model of community development by building the capacity of trusted organizations that align objectives, resources, and efforts among local stakeholders to create strong, resilient neighborhoods and paths to economic opportunity.
Under the one-year grant, LINC seeks to facilitate a paradigm shift — combining people and place-based strategies — to make affordable housing the focus for access to healthcare and supportive resources that help neighborhoods thrive.
“In Los Angeles County, families often struggle with overcrowded housing because of low wages and high rents, seniors on fixed incomes end up choosing between prescriptions and food, and people with mental illness require multiple supports to stay stable and housed,” said Suny Lay Chang, senior vice president and director of housing development for LINC Housing. “No one organization can provide the housing, medical care, counseling, food, and services that create successful support for our poorest neighborhoods. We’ll be gathering partners to make fragmented places into hubs of support and transformation.”
Hunter L. Johnson, president and CEO of LINC, added, “We’re proud to be recognized along with our colleagues nationwide. This funding and support will allow LINC to expand and evolve as we test new models for serving Los Angeles County at a higher level.”
Through PIP, Citi Foundation and LIIF hope that grantees will be able to initiate or deepen their efforts to become community quarterbacks. In this role, they will lead the development or expansion of local stakeholder networks to improve places — the physical environment of a community including housing, transit, and safety — and create opportunities for people ��� such as jobs, child development, education, and health. PIP funding will enable grantees to engage and align an expanded range of partners, share knowledge, and use data to drive project design. In addition, grantees will participate in a learning community that will include coaching and skill building.
“Recognizing that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to improving economic opportunity, we know the quarterback model works to align smart approaches with smart financing,” said Nancy O. Andrews, president and CEO of LIIF.
“The Partners in Progress initiative is focused on identifying and supporting organizations that have the credibility and potential to be local community development champions,” said Pamela Flaherty, president & CEO of the Citi Foundation.
The impetus behind the PIP initiative came from Investing in What Works for America’s Communities, a book LIIF co-published in 2012 with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which asserts that flexible and dynamic community quarterbacks could transform local community development efforts that are often fragmented and duplicative. The Citi Foundation supported LIIF’s work on the original book, and the PIP initiative now aims to advance the community quarterback model across the nation.
To learn more about the PIP program, visit www.partnersinprogressproject.org. Follow PIP on Twitter, @PIPCommunities, and like the PIP Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/partnersinprogressproject.
