Author Archives: Reinvestment Fund

by Natasha Dowell, Lending Associate, Southeast, Reinvestment Fund The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor in 2020 sparked a racial reckoning within our country and across the world. For Reinvestment Fund, the deaths of these and countless other Black people were painful, poignant reminders of our need to continue calling out and […]

By Michael Norton, Ph.D., Chief Policy Analyst at Reinvestment Fund Public libraries and museums are deeply embedded in their communities in ways that enrich the wellbeing of local residents. Through their core services, programming, and partnerships with other organizations, they catalyze broader networks of support that meet a diverse range of needs for individuals, organizations, […]

By Olivia Chatman, Program Associate – Food Initiatives, Reinvestment Fund Across the country, the shameful reality of limited access to healthy food plagues historically marginalized communities. It is an issue that is rooted in discriminatory policies and disinvestment, and is reflected in the 27.6 million people living in places with inequitable and inadequate access to […]

By Khaliff Davis, Director K-12 Lending, Reinvestment Fund Since its inception, the community development financial institution industry has been committed to providing capital to help expand opportunity for historically excluded communities. In recent years, the continued and often growing disparities in outcomes ranging from health to education to economic prosperity have led CDFIs like Reinvestment […]

Access to quality and affordable homes is critical to building sustainable, healthy communities. Through our lending and research practices, Reinvestment Fund is committed to increasing access to housing that is affordable and safe for all people. In addition to lending to develop affordable housing, Reinvestment Fund has also long studied how to improve equity in […]

Christina Szczepanski, Managing Director, Southeast, Reinvestment Fund For decades, historically excluded communities in neighborhoods across America have lived with the consequences of the development process happening to them and not with them. Oftentimes projects are developed based on market trends and expected returns with little attention to what the local community actually needs or wants.  […]

By Yonina Gray, Director of External Relations, Reinvestment Fund A new report by the Othering and Belonging Institute finds that 81% of US metro regions are more segregated today than they were twenty years ago. In a series on “George Floyd’s America,” The Washington Post explored the effect of systemic racism on Floyd’s life. It […]

Robert Cox and Khaliff Davis, Reinvestment Fund An affordable home in a healthy neighborhood is fundamental to safety, stability, and opportunity. Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) like Reinvestment Fund play a vital role in using flexible capital to support housing that is affordable and responsive to the needs of the local community. Flexible capital includes […]

Christina Szczepanski, Managing Director, Southeast, Reinvestment Fund Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to join an interactive simulation called the Digital Community Food Experience, created by the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) in collaboration with Georgia Tech design students. The aim of the activity was to help participants gain a deeper understanding of the […]