CLF’s unique social investment funds flip that script. With our business, philanthropic, and community partners, we have created a national model for ensuring that change is led by the people already living in a neighborhood, united by a common vision for their future.
Jan 4
2022
2022
The Power of Community Investment
In the heart of Providence’s South Side, work is underway to transform a historic building into a vibrant community food hub. As one of the inaugural investments of CLF’s Healthy Retail and Commerce Fund, it will also showcase the power of social impact investing in supporting healthy, livable neighborhoods.
Dec 29
2021
2021
HealthScore Metrics
HealthScore is a screening tool that offers a holistic and actionable vision for healthy, inclusive, and sustainable housing and mixed-use development. CLF uses HealthScore to understand neighborhood context and screen potential investments for its Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund. Our scorecard is a model for how to measure and track the ways that real estate development…
Dec 8
2021
2021
Environmental Racism is Killing Us All. That’s Why I Joined CLF.
We must learn as a people to protect not only ourselves and the environment but also to fight another form of systemic and institutional racism that is killing us all – environmental racism.
Oct 19
2021
2021
Southside Community Land Trust Set to Expand Programs
“Small businesses that serve low-income communities have been left to fend for themselves for too long,” said Darrèll Brown, vice president and director of CLF Rhode Island. “SCLT’s tireless work to make healthy food available to these neighborhoods is absolutely a mission worth supporting. This investment will lead to healthier communities throughout Rhode Island, which is a win for everyone.”
Oct 14
2021
2021
Stop and Compare Opens New Market with Funding Boost
“It’s so important that local businesses serving low-income and minority communities have access to affordable financing,” said Maggie Super Church, Vice President of Healthy and Resilient Communities at CLF. “Stop and Compare provides healthy and affordable food to communities sorely lacking these critical resources, and this loan ensures that more Lynn residents will now benefit from everything this store has to offer.”
Sep 9
2021
2021
Experts believe that decades of inequality have led to the severity of heat islands
Residents tell us of a stark contrast between lower-income neighborhoods and those of their wealthier neighbors: Trees. WIthout greenery, heat absorption by concrete is abundant.
Aug 30
2021
2021
“Invisible Train” of Gentrification and Displacement Forcing People Further from Their Neighborhoods
“We aren’t just seeing moves. We’re seeing forced moves that are caused by social and economic forces which create ripple effects in communities,” said Reann Gibson, Senior Research Fellow at Conservation Law Foundation and manager of the Healthy Neighborhoods Study. “It’s so important to listen to residents to deepen our understanding of their lived experiences, to identify the data that best captures those experiences, and to interpret the findings in a way that truly demonstrates the impact of displacement on health and wellbeing. We must now use this data to enact real change in these neighborhoods.”
Boosting Local Businesses
Small businesses and entrepreneurs form the backbones of thriving communities, and right now, they’re struggling. This is especially true in the low-income neighborhoods and communities of color hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 laid bare the profound impact that our neighborhoods have on our health. People in low-income communities of color living with higher…
Jul 16
2021
2021
Conservation Matters Summer 2021: Year in Review
The past year has shown us what we can accomplish when faced with unprecedented upheaval. Now we are focused on driving forward a future that is equitable and healthy for all – while also confronting the most urgent environmental threats in the here and now. The work we do together in the next five years…