Community development corporations (CDCs) are the lifeblood of the low income housing movement, building quality affordable homes and preserving diversity and community in traditionally marginalized areas. In Texas we are fortunate to have several outstanding CDCs working tirelessly on behalf of low income residents. Our series of CDC Spotlights took a closer look at what that work entails, the challenges CDCs currently face, how CDCs are evolving and more.
We focused on three remarkable CDCs, two in Austin and one in Brownsville:
Blackland Community Development Corporation, Austin
BCDC uses a “poisoned watermelon” strategy and aggressive community building to fend off gentrification in a rapidly changing East Austin neighborhood.
Community Development Corporation of Brownsville
CDCB takes a holistic approach to housing in the poorest city in the nation, offering loan programs, financial literacy education, disaster recovery solutions and more in addition to building low-cost homes.
Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, Austin
GNDC is battling the rising costs of land in East Austin with an innovative community land trust model, preserving affordability and diversity for the area’s longtime residents.
[…] CDC Spotlights: Three outstanding community development corporations in Texas, December 8 We like to say that community development corporations are the lifeblood of the low income housing movement, building homes, preserving affordability, fending off gentrification and enhancing community in traditionally neglected areas. We’re lucky to have some remarkable CDCs in Texas, and this series profiled the history and current work (and new challenges) of three: Blackland and Guadalupe in Austin and CDCB in Brownsville. […]