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General Announcements

Community Progress Announces Upcoming Webinars Focused on Preventing Post-COVID-19 Vacancy

Over the last 30-days we’ve watched the COVID-19 health crisis forever change the fabric of this country. The lives of millions of Americans have been impacted and the need for equity will grow exponentially. As communities are grappling with the immediate health, social, and economic impacts of this unprecedented pandemic,…

Critical COVID-19 Opportunities for Communities Combatting Vacancy

As America actively battles one of history’s most impactful public health crises, the necessity of community development work and urgent help for communities in need is growing exponentially. As with every widespread American emergency, COVID-19 presents us with both real dangers, and real opportunities to advance equity, stability, and more…

A Word From Our CEO

Dear Fellow Impact Makers, We are in a pivotal moment. Too often in our history, crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic have been followed by profound inaction and avoidable missteps that we only acknowledged and addressed in retrospect. Yet, we know better. We know that the collaborative spirit of communities,…

Event Update – Cornerstone Webinar Postponed, Recordings Available

To our Community Progress Partners and Supporters, As we all face the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we know you are playing vital roles in your communities, engaging in crucial tasks aimed at protecting public health and safety. To show our support, we have made the decision to postpone our upcoming Cornerstone webinar, Strategic Code Enforcement: Building a “3-E” Ordinance Program…

Community Progress Joins 200+ Nonprofits in Supporting “Charitable Sector: COVID-19 Relief and Economic Stimulus Package”

The Center for Community Progress is proud to join more than 200 fellow nonprofits including Smart Growth America, Habitat for Humanity, United Way Worldwide, Meals on Wheels America, and Girl Scouts of the USA in requesting support for a $60 billion infusion of support to nonprofits to enable them…

New Online Webinars: Middle Neighborhoods with Alan Mallach, Land Banking, Code Enforcement and More

2020 Cornerstone Webinars Feature Updated Data and Trend Training from Community Progress This Spring, Community Progress will make staying up to date on the latest community development trends easy. Our 2020 Cornerstone Webinar series will focus on sharing new updates on important topics related to…

Building equitable communities: It takes systems reform, collaboration, and community wealth-building

The day-to-day work of community revitalization is intense and consuming. For all the talk of “breaking down silos,” it is a challenge to carve out the time and space for interdisciplinary learning. JPMorgan Chase and the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress) worked together recently to help make that cross-sector…

Kansas City neighborhoods get a boost from pro bono attorneys

By: Peter Hoffman, Rebecca McQuillen, and Kayla Hogan For thirty years, Legal Aid of Western Missouri’s Economic Development Unit has represented grassroots community groups in Kansas City, Missouri’s urban core. In that time, they’ve worked with long-time residents and stakeholders to rehabilitate hundreds of vacant and abandoned properties into safe…

From the Board Chair: Welcome to our new President and CEO

Dear Community Progress friends, It is with great pleasure that I share with you that Akilah Watkins-Butler will be joining the Center for Community Progress as its new President and CEO in early July 2017. Akilah comes to the organization with more than 20 years of experience working to develop…

President’s Corner: Announcing next steps with gratitude for the past five years

Community Progress Friends: I write today to share the bittersweet news that I will be leaving Community Progress in the summer of 2017 to relocate abroad with my family, due to a unique fellowship opportunity for my husband. Today, the Board of Directors announced these plans and opened the search…

Meet Kat Guillaume-Delemar, President & CEO of Community Progress

For Kat Guillaume-Delemar, community revitalization is a deeply personal journey.

A Message from President and CEO Akilah Watkins

Dear friends and supporters of the Center for Community Progress, With great sadness and great gratitude, I announce that I will be departing from the Center for Community Progress at the end of 2022, to assume the role of President and CEO of Independent Sector. Over these last five years…

Community Progress Weighs in on $350 Billion ARPA State and Local Recovery Fund

Center for Community Progress recently submitted a public comment letter in response to the Treasury Department’s Interim Final Rule (“IFR”) implementing the American Rescue Plan Act’s (“ARPA”) $350 billion State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“SLFRF”). The public comment period is open through Friday, July 16, 2021, and public comments…

Michigan Initiatives Quarterly Update: April – June 2021

This quarterly update from Community Progress’ Michigan Initiatives team highlights important revitalization news and resources from across the state. For specific inquiries or to share how your community is addressing vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties in Michigan, email Payton Heins, Director of Michigan Initiatives at [email protected].

New Paper by Alan Mallach – Making the Comeback: Reversing the Downward Trajectory of Black Middle Neighborhoods in Legacy Cities

In city after city, the Black middle neighborhoods face the most significant challenges and have seen the sharpest declines across the country when compared to other middle neighborhoods. Black middle neighborhoods lead in the struggle to receive public help, programs, amenities, and more. In a new paper, Making the Comeback:…

Keith Boykin and Alan Mallach to Lead Discussion on new Black Middle Neighborhood Data, Challenges, and Opportunities

Black urban middle neighborhoods are facing an existential crisis. In city after city, the middle neighborhoods that face the greatest challenges and have seen the sharpest declines are those largely occupied by African-American families. Compared to other middle neighborhoods, these neighborhoods are not only declining more sharply, but are seeing the…

Land Bank and Land Trust Leaders Express Support for Proposed $5 Billion to Revitalize Communities

Restoring Communities Left Behind Act Receives Support from Community Progress and Grounded Solutions Leaders WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 4, 2021 — Today, the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress) and Grounded Solutions Network (Grounded Solutions) expressed their support of new legislation that would invest $5 billion in flexible federal funding…

New Webinars Tackle COVID-19, Code Enforcement, Land Banking, and More

The combination of a new year, new leaders, and new challenges mean residents and local governments are positioned for rapid change in 2021. Register for this Spring’s Cornerstone Webinars to ensure you’re up to date on the latest trends and answers to this year’s historic challenges and opportunities.

Community Progress Expands Technical Assistance Services

New Senior Advisor, Vice President, and Program Leaders to Lead Local, State, and Neighborhood Assistance WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 8, 2020 — Today, the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress) announced new infrastructure changes and staff appointments to serve more communities through its technical assistance and place-based programs. “Communities need us…

Download America’s Vacant Lot Landscape: Insights from the National Survey on Greening

How are vacant lots evolving in the United States? What strategies do professionals consider most effective at returning purpose to these properties? What have practitioners learned in the last several years that other municipalities and organizations can benefit from? And what do organizations still need to do this work effectively?