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JCHS summit focuses on community investing

The Joint Center for Housing Studies held a symposium, “What Works in Community Investing: A Community Development Summit,” on November 8 in Piper Auditorium. The event brought in leading community developers from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including Pam Flaherty, president and CEO of the Citi Foundation; Paul Grogan, head of the Boston Foundation; and David Erickson, director of the Center for Community Development Initiatives for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The panel explored ideas presented in a recent book, Investing in What Works for America’s Communities, jointly published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Low Income Investment Fund.

Martha Pym (MUP ’15), said the summit was particularly appealing because of its focus on applied approaches to community development. “I was fascinated by Elyse Cherry’s take on alternative approaches to financing and how a large proportion of the low-income population are not having their needs met through existing financial institutions,” she said. Cherry, who appeared on the day’s first panel, is president and CEO of Boston Community Capital.

“I walked away with a greater appreciation for the holistic nature of successful community development efforts,” said Chris Colley (MUP ’14).

For more on the summit, visit the JCHS website.