Community Development


Community development encompasses public and private efforts to strengthen the economic, physical, and social environments in low-income areas. The community development sector plays a vital role in shaping thriving communities through place-based investments, economic development, and community organizing and engagement. Recognizing that there are many factors that influence health, community development aims to address poverty and upstream drivers to foster transformative change and co-create thriving communities for present and future generations. 


Community development unites professionals from real estate, city planning, law, social work, public policy, public health, affordable housing, and finance fields with a common focus on improving neighborhoods. Community Development Corporations, neighborhood-level nonprofits that implement community development projects, and Community Development Financial Institutions (private financial institutions dedicated to delivering lending in disadvantaged communities) are all key players that develop and finance affordable housing, schools, community centers, health clinics, social and health services, and workforce and economic initiatives.


Today, thousands of community development organizations operate in the poorest urban and rural parts of the U.S., leveraging over $200 billion annuallyThe modern community development sector has its origins in the War on Poverty programs of the 1960s, which introduced new federal programs to provide education and job training, and garnered support for community planning and organizing. Growing momentum to address social justice issues of the day led by activists and stewards within government and philanthropy helped spread innovative financing models; which, alongside federal funding programs, created the community development system at the scale we see today.


The community development sector plays a precipitous and transformational role in improving vital community conditions. Expanding and improving upon community development efforts can improve well-being for people living in low- and moderate-income communities on a massive scale. With its focus on disadvantaged communities, the sector is positioned to address systemic inequities experienced by people living in poverty, as well as engage, organize, and empower marginalized communities in decision-making. 


Effective community development requires collaboration across sectors, including government agencies, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, residents, community organizations, local leaders, and private stakeholders. Changemakers can take advantage of funding sources such as the Community Development Block Grant to invest in community centers, affordable housing, and health clinics to build healthier communities.  


Community development leaders can leave lasting impacts through promoting partnerships and meaningful participation, fostering a sense of ownership, empowerment, and accountability. Leaders can advocate for policies and programs that create equitable and strategic solutions—that avoid community displacement and ensure affordable housing. Additionally, changemakers can work with place-based community leaders and leverage community voices to improve health outcomes by sharing resources, diverse knowledge, and expertise. 


Resources & Tools


Cover page for the Changemaker's Guide
The Changemaker's Guide: A Community Planning Curriculum
Resource - Guide/handbook
Published on 01/01/2014
The Relationship Between Community Development and Health infographic
The Relationship Between Community Development and Health
Resource
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Story of stuff podcasts workers-as-owners
Story of Stuff podcast: Workers as Owners
Story - Audio
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen capture of New York State’s Affordable Housing Developers: What They Do, How They Do It article
New York State’s Affordable Housing Developers: What They Do, How They Do It
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Published on 01/30/2014
A photo collage of people
An Introduction to Social Capital
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screen grab of The Next American Revolution
The Next American Revolution
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen capture of How Civic Infrastructure Grows the Local Economy article
How Civic Infrastructure Grows the Local Economy
Story - Written
Brought to you by Medium
Published on 08/24/2022
Screen capture of NIMBY: Where, When, And to Which Developers It Happens article
NIMBY: Where, When, And to Which Developers It Happens
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Published on 04/01/2014
Portrait of Ali Abazeed and Sara Elhasan and Commons Good logo
Commons Good Podcast: Ali Abazeed and Sara Elhasan
Story - Audio
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 09/30/2024
Screen grab of the page for the Cleveland Model video
The Cleveland Model: How the Evergreen Cooperatives Build Community Wealth
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen grab of Ted Howard speaks at the St. Louis Federal Reserve
Ted Howard speaks at the St. Louis Federal Reserve
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen grab of Redefining Rustbelt video
Redefining Rustbelt: Ted Howard on The Anchor Dashboard
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen grab of Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work
Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen capture of Paying Community Members for Their Time
Paying Community Members for Their Time
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Screen capture of Who, Why, and How Communities Oppose Affordable Housing article
Who, Why, and How Communities Oppose Affordable Housing
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Published on 04/23/2014
Collage of multiple people
Science of Social Capital
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screen capture of What Is NIMBYism and How Do Affordable Housing Developers Respond to It? article
What Is NIMBYism and How Do Affordable Housing Developers Respond to It?
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Published on 11/17/2021
Screen capture of The Effects of NIMBY and How to Overcome Them article
The Effects of NIMBY and How to Overcome Them
Story - Written
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Published on 06/11/2014
Screen grab of Highlights from the 2014 Jacksonville Community Wealth Building Roundtable
Highlights from the 2014 Jacksonville Community Wealth Building Roundtable
Story - Video
Brought to you by The Democracy Collaborative
Screen capture of The Past, Present, and Future of Community Development article
The Past, Present, and Future of Community Development
Resource
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Screen capture of the MeasureUp webpage
MeasureUp
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Build Healthy Places Network
Screen capture of In Common Newsletter: New Maps and Data Channel
In Common Newsletter: New Maps and Data Channel
Resource
Brought to you by Community Commons
First page of Cultivating a Healthier Policy Landscape: The Building Healthy Communities Initiative
Cultivating a Healthier Policy Landscape: The Building Healthy Communities Initiative
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SAGE Publications
Screen capture of Supportive Neighborhoods
Supportive Neighborhoods
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Results for America
Screen shot of the front cover of the report
Making Community Development Capital Work in Small and Midsize Cities
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Urban Institute
Cover page of Guide to Racial Healing: The REPAIR Framework for Community-Institution Solidarity in Racial Healing
Guide to Racial Healing: The REPAIR Framework for Community-Institution Solidarity in Racial Healing
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by Build Healthy Places Network
Cover Image for guide to rebuilding downtown
(Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for Revitalization
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by Smart Growth America
Cover page of Measuring Sprawl 2014 report
Measuring Sprawl 2014
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Smart Growth America
Screen capture of the Rural Data Gateway
Rural Data Gateway
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by USDA
First page of The Connection between Health and Housing
The Connection Between Health and Housing: The Evidence and Policy Landscape
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Alliance for Health Reform
A screen grab of Success Measures webpage
Success Measures
Resource - Website/webpage
Screen capture of The Intersection of Community Development & Mental Health
The Intersection of Community Development and Mental Health
Resource - Fact Sheet
Brought to you by Build Healthy Places Network
Screen capture of Community Development Counteracts Isolation
Community Development Counteracts Isolation
Resource - Fact Sheet
Brought to you by Build Healthy Places Network
Screen capture of
What Is Community Development?
Resource
Brought to you by Shelterforce
Screenshot of the front page of Revitalize Parks to Strengthen Democracy
Revitalize Parks to Strengthen Democracy
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by SSIR
Equitable Economic and Community Development Policy Guide graphic featuring image with diverse group of young people planning a community garden project
Equitable Economic and Community Development Policy Guide
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by WIN Network
Screenshot of the front of Uplifting Contextual and Experiential Evidence
Uplifting Contextual and Experiential Evidence
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Prevention Institute
Screen shot of the Thunder Valley CDC homepage
Thunder Valley CDC
Resource - Website/webpage
Screenshot of the front page of When Neighbors Choose How to Spend Philanthropic Dollars
When Neighbors Choose How to Spend Philanthropic Dollars
Resource
Brought to you by Next City
Screen capture of Funding Rural Podcast webpage
Funding Rural Podcast
Resource - Podcast
Brought to you by Roundhouse Foundation
Screen capture of Community Action Partnership Toolkit Library
Community Action Partnership Toolkit
Tool - Toolkit/toolbox
A screen grab of Affirmatively Furthering Housing tool
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
Tool - Data/mapping Tool

 Related Topics


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Inclusive Economic Development

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Community Organizing

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Faith-Based Partnerships