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The Birth of CDCs
1960s
The turbulent 1960s in the U.S., marked by civil rights activism and urban unrest, highlighted persistent inequality and poverty in many communities. This context led to the emergence of community development corporations (CDCs) as grassroots organizations aimed at empowering residents and addressing systemic issues in underserved neighborhoods.
Listen
Timeline
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1968
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The Woodlawn Organization
The Woodlawn Organization (TWO), founded in Chicago in 1960 using the community organizing style of Saul Alinsky, was a pioneering community organization that helped shape the future of community development. Led by civil rights activist Arthur Brazier, TWO organized residents to address issues like housing, education, and employment. Its success in mobilizing the community and negotiating with institutions laid important groundwork for the emergence of Community Development Corporations later in the decade.
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Chicago, IL
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
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Reverberations of the Watts Rebellion
The violent arrest and beating of Marquette Frye sparked six days of civil unrest, with numerous deaths, injuries, and millions in damages, highlighting severe issues of poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and inadequate education faced by LA's Black community. This led to a push for social programs and policy changes.
Los Angeles, CA
Landmarks Preservation Bill
Following the loss of NYC's historic Penn Station, a group of architectural and academic leaders organized to push for the successful passage of a landmarks perservation bill, designating over 19,000 structures (2% of the city's total buildings) and sixty historic districts.
New York City, NY
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Special Impact Program & CDC Authorization
The Special Impact Program, an amendment to the Economic Opportunity Act, was passed in 1966 largely due to the efforts of Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits. This legislation provided federal funding for community-based organizations to address poverty in urban areas through economic development initiatives. The amendment authorized the creation of Community Development Corporations (CDCs), giving them legal status and financial support. This groundbreaking policy shift recognized the importance of local control and comprehensive approaches to community revitalization.
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
Brooklyn, NYC
The Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC) in Brooklyn became the first CDC under this program, focusing on developing affordable housing, supporting local businesses, connecting residents with job opportunities, and supporting arts and cultural initiatives. BSRC remains active today, adapting to changing community needs while maintaining its core mission of fostering economic self-sufficiency and improving quality of life in Central Brooklyn.
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Model Cities Program
The Model Cities Program, launched in 1966 as part of President Johnson's War on Poverty, initially selected 150 cities for federal funding to support comprehensive urban development. It emphasized local control and citizen participation, requiring cities to create neighborhood-based organizations to plan and oversee projects. Results varied: Boston's Roxbury saw improved housing and new community facilities, while North Philadelphia's 1967 designation exposed racial tensions between white leaders and African American communities. The program's attempt to combine redevelopment with citizen participation revealed both the inadequacies of the federal approach and widening racial fault lines in urban areas. Despite some successes, the Model Cities Program faced challenges such as bureaucratic complexity and insufficient funding, leading to its phase-out by 1974.
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
Members of the Health Task Force meet in 1970 as part of Seattle’s Model Cities Program work in the Central District.Seattle Municipal Archives (77411)
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Title VII - Economic Opportunity Act
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Opportunities Industrialization Center
The violent arrest and beating of Marquette Frye sparked six days of civil unrest, with numerous deaths, injuries, and millions in damages, highlighting severe issues of poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and inadequate education faced by LA's Black community. This led to a push for social programs and policy changes.
Philadelphia, PA
New Communities, Inc.
Following the loss of NYC's historic Penn Station, a group of architectural and academic leaders organized to push for the successful passage of a landmarks perservation bill, designating over 19,000 structures (2% of the city's total buildings) and sixty historic districts.
Albany, GA
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Fair Housing Act of 1968
The Woodlawn Organization (TWO), founded in Chicago in 1960 using the community organizing style of Saul Alinsky, was a pioneering community organization that helped shape the future of community development. Led by civil rights activist Arthur Brazier, TWO organized residents to address issues like housing, education, and employment. Its success in mobilizing the community and negotiating with institutions laid important groundwork for the emergence of Community Development Corporations later in the decade.
Power, Politics & Pride: The Woodlawn Organization
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Neighborhood Housing Services
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Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation
Expansion and Grassroots Organizing
1970s
1973
In the 1970s, CDCs gained momentum as urban neighborhoods faced continued disinvestment and economic challenges. These organizations expanded their roles, focusing on affordable housing development, local job creation, and providing social services, often filling gaps left by retreating government programs and private sector disinvestment.
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Timeline
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Policy Changes and New Funding Sources
1980s
The 1980s saw CDCs adapt to a climate of reduced federal funding for urban programs under the Reagan administration. Many CDCs became more entrepreneurial, forming partnerships with private businesses and expanding their revenue streams to sustain community development efforts in an era of government cutbacks.
Timeline
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Scaling Up and Professionalizing
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In the 1990s, CDCs matured and professionalized, often scaling up their operations and impact. Many embraced comprehensive community initiatives, addressing not just housing but also education, health, and economic development, while new policies like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program provided crucial funding mechanisms for their work.
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Timeline
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New Challenges and Innovations
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CDCs in the 2000s faced new challenges with the housing boom and subsequent financial crisis. Many shifted focus to foreclosure prevention and neighborhood stabilization, while also addressing emerging issues like environmental sustainability and equitable development in gentrifying areas.
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Timeline
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Equity Focus and Collaborative Approaches
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The 2010s saw CDCs increasingly engage with issues of racial equity and inclusive growth. Many embraced collective impact models, forming cross-sector collaborations to address complex community challenges. Technology and data analytics became important tools for CDCs to measure and amplify their impact.
Timeline
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Choice Neighborhoods
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[content]
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Promise Neighborhoods
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Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
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Pandemic Response and Racial Equity
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As the 2020s begin, CDCs are navigating a landscape shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed focus on racial justice, and growing wealth inequality. Early trends suggest CDCs are emphasizing community resilience, digital equity, and innovative approaches to affordable housing amid changing urban dynamics.
Timeline
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COVID-19 Response & Recovery Efforts
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The Watts Happening Cultural Center, also known as the Mafundi Building, is a significant site in the Watts neighborhood and played an important role as a cultural center for local Black artists, activists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, and poets following the Watts Uprising. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Watts Coffee House and the Watts Village Theater Company.
Westminster Neighborhood Association& Watts Happening Cultural Center
LA Weekly - Watts Coffee House
Los Angeles Conservancy - Historic-Cultural Monument
PBS SoCal - Watts Resilience & Legacy of Activism
The Westminster Neighborhood Association was the only building left standing on its block following the 1965 uprisings. The organization supported recovery by soliciting emergency donations of food, clothing, and money for residents impacted by violence, property damage, and trauma, and provided safe space for neighbors and community groups to organize and rebuild.
Presbyterian Historical Society: Westminster in Watts
Longtime legacy business and local gathering place, the Watts Happening Coffee Shop. Photo by Rita Cofield/Friends at Mafundi. (Source: https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/historic-places/watts-happening-cultural-center/)
Jane Jacobs' 1961 book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" significantly influenced urban planning and community development. Her advocacy for diverse, mixed-use neighborhoods and community-led development shaped the philosophy of many Community Development Corporations (CDCs). These organizations, emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, embraced Jacobs' emphasis on grassroots solutions and neighborhood preservation, often focusing on rehabilitating existing housing and supporting local businesses.
Jane Jacobs
Wikipedia - Jane Jacobs
Arthur Brazier co-founded The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) in Chicago in 1960 and served as its longtime president. Under his leadership, TWO successfully challenged the University of Chicago's expansion plans, negotiating for community benefits and job opportunities. Brazier guided TWO's efforts to improve housing conditions, develop affordable housing projects, and create job training programs. He also led campaigns to enhance local schools and reduce gang violence. TWO's success in mobilizing residents and negotiating with institutions demonstrated the power of community organizing, influencing the development of future Community Development Corporations nationwide.
Arthur M. Brazier
UChicago News - Arthur Brazier Obituary (2010)
(1921-2010)
"There is no way that we can replace the gentle heart and boundless determination that Bishop Brazier brought to some of the most pressing challenges facing Chicago and our nation."
- President Barack Obama
The History Makers: Bishop Arthur Brazier
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Dorothy Mae Richardson
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The Watts Happening Cultural Center, also known as the Mafundi Building, is a significant site in the Watts neighborhood and played an important role as a cultural center for local Black artists, activists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, and poets following the Watts Uprising. Today, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Watts Coffee House and the Watts Village Theater Company.
Westminster Neighborhood Association& Watts Happening Cultural Center
LA Weekly - Watts Coffee House
Los Angeles Conservancy - Historic-Cultural Monument
PBS SoCal - Watts Resilience & Legacy of Activism
The Westminster Neighborhood Association was the only building left standing on its block following the 1965 uprisings. The organization supported recovery by soliciting emergency donations of food, clothing, and money for residents impacted by violence, property damage, and trauma, and provided safe space for neighbors and community groups to organize and rebuild.
Presbyterian Historical Society: Westminster in Watts
Longtime legacy business and local gathering place, the Watts Happening Coffee Shop. Photo by Rita Cofield/Friends at Mafundi. (Source: https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/historic-places/watts-happening-cultural-center/)
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Slater King
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Robert C. Weaver (1907-1997) was a trailblazing economist and civil rights advocate who became the first African American to serve in a U.S. cabinet position. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Weaver as the first Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In this role, he championed fair housing policies and oversaw the implementation of the Model Cities Program. Weaver's expertise in urban issues and his commitment to addressing racial inequalities in housing significantly shaped HUD's early years and influenced the broader field of community development. His work laid important groundwork for future initiatives in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.
Robert C. Weaver
Constitution Center: On this day, a historic Cabinet nomination
(1907-1997)
Wikipedia entry: Robert C. Weaver
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Cecilia Moy Yep
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Saul Alinsky was a pioneering community organizer who developed many of the strategies used by The Woodlawn Organization. Though not directly involved in TWO's founding, Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation trained TWO's early leaders and provided crucial support. His confrontational tactics and emphasis on building community power significantly influenced TWO's approach. Alinsky's methods, as applied by TWO and other groups, helped lay the groundwork for the community development movement and the eventual emergence of CDCs.
Saul Alinsky
Vox, "Who is Saul Alinsky?" (2016)
(1909-1972)
Robert C. Weaver (1907-1997) was a trailblazing economist and civil rights advocate who became the first African American to serve in a U.S. cabinet position. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Weaver as the first Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In this role, he championed fair housing policies and oversaw the implementation of the Model Cities Program. Weaver's expertise in urban issues and his commitment to addressing racial inequalities in housing significantly shaped HUD's early years and influenced the broader field of community development. His work laid important groundwork for future initiatives in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.
Robert C. Weaver
Constitution Center: On this day, a historic Cabinet nomination
(1907-1997)
Wikipedia entry: Robert C. Weaver
Robert C. Weaver (1907-1997) was a trailblazing economist and civil rights advocate who became the first African American to serve in a U.S. cabinet position. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Weaver as the first Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In this role, he championed fair housing policies and oversaw the implementation of the Model Cities Program. Weaver's expertise in urban issues and his commitment to addressing racial inequalities in housing significantly shaped HUD's early years and influenced the broader field of community development. His work laid important groundwork for future initiatives in affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.
Robert C. Weaver
Constitution Center: On this day, a historic Cabinet nomination
(1907-1997)
Wikipedia entry: Robert C. Weaver
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Rev. Leon H. Sullivan
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Jane Jacobs' 1961 book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" significantly influenced urban planning and community development. Her advocacy for diverse, mixed-use neighborhoods and community-led development shaped the philosophy of many Community Development Corporations (CDCs). These organizations, emerging in the 1960s and 1970s, embraced Jacobs' emphasis on grassroots solutions and neighborhood preservation, often focusing on rehabilitating existing housing and supporting local businesses.
Jane Jacobs
Wikipedia - Jane Jacobs