Our Vision
LISC invests to build stronger and more sustainable communities, guided by our mission-based principles for community development. Since 1990, we have invested nearly $440 million in Detroit's neighborhoods through grants, loans and program investments, which has leveraged more than $1.5B to support affordable housing development and preservation, small business growth, workforce development and education opportunities in Detroit neighborhoods.
Across the country, LISC works with residents and partners to close gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity so that people and places can thrive. Since 1979, LISC has invested $35B to create more than 506,000 affordable homes, develop more than 82M sq. ft. of retail, community and educational spaces, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances.
Our Stories
DHFF Returns to Detroit to Boost Affordable Housing
Model D, an award-winning platform featuring stories about the programs and innovators actively working to build the city's future, highlighted the second phase of the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund (DHFF). The program is offering communities across the city the opportunity for more affordable, stable neighborhoods.
LISC Detroit Housing for the Future Fund announced at Mayor's Address
During her State of the City address, Mayor Mary Sheffield announced the return of the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund (DHFF), an investment fund administered by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Detroit. Launched in 2020, the DHFF invested more than $58M with Detroit-based developers and added nearly 1,000 units of affordable housing to the city.
Repairing Homes, Restoring Wealth: Inside LISC’s Groundbreaking Home Repair Loan Model
Detroit homeowners were hit early and hard by the foreclosure crisis of the mid-2000s. Limited access to credit and depressed property values left many residents without safe, affordable options to repair their homes. In 2015, the City of Detroit and LISC Detroit—with support from Bank of America, Rocket Community Fund, and Flagstar Bank—responded with a bold public-private solution: the 0% Interest Home Repair Loan Program. To date, the initiative has helped over 800 Detroit homeowners complete critical home repairs, investing nearly $17 million into neighborhoods, and the model is now being replicated in other cities by LISC. Read more about how this approach is preserving homes, building equity, and strengthening communities.
Foot Locker and LISC Mark Fifth Year of Partnership with New Investments Empowering Youth and Strengthening Community Nonprofits Across 11 Cities
Now in the fifth year of the Community Empowerment Program, LISC and the Foot Locker Foundation are deploying $1.26 million in grants to 20 community organizations across 11 cities. These local partners are strengthening health outcomes, expanding educational opportunities, and improving the economic outlook for youth every day. Learn about the new grantees and the brighter futures they're helping build.
LISC CEO in Affordable Housing Finance on Lessons Learned & New Challenges
In an exclusive op-ed for Affordable Housing Finance, LISC President and CEO, Michael Pugh, reflects on 2025 and the lessons that nonprofits can take with them into the new year to better show up for the communities they serve.