Inclusive Action For The City

TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO BUILD STRONG LOCAL ECONOMIES THAT UPLIFT LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH ADVOCACY AND TRANSFORMATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. IAC ADMINISTERS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES AND OTHER MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS ACCESS CAPITAL AND ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT THEIR ECONOMIC WELL-BEING. ADDITIONALLY, IAC CONDUCTS RESEARCH THAT EDUCATES STAKEHOLDERS ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PEOPLE IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.

INCLUSIVE ACTION FOR THE CITY IS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (CDFI) THAT SERVES LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND BEYOND THROUGH DUAL INTERVENTIONS: RESEARCH-INFORMED ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY CENTERED MICROFINANCE.INCLUSIVE ACTION FOR THE CITY'S PROGRAMS AND SEVICES ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO AREAS OF WORK: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH, EACH DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN LA'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES PROVIDE CAPITAL AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND DEPRIVED OF OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN THEIR BUSINESSES. OUR FLAGSHIP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE IS OUR LOW-INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM, THE SEMI'A FUND. THE SEMI'A FUND HAS PROVIDED OVER $1.6M IN LOW-INTEREST LOANS TO ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR AND OVER 5,000 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE HOURS. IN ADDITION TO THE SEMI'A FUND IAC ALSO RUNS THE COMMUNITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE (CORE) PROJECT, A JOINT PROJECT WITH EAST LA COMMUNITY CORPORATION AND LITTLE TOKIO SERVICE CENTER TO COMBAT GENTRIFICATION BY ACQUIRING, REHABILITATING, AND PRESERVING COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IN RAPIDLY GENTRIFYING NEIGHBORHOODS AND INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, IAC AND ITS PARTNERS SUCCESSFULLY ACQUIRED AND REHABILITATED FIVE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND ARE CLOSE TO ACHIEVING FULL OCCUPANCY. THIS YEAR, IAC IS DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO CREATE PATHWAYS TO TENANT-OWNERSHIP FOR THE CORE TENANTS. LASTLY, IAC IS ALSO WORKING ON LAUNCHING A NEW ITERATION OF THE RESTORE FUND, A SOCIAL IMPACT FUND THAT WILL CONNECT MARGINALIZED ENTREPRENEURS WITH EQUITY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL TO HELP THEIR BUSINESS GROW AND THRIVE.OUR POLICY ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH EFFORTS FOCUS ON CREATING JUST AND EQUITABLE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR LA'S MOST VULNERABLE ENTREPRENEURS. OUR TOP POLICY PROJECT IS CO-LEADING THE LA STREET VENDOR CAMPAIGN, A CITYWIDE EFFORT THAT LEGALIZED STREET VENDING IN THE CITY OF LA IN 2017 AND DECRIMINALIZED THE ACTIVITY ACROSS CALIFORNIA IN 2018. SINCE THEN, THE CAMPAIGN HAS FOCUSED ON MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STREET VENDING POLICY AND WORKS AT KEY INTERVENTION POINTS TO ADVOCATE FOR MORE EQUITABLE CONDITIONS FOR STREET VENDORS. IN ADDITION TO THE STREET VENDOR CAMPAIGN, INCLUSIVE ACTION ALSO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER LOCAL COALITIONS TO SUPPORT LA'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES INCLUDING: THE HEALTHY LA COALITION, THE LA SMALL BUSINESS ALLIANCE FOR EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES, AND THE IMMIGRATION INTEGRATION TASK FORCE.