CBN Members Secure Over $8M in LIHTC Awards for 2025 Multifamily Rental Production Projects for St. Louis Families

St. Louis, MO – December 19, 2024 – The Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis (CBN) proudly announces that several of its member organizations have been awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) through the Missouri Housing Development Commission’s 2025 Multifamily Rental Production Applications. This achievement highlights the ongoing dedication of CBN members to addressing affordable housing needs and fostering equitable community development across the region.

The LIHTC program is a vital tool for financing the construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing for low- to moderate-income households. This year’s awards reflect the strength of CBN members in advancing innovative, impactful housing solutions in collaboration with local stakeholders.

Award Highlights
The following CBN member organizations received LIHTC awards for their proposed projects:

  • DeSales Community Development: The DeSales Preservation II will acquire and rehab 71 units of affordable housing in the Fox Park, Tower Grove East and Benton Park West neighborhoods. 

  • North Newstead Association: The New Northside Rehabilitation will acquire and rehab 113 units of affordable housing in the O’Fallon, Greater Ville, Kingsway West and Penrose neighborhoods. 

  • Preservation of Affordable Housing: The Clinton-Peabody Redevelopment - Phase 1 is new mixed income development of 89 units of which 71 will be affordable housing in the Peabody-Darst-Webbe neighborhood. 

  • Rise Community Development: The Carr Square Tenant Corporation, with the Rise Community Development serving as development consultant, will rehab 182 units of affordable housing in the Carr Square neighborhood. 

These developments will result in the creation of 455 new or rehabilitated housing units, expanding access to high-quality, affordable homes while promoting neighborhood stability and economic growth. The over $8 million secured through this recent round of LIHTC funding will be used and leverage to promote the overall total cost of $105M in affordable housing developments in the City of St. Louis.

Commitment to Community Impact
CBN Executive Director Linda Nguyen remarked on the significance of these awards: “These LIHTC allocations underscore the incredible efforts of our members to meet the critical housing needs of our communities. By leveraging these resources, we are not only building homes but also creating opportunities for families and individuals to thrive in our St. Louis region.”

CBN extends its congratulations to all recipients and their partners. Their projects exemplify the power of collaboration in addressing housing challenges and building stronger, more inclusive communities.

About the Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis
The Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis (CBN) is a coalition of leaders and organizations committed to creating thriving neighborhoods. Through advocacy, capacity building, and collaboration, CBN empowers its members to develop sustainable housing solutions and strengthen the St. Louis region.

For More Information
To learn more about CBN and its members' work, visit www.communitybuildersstl.org or contact Linda Nguyen at 314-730-5449 or info@communitybuildersstl.org.

SLDC and CBN Incentives Guide

The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) has launched comprehensive Financial Incentives Guide designed to streamline the City of St. Louis development process. These user-friendly guides, created in collaboration with the Community Builders Network (CBN), provides detailed information on various economic development incentives. Check out the Residential Incentive Programs & Financing Tools guide displayed above. The guides are now available on SLDC's Developer Portal, offering developers an accessible resource to navigate the financial incentives that support investment and job creation in the region. For more information and to access the guides, visit SLDC’s Developer Portal.

CBN's Sustainability Developers Summit Brings Funding + Connections to St. Louis Community Developers

Connecting STL Community Developers with Strategies + Resources to Address Climate Resiliency

We are delighted to host our first-ever 2024 Sustainability Developers Summit on September 10th, 2024 at the WashU's Knight Center! We are so appreciative of the 70+ attendees who attended the summit to pick up new skills and meet new peers to continue our work in making better and more sustainable communities here in St. Louis. Thank you for our friends and partner from Institute for Sustainable Communities for sponsoring our summit!

The goal of our summit is to share tools and resources with small scale developers to increase and encourage more sustainable development in St. Louis. This summit aimed to foster discussions and actions to create a more equitable and sustainable St. Louis. Attendees had plenty of opportunities throughout the summit to engage in critical conversations on building decarbonization, housing inequality, and climate adaptation with educational panels covering topics like racial justice in the built environment, green banks, and funding opportunities.

Climate 101 Presentation

Presenter: Jean Ponzi, MO Botanical Garden

CDFIs and Green Funding Presentation

Presenter: Stephen Westbrook, IFF Southern Region

Panel Discussion on the Racial Justice: The Intersection of Health + Housing

From left to right: Khilia Logan (Institute for Sustainable Communities), Jasmine Hall Ratliff (Build MO Health), Tara A. Rocque (WashU Law) and Sunni Hutton (Transforming Tenants of Greater St. Louis)

Environmental Racism in St. Louis Presentation

Presenter: Tara A. Rocque, WashU Law - Environmental Clinic

Summit Audience for Morning Presentations

For those who missed the event, you can view the Event Recordings below:

Speakers' Presentation Slides: Click here to view the slide decks from the summit.

Building Decarbonization 101 Presentation 

Presenter: Malachi Rein, Building Energy Exchange St. Louis

Panel Discussion on Funding Opportunities for Sustainable Development

From left to right: Linda Nguyen (CBN), Stephen Westbrook (IFF), Stephen Davis (St. Louis Development Corp) and LaDedra Wilson (Elevate)

Summit Networking Lunch in Frick Atrium, Knight Hall

Summit Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Technical Assistance for Nonprofit Developers and Community-Based Programming

Presenters: LaDedra Wilson, Elevate Consulting and Mandy La Brier (Heartland Environmental Justice Center, not pictured)

STL Approach Toward Building Decarbonization

Presenters: Elysia Russell and Katarina Michalova (City of St. Louis)

Understanding How to Manage Energy Efficiency in 2- or 4-Family Units

Presenters: Richard Reilly (MO Botanical Garden) and Malachi Rein (Building Energy Exchange STL, not pictured)

MO Landscape and Advocacy Efforts for Funding Sustainability in LIHTC Projects

Presenters: Jeff Smith (MO Workforce Housing Association, Dana Gray (Tower Grove Community Development Corp) and Jacob Serfling (Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition)

Last, here are some great pictures from this year's summit. If you missed the summit this year and looking to increase your knowledge and connections in the community development sector, consider joining our membership to continue getting connected to resources and great people to make this work happen in our community!

2024 LIFETIME DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY BUILDING AWARDEE, SUNDY WHITESIDE!

In loving memory of Sundy Whiteside, Co-Founder of the St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative, recipient of our 2024 Lifetime Dedication to Community Building Award.

The Lifetime Dedication to Community Building Award recognizes a person who:

  • Has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to community building work.

  • Has exhibited leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

  • Has catalyzed outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

  • Has worked to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

CBN staff met with Haley McKenzie, Sundy’s daughter, to learn more about Sundy and her passion for the community. Here’s some of what Haley had to say about Sundy and her life’s work.

"Sundy was very much a dreamer, but she also executed her plans relentlessly and gracefully. She was very assertive, a voice for the voiceless. She had a degree in electrical engineering and once worked in that field, but I believe that she was most fulfilled in life by the passion-driven work that she dedicated herself to within the community. I loved seeing her delight from the growth, development, connections, and positive change she influenced and witnessed. My mother was a force. She never took no for an answer, and she always sought out ways to aid others. Her work brought awareness to the need for revitalization within blighted areas suffering from disinvestment. She sought out and applied for resources and funding, teamed up with others, and spearheaded initiatives to provide the services that the community needed then and continues to benefit from today.

As the Board President of St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO), my mother founded the Keeping it Clean Initiative as a way to clean up neglected communities of debris, trash, and overgrown shrubbery, and SLACO and volunteers will continue to host cleanups in multiple St. Louis neighborhoods throughout the summer and early fall for years to come. On a daily basis I saw her preparing for community events, embracing neighbors in the community, attending community planning meetings, and being an advocate. I learned from her that fearless pursuit is necessary when taking action for the greater good. I’ve never known anyone to outwork my mother, not in a competitive way or for recognition. She had a friendly, passion driven energy that made it happen. She had an intense love for St. Louis, each and every neighborhood. She’d organize groups of individuals from all walks of life to come together for real change. She didn't allow anything to sway or compromise her efforts, and I will carry forward her example of being the change you want to see. Along with being a community advocate and leader, she was an amazing mother and grandmother. She was mine and my family's whole world. We are most proud of her accomplishments and outstanding legacy."

Sundy with daughter Haley, son-in-law Demetri, and grandson DJ

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Sundy at our 12th Annual Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th!

2024 LIFETIME DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY BUILDING AWARDEES, GLORIA & TOM BRATKOWSKI!

Congratulations to Gloria and Tom Bratkowski, neighbors and charter members of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, recipients of our 2024 Lifetime Dedication to Community Building Award!

The Lifetime Dedication to Community Building Award recognizes a person who:

  • Has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to community building work.

  • Has exhibited leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

  • Has catalyzed outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

  • Has worked to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

Tom Bratkowski was born and raised in the Old North neighborhood before briefly journeying away to pursue his higher education. It was on this journey that Tom met his wife and lifelong collaborator, now Gloria Bratkowski. In the early 1970s, Tom and Gloria returned to Old North and a few years later, inspired by the need in their community and the work of other neighborhood groups around the city, became founding members of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group. Motivated by passion and rich experience in Old North, Tom and Gloria have worked with the community for the betterment and preservation of the neighborhood for roughly 50 years.

Gloria and Tom’s impact on Old North has stemmed from decades of showing up building community in the most relational sense. “We rely on each other. We have a lot of people who are fully invested, so we’re not alone.” Their collaboration and community-building efforts helped launch the Coalition to Stop the North-South Distributor, led to the establishment of the Ames School Butterfly Garden which tags around 100 monarchs per season, and led the fundraising effort to preserve three community gardens in the neighborhood. Mutual relationships of community support have been a key to Gloria and Tom’s success and continued efforts, and they hope that passionate individuals continue to show up for Old North for years to come. “Old North has always been a work in progress, and it still is.” Gloria and Tom’s sustained efforts to show up for the work of community building one day at a time for so many years serve as an inspiration for the entire St. Louis community.

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Gloria and Tom at our 12th Annual Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th! 

2024 GROWING IN EQUITY & ANTIRACISM AWARDEE, DARA ESKRIDGE!

Congratulations to Dara Eskridge, CEO of Invest STL, recipient of our 2024 Growing in Equity & Antiracism Award!

The Growing in Equity & Antiracism Award recognizes a person who: 

  • Demonstrates a deep and honest commitment to transforming work being done in the St. Louis region so that it is more equitable, just, and antiracist.

  • “Walks the talk”—goes beyond verbal commitments to ask hard questions, embrace and push through discomfort, work to rectify inequities where they exist, and take action.

  • Actively works to dismantle systems of oppression.

Exploring who and what makes and holds community has been at the core of Dara’s personal and professional pursuits. Supporting people in waking up to their own power and accountability to create communities that work for and honor their needs, desires, and brilliance is what motivates her– even in the complexity and chaos that comes with collective people endeavors. As an urban planner, architect, and philanthropic leader, Dara works to advance opportunities to build wealth and power in Black and other racially and economically marginalized neighborhoods through equitable development and investment practices. Since 2019, Dara has been proud to serve her incredible team and board as the first CEO of Invest STL. Prior to Invest STL, Dara served in various design, planning, policy, and senior leadership roles in places including Urban Strategies, St. Louis County and St. Louis City governments, and the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, CT. Currently, Dara serves as a member of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Community Development Advisory Council and as a board director for the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and Art Place Initiative St. Louis.

Dara earned her graduate degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University in New York and her Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University in Alabama. She is a LEED Accredited Professional for Neighborhood Development and a 2023 Aspen Ascend Fellow. Dara and her two children are proud residents of Hyde Park in North St. Louis City. Her rituals and interests include reading the heavy and the hilarious, being a secret economist, and trying her best to get on a tennis court at least once a month.

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Dara at our 12th Annual Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th! 

2024 RESIDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDEE, PAMELA EMRICK!

Congratulations to Ms. Pamela Emrick of the Clinton-Peabody Tenant Association Board (TAB), recipient of our 2024 Resident Leadership Award!

The Resident Leadership Award recognizes a person who:

  • Has shown incredible volunteerism and involvement in their community and/or community initiatives.

  • Goes above and beyond typical resident action to sit on boards, head committees, and/or encourage the engagement of other residents.

  • Works to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

A resident of Clinton-Peabody since she was four years old, Ms. Pamela Emrick was born into a life of volunteerism and community-building work. Ms. Pamela’s parents were “always the parents that helped anyone”, giving out lunches, helping people obtain jobs, and getting young people out for activities in the community. Caring and service are deeply embedded in who Ms. Pamela is. “Love is all I was ever taught. I was taught nothing but to love.” 

Ms. Pamela has an impressive list of service projects and accomplishments as a resident leader for Clinton-Peabody. From starting the Girl Scouts troop in 1987 and serving as a leader for young girls, serving on the Tenant Association Board (TAB), and serving as an advocate for Clinton-Peabody on several issues, to offering low-cost or free tutoring to young people, securing donations and distributing Christmas gifts to families, and organizing bingo nights, Ms. Pamela dedicates her time to caring for her community. Ms. Pamela’s efforts have been instrumental in securing funding for the Clinton-Peabody’s redevelopment plan, and she has garnered community support and engagement in the process. Ms. Pamela’s “passion for people” has kept her motivated through her decades of service to Clinton-Peabody. Ms. Pamela exemplifies resident leadership from the heart, and her service goes beyond volunteerism into the relationship-building that is at the core of community-building work: “I’m willing to have an open ear, a leaning shoulder…I feel that's what I can do.”

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Ms. Pamela at our 12th Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th!

2024 COLLABORATION & COALITION BUILDING AWARDEE, CONSTANCE SIU!

Congratulations to Constance Siu, Executive Director of North Newstead Association and recipient of our 2024 Collaboration & Coalition Building Award!

The Collaboration & Coalition Building Award recognizes a person who:

  • Demonstrates incredible commitment to working through partnerships, even when it’s more challenging than “going it alone.”

  • Forges new connections that bridge gaps between people, organizations, and places that don’t normally interact with each other in the St. Louis region.

  • Shows up for others and participates directly in their work; does not only ask or expect that partners and collaborators come to them.

  • Approaches difficulty and conflict with understanding, compassion, and an open mind.

Constance Siu has always been involved in community work, starting in her high school and college years. While working towards her MSW from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, Constance came to Community Builders Network as a Practicum Student. After hearing and noticing that St. Louis organizations tended to struggle as a result of working in silos, Constance found inspiration during her time with Community Builders Network working on the Social Policy & Electoral Accountability Collaborative (SPEAC), a group of leading St. Louis area organizations that strive to hold elected officials accountable to the communities they represent—or are seeking to represent—both prior to an election and afterward. This work demonstrated the power of cross-industry collaboration and inspired Constance’s future path.

Constance has been a coalition builder and leader in several collaborative efforts, from the Vacancy Collaborative and the Home Repair Network to the Strategic Land Use Plan of the St. Louis Comprehensive Plan. As the Executive Director of North Newstead Association for the past two years, Constance has brought her skills and presence to coalition building efforts within the organization as well. Constance develops sustainable collaborations by “ensuring that everyone sees the common goals, the bigger picture, and how they fit into accomplishing the bigger picture”, bringing individuals and organizations together through the maintenance of a shared vision. Her hope for the future of St. Louis is to see more people both involved in community work and aware of how the work that they do impacts community work, how “everyone has a part to play”. Constance is grateful for the efforts of all of the people who collaborate with her who make the work possible and emphasizes the need to “show up and listen” in order to succeed in the work of collaboration and coalition building. “It doesn’t get simpler than that. It doesn’t have to be very complicated. Show up and listen.”

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Constance at our 12th Annual Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th! 

2024 TRANSPARENCY & TRUST AWARDEE, COLLEEN HAFNER!

Congratulations to Colleen Hafner, Interim Executive Director of Rise Community Development, recipient of our 2024 Transparency & Trust Award.

The Transparency & Trust Award recognizes a person who:

  • Works with honesty and openness and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, especially when things don’t go as planned.

  • Co-creates work with the people and partners they serve and works to build shared trust so that all at the table feel supported and valued as part of the process.

  • Embraces mistakes and weaknesses in the open as opportunities to learn and grow.

In her career, Colleen Hafner has touched nearly every side of the community development landscape, serving on multiple boards and committees, executing advocacy efforts for affordable housing policy change, working directly with property managers, and now serving as Executive Director of Rise Community Development. These experiences and many more have all shaped Colleen’s holistic approach to leadership within the field which emphasizes the importance of collaboration, relationship building, and trust. “We are only successful when we collaborate. There’s so much more positive momentum when we collaborate than when we compete.”

With heart and integrity to match her expertise, Colleen has seen a number of successes in her career, particularly in the 2021 creation of Rise CDFI which continues to grow in its capacity to fill the need for flexible access to capital for community development. “The CDFI is a way to address economic justice in real time. It can break down a lot of barriers for people and propel them to a much greater scale.” Colleen’s open and vulnerable approach to this work has been a powerful force for bridging the gaps in trust that create barriers to achieving shared goals. Colleen envisions a St. Louis “where we don't live our lives on one side or the other of a dividing line, where we flow throughout our community, physically and socially,” and her transparent and thoughtful approach to this end serves as a reminder that “rebuilding trust is always worth it, and establishing trust is never a waste of time.”

We hope you can join us to celebrate community builders like Colleen at our 12th Annual Community Development Family Reunion event on April 25th!

Connect with us!

Community Builders Network of Metro St. Louis

UMSL at Grand Center
3651 Olive St., Suite 100
St. Louis, MO 63108

314-730-5449

 
 

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