The Next Chapter in Community
MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP
In the photo to the right, taken on December 7th, I was honored to join fellow LISC colleagues to celebrate the retirement of Pam Kramer. Pam was LISC Duluth’s first Executive Director, dedicating 24 incredible years to the communities of Duluth and to LISC. The event culminated with Duluth Mayor Emily Larson designating December 6-10th as Pam Kramer Week. The Mayor’s declaration included, “Pam’s impact has been felt across the City in her role as LISC Duluth Executive Director, and her many contributions to community development nonprofits and the City.”
This past year has been a time of change. Businesses and schools reopened. New affordable housing developments opened their doors. Initiatives and partnerships expanded. Enhanced efforts are underway to close the racial health and wealth gaps. It’s clear that the Duluth community—and our many partners—are open to new ideas to resolve our most pressing issues, build a shared prosperity, and drive growth that supports a good quality of life through the city and region.
LISC Duluth, along with the City of Duluth is launching a bold initiative: The Duluth Housing Trust Fund. This ground-breaking program is the culmination of years spent working to accomplish comprehensive rehabilitation in order to increase the housing stock through infill development and flexible multi-unit housing programs. The LISC National Housing Trust Fund is committing $2.5 million, and we are working locally to secure additional funds from stakeholders.
I am very excited for the future of LISC Duluth as it enters its next chapter in the community. We are proud to partner and work collaboratively on impactful programs that contribute to the overall economic success of our neighborhoods while elevating resources for equity and inclusion for all.
Tahirih Ziegler LISC Senior Vice President Field Excellence and the Interim Executive Director of LISC Duluth
(Left to Right) Lars Kuehnow, Emily Drevlow, Tahirih Ziegler – SVP, Field Excellence, Amy McCullough – LISC Twin Cities, Pam Kramer – Retired, Peter McLaughlin- LISC Twin Cities, Tina Robbins
The Duluth community—and our many partners—are open to new ideas to resolve our most pressing issues and build a shared prosperity and drive growth that supports a good quality of life through the city and region.”
BY THE NUMBERS
With residents and partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across American– great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested in $27 billion to build or rehab 463,215 affordable homes and apartments and develop 78 million square feet of retail, community and educational space.
LISC Duluth is one of 38 local offices apart the LISC network, a national nonprofit organization and community development financial institution (CDFI) supporting cities and rural areas throughout the country. We work with local leaders and collaborating partners to invest in affordable housing, creative placemaking, economic development, education, financial stability, health, and vibrant neighborhoods.
Since opening in 1997, LISC Duluth has invested
$107 million
LISC Duluth's total 2021 investment
invested in lending
towards community and economic development
small grants and community sponsorships
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Housing
$2 Million to Duluth Housing Trust Fund $166,000 grant awarded by Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) for housing initiatives 72 Units of Affordable Housing which were supported by LISC predevelopment funding
Community Development
$225,000 in HUD Section 4 and Minnesota Housing Grants awarded to local Community Development Organizations for capacity building
Lending
$270,000 Duluth Armory preservation and rehabilitation loan
Economic Development
$290,000 in grants received for Wealth Entrepreneurship & Economic Sustainability (WEES), and Financial Opportunity Center/Bridges to Career Opportunities Programs (FOC/BCOs)
PROGRAM UPDATE
Duluth Housing Trust Fund
LISC Duluth has been working with the City of Duluth and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Duluth to provide loan and incentive programs for homeowners, rental property owners, and developers. Pre-applications for the Duluth Housing Trust Fund are now being accepted. Learn More [+]
The Duluth Housing Trust Fund is forging a new way to increase affordable housing units through a LISC partnership with the City of Duluth, local banks, foundations, and community investors to offer two pools of funding for new construction and rehabilitation of single-family or rental units. The Fund has one entry point through the Duluth HRA, giving developers, rental property owners and residents access to two pools of funding with interest rates below 5%:
- City of Duluth 1-6 units
- LISC: 7-20 units
Available Uses
- Healthy Homes Homeowner Rehab Program: Zero interest deferred loans of up to $30,000 are available to qualified homeowners for single-family home repair projects. This includes but is not limited to energy efficiency, roof repair or replacement, window upgrades, and HVAC improvements.
- Exterior Housing Renovation Matching Funds: Deferred loans for renovation costs of up to $15,500 through MN Housing.
- Rental Rehab Loan Program: Zero interest loans of up to $15,000 per rental unit ($10,000 per studio/efficiency unit) to qualified property owners.
“This is a day of historic importance for our community and for the trajectory of housing for residents across our city. The City would not be able to create this Trust alone, so I want to again thank Pam Kramer, and LISC for their investment.”
--Mayor Emily Larson (City Facebook post Oct. 7, 2021)
PROGRAM UPDATE
Economic Development
LISC Duluth has spent this past year cultivating programs that strengthen commercial corridors and diverse-owned businesses through economic recovery and business development.
from Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
This Main Street Revitalization grant is targeted to Duluth’s neighborhoods with the highest racial and economic disparities. The goals are to provide a diverse range of loans, equity products, and grants for affordable housing, commercial real estate, community facilities, and business development in the Downtown/Hillside area and the Aviation corridor. Specific emphasis is to support economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak and closures of major employers.
from Northwest Area Foundation
A second grant is focused on transitioning initial planning work to implementation. LISC Duluth is one of several organizations working toward system change, and inspiring collaboration between new and existing organizations to reduce racial disparities and close opportunity gaps. Through the inclusive planning process, the WEES is now turning its energy to implementing strategies to bridge employment and training, assist entrepreneurs, and conduct assessments and advocate for policy change.
STAFF & LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD (LAB)
LISC Duluth Staff
Tahirih Ziegler LISC Senior Vice President– Field Excellence, Interim Executive Director of LISC Duluth tziegler@lisc.org
Lars Kuehnow Program Officer lkuehnow@lisc.org
Emily Mowchan Drevlow Assistant Program Officer edrevlow@lisc.org
Tina Robbins Program Assistant crobbins@lisc.org
Local Advisory Board
Geoffrey Popham, Chair Vice President US Bank Private Banking Private Client Group Stephanie Cummings, Vice Chair District Manager Wells Fargo Michael Boeselager Vice President Support Services St. Luke’s Erica Danielski AVP, Corporate Strategy maurices Jessica Deegan Director of Federal Affairs Minnesota Housing John Erickson Principal DSGW Architects Jean Farmakes General Counsel LHB, Inc. Elena Foshay Director of Workforce Development City of Duluth
Cammy Hansen Vice President NBC Signature Banking National Bank of Commerce Frank Jewell St. Louis County Commissioner St. Louis County Joe Johnson, III Senior Vice President North Shore Bank Shane Johnson President Johnson Wilson Constructors Deb Otto President – Duluth Market Bremer Bank Neal Ronquist Publisher Duluth News Tribune Laura Thorsvik Operations Administrator – Surgical and Procedural Specialties Essentia Health Anthony Bonds Assistant Superintendent ISD 709
DONORS
Bell Bank
Benedictine Sisters
Michael Boeselager Household
Anthony Bonds Household
Joel Bookman Household
Otto Bremer Trust
Center City Housing
Stephanie Cummings Household
Tony Cuneo Household
Erica Danielski Household
Bremer Bank
Jessica Deegan Household
Maude Dornfeld Household
Emily Drevlow Household
DGSW Architects
Heidi Dulebohn Household
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
Apter Family Fund
A&A Enterprises Charitable Fund
Gary Eckenberg Household
Essentia Health
Jean Farmakes Household
Elena Foshay Household
Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith & Frederick, P.A.
Adam Fulton Household
Cammy Hansen Household
Hillside Business Association
ICS Consulting
Helena Jackson Household
Frank Jewell and Kathleen Busche Household
John Erickson Household
Joe Johnson III Household
Johnson-Wilson Constructors
Pamela Kramer Household
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
Lars Kuehnow Household
LHB, Inc.
Daniel Maddy Household
Maurices
The McKnight Foundation
Peter McLaughlin Household
Members Cooperative Credit Union
Minnesota Council on Foundations
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
National Bank of Commerce
Melanie Shepard Household
North Shore Bank
North Shore Bank of Commerce
Northland Foundation
Northwest Area Foundation
Emily Nygren Household
The Ordean Foundation
Joe Popham Household
Sandy and Geoff Popham Household
Tina and Jennifer Robbins Household
Neal Ronquist Household
Carin Skoog Household
St. Luke's
Carolyn Sundquist Household
Lonnie Swartz Household
Kenneth Talle Household
Laura Thorsvik Household
Terese Tomanek Household
U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank Foundation
Katherine Welch Household
Wells Fargo Foundation
Debbie Freedman Household