Domestic Grantmaking : Community & Economic Development

Community & Economic Development

About our grantmaking

Helping to increase social and economic opportunities for low-income Chicagoans, MacArthur supports the New Communities Program, a comprehensive community revitalization effort in 16 Chicago neighborhoods, as well as communication of its lessons learned to other cities and the field.

Latest news

Creative New Venture Helps Communities Hit Hard by Foreclosures

May 19, 2009

The National Community Stabilization Trust, a new collaborative venture of nonprofit housing organizations, financial institutions, and private philanthropies — including the MacArthur Foundation — announced the launch of its national effort to help revitalize communities with high concentrations of foreclosed and abandoned homes. Read more

Affordable Housing, Community & Economic Development, Press Releases

$68 Million for Foreclosure Prevention and Mitigation in Chicago

October 15, 2008

To help combat the growing lending crisis and the rise of foreclosures in Chicago, MacArthur is investing $68 million in grants and low-interest loans in foreclosure prevention and mitigation efforts in local neighborhoods. Read more

Community & Economic Development, Press Releases

$26 Million for Community and Economic Development in 16 Chicago Neighborhoods

May 22, 2007

MacArthur is investing $26 million to support the nation’s largest community and economic development effort, which is focused on 16 of Chicago’s lowest-income neighborhoods. The grant is expected to help generate $500 million in new investment and significantly improve the quality of life for residents. Read more

Community & Economic Development, Press Releases

Project Seeks to Cut Recidivism Among Former Prisoners

August 27, 2008

In the state’s first comprehensive program to reduce recidivism among returning prisoners, MacArthur will provide $5 million to Safer Return, a project by the Safer Foundation to target recidivism in Chicago. Read more

Community & Economic Development, Press Releases

From the Field

Foreclosure Filings Continue to Grow in Chicago Region
March 9, 2009
The latest report (PDF) from Foundation grantee the Woodstock Institute shows that foreclosure filings in the Chicago region continue to grow. Regionally, the number of the properties grew to nearly 58,000 in 2008, an increase of nearly 52 percent from 2007. In Chicago, the report states, foreclosures on condominium units made up a fast-growing share of the city's total foreclosure filings, increasing to over 19 percent of the total, up from 12 percent in 2007.

For more information

Visit the New Communities Program website

Video

Harvard’s Edward Glaeser on the future of American cities

About MacArthur

The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, we work to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.

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