We hope this letter finds you and yours safe and secure. As the world changes dramatically around

Last Friday, August 14, MCCD bid a congratulatory farewell to our long time Loan Program Manager, Mara O’Neill. Mara started at MCCD in 2011 and has been instrumental in the growth and success of our small business lending program. Mara is a tireless advocate for entrepreneurs, passionate about supporting small businesses and the community development sector, and a dedicated and very detailed-oriented loan program administrator. Mara volunteers frequently in the community, teaching

MCCD is proud to join a broad alliance of Twin Cities counties, chambers of commerce, community development agencies and other partners to build a local support network to help small businesses survive and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ... Read more

The following is a building safety guidance from the City of Minneapolis:

Urgent: Do not enter any damaged buildings

Please do not enter any damaged buildings. This is very dangerous. The City is blocking sidewalks to keep people away from damaged buildings and working with property owners to secure their properties and get emergency demolitions started as fast as possible.

Guidance on your damaged property

Property owners and

June 2, 2020

This past week has been a difficult one for our neighbors and community members following the horrific murder of George Floyd. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and the broader community. We acknowledge that this violence is just one part of a system of oppression that permeates our society and culture. We cannot allow the targeting of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to continue and we stand with those who call for

MCCD has been hosting weekly member conversations to discuss primary concerns as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. These calls include updates on local, state, and federal resources and policy changes, as well as opporunities to engage in advocacy efforts. Here, you'll find topic overviews and notes. Please contact Holly Bolstad (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.... Read more

COVID-19 has already significantly impacted people’s ability to pay their rent or mortgage, as well as impacting the development of affordable housing opportunities. The following is a regularly updated list of housing resources that might be of assistance. You can also contact one of our Public Policy team members, This email address is being

The Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD), an association of community development organizations committed to expanding the wealth and resources of the Twin Cities through housing and economic development initiatives, has announced the selection of Elena Gaarder as its new Chief Executive Officer. Gaarder will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of long-time CEO Jim Roth.

... Read more

Small businesses across the country have closed or made drastic changes to their day to day operations to help prevent the spread of COVID19. While this undoubtedly presents a huge challenge, there are resources available. The following is a regularly updated list of resources that might be of assistance. You can also contact one of our Business Advisors (contact information on our Staff Directory) for

Because of public health concerns related to COVID-19, as of Monday, March 16, the MCCD office is closed to the public.

• MCCD staff are continuing to work during this time despite the office being closed. You can continue to reach people by phone and email.
• All MCCD events will be postponed and rescheduled.
• Meetings will occur over the phone or other virtual methods. If you are worried about a scheduled appointment, feel free to reach

Passed by Congress as a response to redlining and lending discrimination, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has delivered significant and targeted resources to encourage community development and place-based investment in communities forgotten or abandoned by the private market. Since CRA’s inception in 1977, banks have invested ... Read more

Job Summary:

The Administrative Coordinator facilitates the efficient operation of the organization by performing a variety of administrative tasks.

Duties/Responsibilities:

· Answers the general line and process general voicemail messages.

· Welcomes and directs visitors and clients.

· Maintains filing systems and various office documents (lists, contact info, etc) as assigned.

· Responds

MCCD's Senior Policy Advisor, Kari Johnson, advocates on behalf of MCCD and its members throughout the legislative session, while also acting as one of the policy co-chairs for the Homes for All Coalition and helping to lead

MCCD is excited to welcome two new business advisors, Noah Her and Carrie Mikkonen, to the team! Noah is the Business Advisor for Ramsey County, a new area for our Open to Business program, and Carrie is taking over for Anoka County after Kathleen's retirement earlier this summer. 

Meet Noah

I’m excited to get started working through the Open to Business

Da Fizz Biz Franchise Relaunches Under New Ownership

Entrepreneur achieves passive income dream with help from Open to Business

Kyle Kisch is the rare case of an entrepreneur who walked into Open to Business with one business idea, but ended up investing in an entirely different business. Kisch is happy to finally achieve his goal of developing

Surprisingly, the systems that help us get housed and the systems that build housing don’t always talk to each other. In fact, through the decades, they’ve mostly operated independently. Meanwhile, the policies that shape those systems have shifted with the perspectives of lawmakers and political landscape through the decades, giving rise to new outlooks on how best to ensure people can get — and keep — an affordable place to live.

That’s what I

Meet Sean and Justin, two members of the ELCD Steering Committee!

• Sean Mock is a Project Funding Manager at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity where he oversees the organization’s government grants.
• Justin Eilers is a Senior Project Manager at CommonBond Communities where he leads

Join MCCD members and partners for the second event in our 30th Anniversary CD Conversation series! Register online to reserve your seat. 

Introduction

In the early 2000s, the Metropolitan Council expressed their intent to add a second light rail transit line that spanned from downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis. This announcement spurred confusion among those living near the proposed light rail route--particularly, on the St. Paul front. Residents were fearful that they would become displaced, and business owners were afraid of what construction would do to their business. Thus, 14 local and