Interviews Shed Light on Regional, Rural and Urban Issues

By Michael O. Minor, Senior Community Affairs Specialist,
and Glenda Wilson, Community Affairs Officer,
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Breathing new life into distressed neighborhoods is a challenging proposition. It requires government agencies, community organizations, financial institutions, corporations and individuals to come together to get the job done. Sometimes, these entities are unaware of the work each is doing … unaware of the possibilities collaboration would offer.

That’s where the Federal Reserve comes in.

The Community Affairs Office at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis works to foster community and economic development in low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods by bringing these entities together. Staff members keep a finger on the pulse of community development in the Eighth District by participating in local community development and asset-building collaboratives and conducting outreach meetings with constituents. The District includes all of Arkansas and portions of six other states: Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

The Community Affairs team recently completed a districtwide environmental assessment that focused on community and economic development issues and opportunities. More than 80 individuals representing more than 60 organizations covering nearly the total breadth and width of the District were interviewed. Interviewees represented state and local governments, colleges and universities, financial institutions and other lenders, nonprofit developers, small business technical assistance providers, social service providers and others....FULL STORY

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