Investing in community-led real estate infrastructure is a powerful strategy that promotes the security of place, creates affordability, builds wealth, and supports Black and Brown leadership of community real estate development. Community-based developers and developers of color have long faced barriers to capital, while private real estate investing firms are able to amass billions in capital to buy up distressed assets. Today, we can reimagine land and housing by using an array of investment strategies to expand community ownership, enable community-led investment decisions and build community wealth. Join us to learn about innovative community-based real estate efforts from across the state that is preserving low-income communities of color, decommodifying housing, and promoting community empowerment. We’ll discuss the variety of impact investing tools foundations can use to support community ownership of community assets.

Speakers

Headshot of Faizah Barlas

Faizah Barlas

Director of Finance and Operations, Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust

Faizah Barlas oversees the organizational development, property management coordination, and property acquisitions coordination as the Operations Manager at the Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust (BVCLT). Prior to joining BVCLT, Faizah was a master’s student at NYU Wagner and spent her final year as a consultant for NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management and Build Baton Rouge (BBR), creating a Community Land Trust and Community Land Bank governance model policy toolkit. Faizah has expertise in housing policy and development, financial management, developing equitable internal systems, and providing direct supportive services to marginalized communities in immigration, criminal justice, and housing advocacy. She received her Masters in Public Administration (MPA) with a focus in Public Policy Analysis from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree from UC Berkeley. In her spare time, Faizah enjoys hiking, camping, and trying new restaurants.
Headshot of catherine Howard

Catherine Howard

President, Community Vision

Cat has more than 25 years of experience designing and executing community development programs with a focus on lending and grantmaking. She has worked at both national and regional CDFIs, and has a background in affordable housing and healthy food access. She currently serves on the board of directors of California FarmLink. Cat holds a BA in government from the University of Maryland Honors Program, from which she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and a Masters in City Planning from UC Berkeley. A native of Washington, DC, she is also a third generation Oakland resident, and proud of her bi-coastal heritage.
headshot of noni session

Noni Session

Executive Director, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative

Noni is a 3rd generation West Oaklander, Cultural Anthropologist and Grassroots Organizer. After a 2016 run for Oakland City Council in which she garnered more than 43% of the vote, Noni came to believe her community’s clearest pathway to economic justice and to the halt of rapid displacement was a cooperative economy. You can reach Noni at noni@ebprec.org.

Related Events

View More