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In the Community
Read about Lighthouse's staff service days and other activities we are involved with in the community ... read more
Local News
- Lighthouse Communities and Urban Pizza
Uptown Incubator, Urban Pizza to open April 1. - Madison Square Business Incubator
Madison Square business incubator has community backing for $1.7m project. - Flips Foreclosed Homes
Lighthouse Communities has several homes throughout Kent County that they are revitalizing. The positive investment and development of these properties will likely stabilize property values of the entire block, bringing vitality and prosperity to our communities. - Bringing in NSP funds to address foreclosures and blight in southeast Grand Rapids
Garfield Park and Madison Square neighborhood will benefit from an $820,000 investment in NSP funds allocated by the State of Michigan. Watch the video online. - Countrywide Settlement Funds allocated to housing agencies
Lighthouse Communities and other local housing agencies will receive funds to continue to stabilize the neighborhoods hardest hit by foreclosures in Grand Rapids. - Fighting foreclosures with Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds
Read about the effects of foreclosure in our communities and how Lighthouse will help tackle this issue through the NSP program by making improvements to foreclosed properties and returning them to homeownership. - Madison Square business district
Madison Square business district another step closer to becoming Grand Rapids' second CID
To say that community development is about restoring relationships is a significant change from traditional approaches.
- anonymous
About Lighthouse Communities, Inc.
Lighthouse Communities is more than just about a "bricks and mortars" organization. We view communities as systems and, therefore, use a holistic approach to neighborhood revitalization.
We are a community development corporation that provides services to Kent County and are involved in a host or projects and services that reach families, houses, businesses and neighborhoods at large.
Our Mission
"Helping grass-roots non-profit community development groups create affordable housing in their neighborhood for the purpose of stimulating community revitalization."
Our Values
- Diversity
- Sustainability
- Excellence
- Building partnerships
- Investment
- Community service
- Leadership
- Teamwork
Our History
Lighthouse Communities, Inc. was incorporated on June 13, 2000 after a community-based collaborative planning process that included local community development corporations, neighborhood associations, builders, foundations, representatives from the City of Grand Rapids' community development office, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and, most importantly, residents of core city neighborhoods.
Lighthouse engages in effective community revitalization through partnerships and collaborations with numerous community-based organizations and other neighborhood stakeholders.
Lighthouse is founded on the premise of linking community organization efforts with real estate development. We use both cutting edge community development techniques and the latest tools for real estate development in helping neighbors, business owners, and community stakeholders realize their visions for the community.
To date, Lighthouse has grown from an affordable housing organization renovating 12 rental units in 2002 to a community revitalization agency with annual investments and expenses of over $10 million, collaboration and partnerships with over a dozen community groups, financial institutions and government agencies. Lighthouse has helped invest over $30 in our communities in several housing and commercial projects. With a staff of 12, Lighthouse serves a specific targeted area in the southeast side of Grand Rapids known as Southtown with a population of close to 20,000 people, administers a citywide Lead Remediation program, and anticipates working with the city, county and state in the implementation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to help sustain our neighborhoods.
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