CDFI LISC urges investment in developer capacity and linkages between land and capital

Lauren McGowan, executive director of LISC (a national community development CDFI), told the committee that gaps in developer capacity and the timing of capital awards often stall projects. She described the LISC Housing Accelerator (an 18‑month program, funded in part by the Amazon Housing Fund) that pairs technical assistance with low‑cost capital to move projects from concept to shovel‑ready. "We need to make the connections between those land opportunities, the developers who have the ability to develop that land, and the financing," she said.