Urban Strategies has 40 years of experience in stabilizing, mobilizing and strengthening mixed-income communities. We provide technical assistance, specialized training and capacity building support to grassroots organizations; particularly to resident-driven CDC’s, and other community stakeholder agencies.
Technical Assistance Partners
Urban Strategies has particular expertise and significant experience in working with low-income urban neighborhoods that are slated for 
physical revitalization to plan for human capital development, socioeconomic development and building of social capital. We partner with leaders in development, urban planning, and design to rebuild neighborhoods in central cities across the United States that have deteriorated through decades of neglect and disinvestment. We team our efforts to ensure that physical revitalization plans meet the vision and expectations of neighborhood residents and community stakeholders as identified during the community engagement and redevelopment planning processes. In partnership with developers, we address issues related to the feasibility of developing, rehabilitating, enhancing and/or sustaining mixed-income and affordable housing stock that meets the occupancy and affordability needs of the community. Urban Strategies also provides direct consulting services to public housing authorities, branches of City and County government, institutions, foundations and other stakeholders to provide technical assistance to service providers, tenant associations and other resident groups, community development corporations, and public sector entities as they strive to integrate housing development with education and workforce development, child development, public health, safety and community building initiatives.
Building the Capacity of Nonprofit Partners
Urban Strategies has built a flexible program to identify and address capacity constraints faced by nonprofit organizations that serve mixed-income communities. Our capacity building efforts in communities are intended to increase partner capacity to deliver high-quality, results-oriented programs, and are always based on the individual neighborhood’s unique assets and challenges. Urban Strategies is focused on, and committed to, providing residents with the most effective suite of supportive services, and accordingly calls for the most comprehensive and effective collection of service providers to collaborate to meet the needs of the community.
Strengthening Strong Resident Leadership
In supporting the creation of a strong community resident base, Urban Strategies works to build the capacity of new and existing resident councils and neighborhood associations in our communities through technical assistance in community building and skill development. Urban Strategies currently works with resident leadership groups in seven communities:
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Heritage Park Neighborhood Association
- New Orleans, Louisiana: BW Cooper Resident Management Corporation Harmony Oaks Neighborhood Association Iberville Resident Working Team
- St. Louis, Missouri: Blumeyer Village Tenant Association COVAM CDC
- San Francisco, California: Alice Griffith Tenant Association
Beginning in 2013, Urban Strategies will launch a signature Resident Leadership Academy in its mixed-income communities nationwide. The 12-month training curriculum will provide specific skill development for leaders of existing and emerging resident organizations. Participants will adopt tools necessary to building and maintaining a team of resident leaders that can effectively engage with their community and with local stakeholders in solving problems and creating a viable and inclusive community.
