SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA JUNE. 24, 2022 | Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI) has committed its strategic funding to Marcus Lyons General Construction, a minority-owned construction firm based in Oakland, California to address repairs for the Plaza East Apartments. With this funding, USI will be able to provide equitable access to affordable financial products and services in underserved communities.
According to USI CDFI Loan Manager, Julian Wyatt, “The USI CDFI Fund is committed to creating pathways to capital availability for MBEs and local contracting firms. We are ecstatic to support Mr. Lyons, a Black Bay Area Contractor as he supports this important work at Plaza East.”
Urban Strategies’ CDFI will provide a $50,000 line of credit to Marcus Lyons General Construction to address critical improvements identified and requested by the residents of the San Francisco Plaza East community. Community-based CDFIs are located throughout the country and are dedicated to serving market niches that are often underserved by traditional financial institutions.
“When a plant doesn’t grow, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the plant” stated Asani Shakur, Assistant Project Manager for Urban Strategies, Inc who is working closely with the Plaza East community. “The USI CDFI allows us to help fix the environment for stable living so the plant (residents) can continue to grow and flourish.”
USI is excited to partner with community businesses to further support the wealth-building strategy for the country’s most resilient but often underinvested neighborhoods and customers. As stated by USI Executive Vice President Donovan Duncan, “The USI system always bets on Black, Brown, and Indigenous businesses. We are ecstatic to support Marcus Lyons General Construction.”
Urban Strategies, Inc. is a national nonprofit with extensive experience in implementing human capital development strategies in communities that are undergoing comprehensive physical revitalization. USI supports communities while working with community partners to develop economic opportunities, cradle-to-college/career success, high quality health services and a range of comprehensive service supports. Founded in 1978, USI has been involved in neighborhood transformation efforts in more than 24 cities and more than 40 neighborhoods across the country. www.urbanstrategiesinc.org.
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