Momentum is growing across the US for community-focused economic development that boosts the wealth of community members and community-based institutions. These new and creative mechanisms aim to expand community ownership, enable community-led investment decisions, and generate revenues from community-based assets that can advance local ownership and wealth building. In addition to individual and institutional wealth creation, community wealth-building models can embrace a range of social outcomes such as job creation, environmental sustainability, and health improvements.

The Urban Institute is studying these community shareholding and wealth-building models, and we will continue to explore tangible examples and evidence of success. These resources can help inform local leaders and stakeholders about how to design effective models that boost community wealth.

Publications

• New Models for Community Shareholding
• Community Equity Endowments
• Always Growing, Auburn Gresham
• Community Wealth-Building Models
• Using Real Estate to Grow Nonprofit Sustainability

Events

• Using Real Estate to Grow Nonprofit Sustainability: A Case Study of Washington, DC’s Whitman-Walker

To learn more about community land trusts and other shared equity models, see our shared equity research page.