LIFT TO RISE

LIFT TO RISE SERVES AS THE BACKBONE ORGANIZATION FOR A MULTI-SECTOR COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE COMMITTED TO REDUCING RENT BURDEN BY 30% IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF 10,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY 2028. OUR KEY AREAS OF WORK INCLUDE: CONVENING: WE ANCHOR AND COORDINATE A REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE KNOWN AS THE HOUSING COLLABORATIVE ACTION NETWORK (CAN), GUIDING OVER 70 PARTNERS ACROSS SECTORS THROUGH BIANNUAL ACTION PLANNING AND ALIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD OUR SHARED GOAL. PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT: WE TRACK AND MAINTAIN A REAL-TIME REGIONAL PIPELINE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, IDENTIFYING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS ACROSS JURISDICTIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS THAT INFORM STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS TO ACCELERATE PRODUCTION. INVESTMENT: THROUGH OUR INNOVATIVE WE LIFT CATALYST FUNDA REVOLVING LOAN FUND THAT LEVERAGES PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CDFI RESOURCESWE DEPLOY FLEXIBLE, LOW-INTEREST CAPITAL TO HARD-TO-FUND AND COMMUNITY-PRIORITIZED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS THAT FACE FINANCING GAPS IN THIS HISTORICALLY UNDERINVESTED REGION. POLICY ADVOCACY: WE LEAD LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO ALIGN REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND PUBLIC FUNDING SOURCES WITH THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIPELINE, POSITIONING OUR REGION TO SECURE AND EFFECTIVELY USE MORE HOUSING RESOURCES. MOVEMENT BUILDING: WE ENGAGE AND MOBILIZE LOCAL RESIDENTS TO CIVIC ACTION THROUGH OUR RESIDENT LEADERSHIP TABLE AND COMMITTEES BY CITIES INITIATIVES, WHOSE MEMBERS SERVE AS THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND OF OUR REGIONAL HOUSING AFFORDABILITY INITIATIVE. IN ADDITION, OUR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS WORK SHIFTS NARRATIVES AND GARNERS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE VALLEY. KEY SUCCESSES: SINCE THE INITIATIVE'S LAUNCH IN 2018, LIFT TO RISE AND ITS PARTNERS HAVE DRIVEN TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE. THE REGION'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIPELINE HAS GROWN FROM AN AVERAGE OF JUST 38 UNITS PER YEAR PRE-2018 TO OVER 9,100 UNITS NOW PLANNED OR UNDERWAY. OUR CATALYST FUND HAS DEPLOYED OR COMMITTED OVER $34 MILLION IN LOANS TO SPARK DEVELOPMENT OF NEARLY 1,000 AFFORDABLE UNITS. WE HAVE ALSO MOBILIZED OVER 2,000 RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, PUSHING LOCAL CITY COUNCILS, STATE LEGISLATORS, AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THESE EFFORTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY RAISED THE COACHELLA VALLEY'S PROFILE AS AN INNOVATOR IN COLLABORATIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS, RESULTING IN INCREASED INVESTMENT AND ATTENTION FROM FEDERAL, STATE, AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS.