In June, IFF closed loans totaling approximately $17.9 million for community-driven projects in the Midwest. We’ve included information below about several of the loans and what the organizations that received them are doing with the capital. To learn more about IFF’s lending, visit our Capital Solutions page.
IFF closed a $50,000 Flex Loan for Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation (GECDC) to bridge grant funding awarded to the nonprofit but not yet disbursed. Founded in 2004, GECDC has served as a catalyst for economic development and small business growth in Chicago’s Greater Englewood community, providing business counseling, technical assistance, entrepreneurial programming, workshops, and other resources to support local businesses and entrepreneurs.
IFF closed a $21,000 Flex Loan for Inlet Dance Theatre (Inlet) that provided the nonprofit performing arts group with operating capital while awaiting grant funds awarded to the organization by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and the Ohio Arts Council. Founded in 2001 and based in The Pivot Center for Art, Dance, and Expression in Cleveland, OH, Inlet uses dance as a tool for education, storytelling, and social impact, reaching thousands of individuals annually through performances, touring, school residencies, and community-based programming. Like many nonprofits in the arts and culture sector, Inlet experiences temporary cash-flow timing gaps despite strong financial management and secured funding commitments, and the Flex Loan will enable the organization to continue operating normally while awaiting funds awarded for its work but not yet disbursed.
IFF closed a loan of approximately $1.02 million that will facilitate the Journey Center for Safety and Healing’s (Journey Center) acquisition of a 15,848-square-foot facility in Cleveland, OH, leased by the nonprofit for the past decade, along with an adjacent property that includes an 8,797-square-foot building and a parking lot. Operating for more than 50 years, Journey Center’s mission is to provide services that foster safety and healing to those affected by child abuse and domestic violence; and to prevent abuse through education, advocacy, and systemic change. Primarily serving Cuyahoga County, the organization provides services through a trauma-informed lens with an emphasis on individual empowerment. Among Journey Center’s programs are a 24-hour helpline, an emergency shelter, employment assistance, and justice system advocacy. Owning its longtime headquarters and the adjacent property will provide Journey Center with more space for programming and save the organization more than $60,000 annually that will support its mission and enable the long-term maintenance of the properties.
IFF closed a $390,100 loan to facilitate LIV Recovery Sober Living’s (LIV) acquisition of a 2,690-square-foot single-family home in St. Louis, MO, to serve as the nonprofit’s fifth sober living home. The property will provide housing for up to 14 people participating in LIV’s sober living programs, who will also have access to on-site counseling. Founded in 2019, LIV is a community-based substance use recovery and mental health service provider that offers individual and group therapy, outpatient services, transportation, housing, workforce development services, and more to individuals and families in the St. Louis area working to overcome substance use disorder. Planned upgrades to the organization’s new property include tuckpointing, sewer replacement, roof replacement, the installation of a fence, and the addition of administrative space, among other renovations. IFF previously provided financing to LIV in March and December 2023 to acquire facilities used to expand the organization’s programs.
IFF closed a $2.9 million loan to facilitate the first phase of redevelopment at the Clinton-Peabody Apartments, a historic public housing complex in St. Louis, MO. With Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) serving as the developer, the St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) is spearheading an effort to create a mixed-use development that reflects the community’s vision and honors past, current, and future residents of the property. Planned renovations will enhance community spaces, amenities, and services that help residents thrive, while also creating high-quality mixed-income housing. In the project’s first phase, 89 new one, two, and three-bedroom apartments will be built as part of the broader effort to preserve long-term affordability, improve housing quality, strengthen neighborhood connections, and support resident well-being through thoughtful, community-focused design. Forty of the apartments will be restricted to residents earning 60% AMI, 31 units will be restricted to residents earning 20% – 50% AMI, and 18 will be leased at market rate. In-unit amenities will include a patio/balcony, dishwasher, washer/dryer, garbage disposal, and microwave, and residents will also have access to parking, a community room, and supportive services.
Additional sources of funding and financing for the $35 million first phase of the project, which is projected to create 95 temporary construction jobs and 24 permanent jobs, include a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) allocation and loan from the Missouri Housing Development Commission, equity from US Bancorp Impact Finance, congressionally directed appropriations, a loan and rental subsidy from the SLHA, City of Saint Louis Affordable Housing Commission and Community Development Administration loans, a loan from POAH, and Affordable Housing Assistance Program tax credits, among others.