What is LISC Twin Cities?
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation, known as LISC, is one of the largest organizations supporting projects to revitalize communities and bring greater economic opportunity to residents. As one of LISC’s local offices, we provide capital, strategy and know-how to our Twin Cities community development partners.
Local Impact
$734 million invested through grants, loans, and equity
$2.9 billion leveraged in additional linvestments in local projects
17,404 new or preserved affordable homes and apartment
2.4 million square feet of new or renovated commercial and community space
8,000 people have improved their financial stability through our Financial Opportunity Center partners
Recent News & Stories
Q&A: McLaughlin looks to ‘sustain the energy’ at Twin Cities LISC
Peter McLaughlin is no stranger to public service. After a nearly three-decade run as a Hennepin County commissioner, McLaughlin took on a new job four years ago as executive director of Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), an organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunities for people in under-served communities. On the county board, McLaughlin led efforts to expand mass transit and transit-oriented development, among other initiatives. He lost his reelection bid in November 2018. But as he sees it, the transition to Twin Cities LISC was a logical next step as he continues to engage with the community. “I always liked being able to go out in every little nook and cranny in the community and talk to people. Sometimes they’re mad, sometimes they’re not. The madder they are, the more I wanted to be there, though, so somebody couldn’t put words in my mouth,” McLaughlin said with a laugh. “But I just I got a lot of energy from that.” These days, McLaughlin is focusing his energy on Twin Cities LISC, which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The organization provides “capital, strategy, and know-how” to Twin Cities community development partners, including BIPOC developers, according to its website. Since 1988, Twin Cities LISC has invested $1 billion and leveraged an additional $2.9 billion for local community development projects. Those investments, LISC says, have created affordable housing for more than 17,000 families, greater financial stability for 8,000 people, and 2.4 million square feet of new or renovated community and commercial space. A graduate of Princeton University with a master’s from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, McLaughlin served in the Minnesota Legislature for six years before he was first elected to the County Board in 1991. In the following interview, McLaughlin talks about Twin Cities LISC, its work with BIPOC developers and other topics. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read the full here.
Making an Impact on People, Places, and Projects: A glimpse into LISC's 35th Anniversary Celebration
This year, LISC Twin Cities marked a milestone - 3 decades of transformative work alongside incredible partners, lenders, and grantees. A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has been a part of our journey! Through collaboration and a shared spirit for change, we've proudly invested over 1 BILLION dollars into our communities! Your support has been the driving force behind our success, and we're filled with gratitude for each and every one. Our 35th Anniversary celebration earlier this month was a blast, and we felt the love from those who joined us and those who were there in spirit! Here's to many more years of making a positive impact together. Cheers to community, collaboration, and creating change.
LISC Twin Cities Celebrates $1 Billion in Investments in the Twin Cities
As it celebrates its 35th Anniversary, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Twin Cities announced another major milestone: $1 billion dollars of investments. Over three and a half decades, LISC Twin Cities has channeled all of this capital into transformative organizations and projects, strengthened community development infrastructure and changed systems that create and perpetuate inequality of opportunity.