Above: CalCORE participants with Community Vision and Genesis LA staff at the 2025 convening in Los Angeles.
Last week, Community Vision hosted two impactful events in Los Angeles that underscored our commitment to promoting racial and economic equity, land justice, and community ownership. These gatherings—the CalCORE convening and the Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) Summit—offered opportunities for learning, collaboration, and community empowerment.
Empowering Communities Through CalCORE
The week began with an in-person convening for our fourth California Community-Owned Real Estate (CalCORE) cohort. A collaborative initiative launched by Community Vision and Genesis LA, CalCORE is designed to support community-rooted nonprofit real estate entities, particularly Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in underinvested and disinvested communities.
CalCORE learning session
CalCORE provides a dynamic blend of educational opportunities, including regular virtual sessions, one-on-one technical assistance, and in-person gatherings. These components equip participating organizations with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to acquire and manage community assets effectively.
This year, the curriculum is focusing on corridor activation, supporting projects such as small business retail and incubators, community facilities, arts and cultural spaces, and mixed-use developments with naturally occurring affordable housing and live/work opportunities.
Building capacity for these organizations and promoting community ownership along these commercial corridors helps drive local business and economic development.
Over two days, CalCORE 4 participants engaged in workshops, expanded their networks, and exchanged insights about their ongoing projects. Specifically, cohort members shared about the community investment prospectuses they are creating to engage stakeholders around the need, vision, and strategies for developing various sites within their chosen geography or neighborhood.
CalCORE participants and Community Vision staff
Other highlights from the convening included:
- Connecting with CalCORE alumni, funders, and community partners during a rooftop happy hour with nearly 100 attendees, generously hosted by Nixon Peabody LLP.
- Inspiring presentations from CalCORE alumnus Destination Crenshaw and local partner Little Tokyo Service Center, showcasing how these organizations leverage art, culture, and community organizing to foster thriving corridors rooted in community ownership.
Meet the CalCORE 4 participants:
- 7GENerations Coming Home ArtHouse (7GEN ArtHouse) — Livingston
- United Cambodian Community — Long Beach
- Sacred Heart Community Services — San Jose
- 7th Street Thrives — Oakland
- Black Zocalo — Fresno
- CLTRE / Unseen Heroes — Sacramento
- Community Coalition — Los Angeles
- Koreatown Youth and Community Center — Los Angeles
- Kultivate Labs — San Francisco
- Merced Art Hop — Merced
- Pacoima Beautiful — Los Angeles
- South Tower Community Land Trust — Fresno
- YO!Cali — Merced
Advancing Social Purpose Real Estate
Following the CalCORE convening, participants joined a wider community of social purpose real estate practitioners at the SPRE Summit, co-presented by Community Vision and Community Spaces Network. This interdisciplinary gathering brought together nearly 300 professionals from across North America who are committed to developing and stewarding spaces that serve the common good.
Over two and a half days, attendees participated in hands-on workshops, networking sessions, and immersive tours of community-led real estate initiatives across Los Angeles. The event fostered knowledge exchange and highlighted best practices for advancing social purpose real estate.
Community Vision’s team shared their expertise throughout the conference, including:
- Catherine Howard, our President, spoke at the opening plenary, exploring how CDFIs are adapting to current economic and political realities to support resilient nonprofit spaces.
- Amanda Bornstein, Director of Real Estate Solutions, and Sally Morrow, Community Real Estate Consultant, led a mini-consult on launching social purpose real estate projects, offering participants tailored advice and insights.
- Saul Ettlin, Senior Advisor to the President, co-led a session on activating the ground floor of mixed-use affordable housing for community nonprofits, as well as leading a discussion on the future of social purpose real estate alongside partners from Community Spaces Network.
Catherine Howard speaking at the SPRE Summit opening plenary
As we continue to implement our Theory of Change, Community Vision remains dedicated to empowering communities and advancing community ownership. Our commitment to bringing together practitioners, funders, and community leaders helps build a network of support, shared knowledge, and collective action.
We look forward to further expanding our efforts to ensure that real estate ownership and stewardship genuinely benefit the people and communities who need it most.
