Investment supports a national network of emerging impact real estate developers who are creating high impact affordable housing and driving economic development
New York, NY, (February 10, 2023) — The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), a nonprofit and mission-driven multifamily finance company, and SHIFT Capital, a leading impact real estate investor based in Philadelphia, PA, today announced that CPC has made a $5 million equity investment in SHIFT’s Catalyst Fund, which supports underrepresented impact real estate developers who are investing in economic development and affordable housing in underserved neighborhoods across the country.
Entry into the real estate development industry has been extremely challenging for emerging developers. It is exponentially more so for rising Black and minority real estate entrepreneurs due to entrenched systemic barriers around access to capital at all stages of the development process. The Catalyst Fund aims to break down these barriers by investing in developers looking to deliver neighborhood revitalizing projects, and who wish to grow their business infrastructure to continually affect positive changes in their communities.
CPC’s equity investment injects critical funding into the Catalyst Fund, and specifically focuses on developers who are committed to the creation and preservation of high-quality affordable housing, and will initially be deployed in Ithaca NY, National City CA, Newark NJ, Philadelphia PA, and Washington DC.
“Catalytic. That’s how I’d describe our partnership with CPC. That’s how I’d describe their investment in SHIFT’s Catalyst Fund,” says Nancy Gephart, SHIFT Capital Partner and President of Capital Markets. “CPC has a long history of investing in impactful projects and we’re excited to have them as a partner in this initiative. Their investment will enable us to create positive generational change for communities, for minority real estate entrepreneurs, and for the entire industry. Especially during a difficult time in the real estate industry, their investment allows much-needed community-serving projects to move forward and provides a leveling of the playing field for minority developers.”
“At CPC, we invest in projects that strengthen underserved communities and we support the minority developers and real estate entrepreneurs who work, live, and build in those communities,” says Tell Metzger, Senior Vice President, Equity Investments at CPC.“SHIFT’s Catalyst Fund allows us to expand our efforts to produce great housing, and to advance greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. We’re thrilled to work with a partner whose mission and values so closely align with ours. We hope that this investment brings more attention and participation to this transformative Fund and the energy and skill behind it, and we look forward to continuing our work together with SHIFT.”
About The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC)
CPC is a diversified, nonprofit, multifamily finance company that was founded in 1974 to provide financial and technical resources to stabilize and revitalize underserved communities. Today, CPC uses its unique expertise in housing finance and public policy to expand access to affordable and workforce housing, advance diversity and equity within the development industry, and expand investment in the green economy and lessen the impact of climate change. Since its founding, CPC has invested over $14 billion to finance the creation and preservation of more than 225,000 units of housing. The company provides a suite of construction and permanent products including Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and FHA mortgages, and is an equity investor with approximately 4,200 affordable units under ownership. CPC is a carbon-neutral company and has been rated AA- by S&P. Visit CPC at communityp.com, and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About SHIFT Capital
SHIFT Capital is a nationally-recognized neighborhood investment group that executes real estate projects and financing strategies that create equitable and mixed-income communities for the long-term. We believe community-centered investments create shared and sustainable economic opportunity and growth, and impact that unites people, businesses, neighborhoods, and cities. To date, SHIFT has invested over $330 million in the neighborhoods we serve to create ecosystems that strengthen entrepreneurship, creativity, and value for tenants, and health and safety for communities. SHIFT owns and manages a mix of 2 million square feet of new and refactored industrial, commercial, and residential spaces for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and residents.