Power Station

Small businesses have been devastated by COVID19, and by extension, so have their owners, workers and communities. We are talking about true small businesses, not Shake Shack or Ruth’s Christ Steak House. Their role in our economy is so significant that Congress appropriated federal funding for them through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) within the CARES Act. What is a Community Development Financial Institution? The CDFI Fund, a program within the US Department of Treasury, deploys capitol into communities where banks do not exist or fail to meet community needs. They are run by nonprofits and mission-driven lenders that build affordable housing and launch businesses. CDFIS are having a moment and it is long overdue. On MSNBC, the owner of Mabel’s, a celebrated restaurant, credited a CDFI with attaining the funds she needs to keep her doors open. And the New York Times just reported on the campaign to fund CDFIs at $1 billion in the next spending bill. This is the life’s work of John Holdsclaw, Execut