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Healthy Food Access Portal

This is the nation’s first comprehensive portal for information about healthy food access in underserved communities.  Created by PolicyLink, The Food Trust, and The Reinvestment Fund with the help of May 8, the new portal has attracted thousands of visitors.  The new portal connects community leaders, healthy food retailers, policymakers, and advocates to an extensive … Continue reading Healthy Food Access Portal

Taking Care of Business

Improving Philadelphia’s Small Business Climate Taking Care of Business recommends nine specific actions the City of Philadelphia should take to improve its business climate. Based upon interviews with over one hundred small business owners, non-profit and government leaders, the report begins by asking why small businesses are important to the City’s economic growth, who small … Continue reading Taking Care of Business

No Place Like Home

Philadelphia’s Approach to Foreclosure Preventions Policy Evaluation May 8 details how Philadelphia’s foreclosure prevention model begun in 2008 has worked, how it can be replicated in other cities, and how it can be improved to better serve at-risk homeowners. Philadelphia was one of the first jurisdictions in the country to adopt a new foreclosure prevention … Continue reading No Place Like Home

When Investors Buy Up the Neighborhood

Preventing Investor Ownership from Causing Neighborhood Decline This report by May 8 Consulting and PolicyLink examines the issue of investor purchasing of foreclosed and distressed properties, presents a set of best practices and promising approaches being used in communities to prevent irresponsible investor ownership from leading to neighborhood decline, and makes recommendations about what stakeholders … Continue reading When Investors Buy Up the Neighborhood

Going Mod

Reducing Housing Costs in Philadelphia with Modular Construction Since 2004, May 8 has worked actively with a coalition of Philadelphia non-profit and for-profit organizations to bring down the cost of construction in Philadelphia in order to encourage investment. In the report, Going Mod, May 8 and partners attempt to conclusively determine whether modular construction can … Continue reading Going Mod

Reclaiming Foreclosed Properties for Community Benefit

May 8 helps to bring information to municipalities and states on successful foreclosure recovery strategies. Communities across the country are facing the negative impact of the foreclosure crisis as vacant properties increase and property values plummet. This PolicyLink report, Reclaiming Foreclosed Properties for Community Benefit, highlights promising practices that are already underway for localities looking to stabilize … Continue reading Reclaiming Foreclosed Properties for Community Benefit

Effectively Preserving Philadelphia’s Workforce Housing Stock

May 8 worked with leading state, regional and city housing organizations to create a strategy around preserving Philadelphia’s existing occupied housing. Eighty percent of Philadelphia’s homes are over 40 years old, 12% are in substandard condition and more homes are loss to age and deferred maintenance than to foreclosure. This white paper was the result … Continue reading Effectively Preserving Philadelphia’s Workforce Housing Stock

Pennsylvania Community Revitalization Desktop Guide

Community Revitalization Desktop Guide was created for the State of Pennsylvania in order to provide local government officials with a comprehensive model for community revitalization. The Guide is based upon an analysis of what has worked over thirty years of city and town revitalization efforts. This Desktop Guide shares a detailed three-step process for attracting high-impact … Continue reading Pennsylvania Community Revitalization Desktop Guide