Inclusive Action for the City

Inclusive Action for the City is a community development financial institution (cdfi) that serves los angeles county and beyond through dual interventions: research-informed advocacy and community centered microfinance. Inclusive Action for the City's programs and sevices are divided into two areas of work: access to capital and policy advocacy and research, each designed to support the equitable economic development in la's most vulnerable communities.our access to capital programs provide capital and business coaching to low-income entrepreneurs who are historically underserved by financial institutions and deprived of opportunities to invest in their businesses. Iac's low-interest loan program, the semi'a fund has provided over $2m in low-interest loans to nearly 230 entrepreneurs in the la county area. Iac's approach to lending is unique in a few key ways: one, iac serves a high-need and completely overlooked population of low-income micro-entrepreneurs, including street vendors, home based businesses, and mom-and-pop shops; two, iac offers businesses coaching with every loan, which is a necessity for the population iac serves but a rarity in the industry; three, iac uses bespoke "character-based lending" methods that enables the taking on of clients that are deemed "risky" by others (due to age, immigration status, lack of business formalization, financial business systems, documentation of business owner etc. ); and four, iac staff are from communities of color and immigrants, endowing them with experience and capabilities to understand iac clients' needs.in addition to the semi'a fund iac also runs the community-owned real estate (core) project, a joint project with east la community corporation and little tokyo service center to combat gentrification by acquiring, rehabilitating, and preserving commercial properties in rapidily gentrifying neighborhoods and increase access to affordable commercial space for locally-owned businessess. Through this initiative, iac and its partners successfully acquired and rehabilitated five commercial properties and are close to achieving full occupancy. This year, iac is developing an strategy to create pathways to tenant-ownership for the core tenants. Lastly, iac is also working on launching a new iteration of the restore fund, a social impact fund that will connect marginalized entrepreneurs with equity and social capital to help their business grow and thrive.our policy advocacy and research efforts focus on creating just and equitable economic conditions for la's most vulnerable entrepreneurs. Our top policy project is co-leading the la street vendor campaign, a citywide effort that legalized street vending in the City of la in 2017 and decriminalized the activity across California in 2018. Since then, the campaing has focused on monitoring the implementation of street vending policy and works at key intervention points to advocate for more equitable conditions for street vendors. In addition to the street vendor campaing, Inclusive Action also participate in other local coalitions to support la's most vulnerable communities inclluding: the healthy la coalition, the la small business alliance for equitable communities, and the immigration integration task force.