Community development is a sector that involves organizations from multiple fields that share a common focus on improving low-income communities. This is often through the development and financing of affordable housing, businesses, community centers, health clinics, job training programs, and services to support children, youth, and families. It is not a discrete academic discipline or an accredited field like public health; it is more like a set of activities involving organizations that come from fields including affordable housing, city planning, finance, law, public health, public policy, real estate, and social work. At its best, community development achieves equity by addressing many of the factors, or social determinants, that affect public health.
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations that work at both local and national levels, provide leadership in the sector, often working alongside a multitude of groups including government agencies, neighborhood residents, philanthropic organizations, real estate developers, and social service providers. They implement community development projects, and often function as intermediaries between community-based service providers, public agencies, and investors like financial institutions and philanthropic organizations.
This information was excerpted from Build Healthy Places Network’s glossary.
