Causes: Community Improvement & Capacity Building

Mission: Habitat for neighborhood business devotes resources to operating a program designed to stimulate economic development in distressed urban areas inhabited mainly by low-income minority or other disadvantaged persons. Continued on schedule 0.Through its activities, the corporation hopes to spark economic development and jobs in economically depressed neighborhoods, help stabilize these neighborhoods and discourage "flight" from the neighborhoods, and increase the number of business role models within these neighborhoods so youth in the neighborhoods can see small business ownership as a possible avenue to success.

Programs: Acquire blighted, vacant or otherwise distressed real property in an economically depressed urban neighborhood, utilize or convert the real property for retail businesses that are operated by low-income, minority and disadvantaged persons who live in the neighborhood (entrepreneurs) and lease the property to such persons at a below-market rental rate. Provide guidance, logistical support, planning, budgeting, business training, mentoring, coaching and other forms of business advice to entrepreneurs. Continued on schedule 0.Provide "real life" business experience for graduate level business students at partner universities by assistance to the entrepreneurs by the students. Assist the entrepreneurs with obtaining resources, including providing a functioning computer, software and training for each entrepreneur. Arrange for security in order to provide a safe area for the entrepreneurs and patrons of their businesses. Organize meetings between entrepreneurs to assist them in their educational growth in business. Encourage and establish support and understanding for the entrepreneurs in the community.