Access to Capital: Increasing the pool of available financing for small businesses, community organizations, or other entities, especially in low-income, gentrifying neighborhoods.
Business Incubator: A master lessor leasing model in which the entity (non-profit or otherwise) provides additional business development support to many businesses that lease space from them, with the intent of providing start-up support for many community residents. This is an alternative to providing long-term space to just one or a few businesses. (see also: Master Lessor)
Co-Working Space: A shared office space where multiple businesses all work together under the same roof.
Commercial Rent Control (CRC): A legislative tool that provides stable, affordable commercial space for small businesses facing displacement when market pressures are encouraging higher rents in growing communities.
Community (or Commercial) Land Trusts (CLTs): A nonprofit organization that holds land in trust to provide affordable housing and other opportunities.
Community Development Corporations (CDCs): Nonprofit organizations that represent the interests of a specific, often low-income, neighborhood. CDCs are unique from other nonprofits in that their governance structures are either partially or fully community-controlled.
Culturally-Appropriate Business: Businesses that address the cultural needs of a pre-gentrified community, such as ethnic food stores.
Determent: When rent costs are a barrier to and prevent new small businesses from opening in a community.
Displacement: When businesses are forced to leave a community because they can no longer afford the cost of renting space there.
Gentrification: The process by which the essential character of a neighborhood is changed as higher income households displace lower income residents.
Lease-to-Own: A form of equity in which a potential buyer leases the building for a specific amount of time with the intent to purchase at the end. (see also: Shared Equity)
Master Lessor: Leasing model in which a nonprofit entity retains ownership of a commercial structure, as well as the land underneath. The entity then either manages individual leases with all businesses or partners with another non-profit to manage business leases.
Mobile Vending: A business that operates out of a portable vehicle or cart.
New Market Tax Credit: A government-issued tax break to companies that invest in Qualified Low-Income Businesses.
Pop-up Space: A temporary use of an existing venue. The space may be used as a shop, a restaurant, an art installation, a public gathering place, or any other number of uses. (May also be called: pop-ups, pop-up programs, pop-up retail, pop-up stores, pop-up shops, or flash retailing)
Public Development Agencies or Public Development Authorities (PDAs): Quasi-governmental agencies that work with business owners and developers to preserve and enhance the values of a community
Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs): Qualified Census Tracts are identified by the census bureau according to income and employment thresholds (related to: New Market Tax Credits)
Qualified Low-Income Businesses (QALICBs): Businesses that qualify for tax credits are located in census tracts which have been identified as low-income or under distress by the census bureau (related to: New Market Tax Credits)
Shared Equity: Leasing model in which a nonprofit entity retains ownership of the land, but sells the building or spaces within the building to business owners. The cost of the mortgage is shared between the business owner and the landowner.
Technical Services and Assistance: Providing small businesses with tools to address legal, human resource, and accounting issues
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): A neighborhood, city, and regional planning strategy that emphasizes the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use communities centered around high quality public transportation options, such as light rail or bus systems. Visit transitorienteddevelopment.org to learn more about TOD.
Tackling Commercial Gentrification 