Community Building and Community Organizing: Issues in Creative Effective Models

Explores issues about the organization of community development corporations (CDCs), focusing on a CDC model used by Community Organizing & Family Issues (COFI) in Chicago, IL. Organizing low-income people to improve communities involves efforts by people living within the community. Barriers to organizing development efforts include: lack of commitment by community planning & development organizations to the organizing process; lack of skill among community residents to improve their living conditions; & a weak funding infrastructure. COFI's departure from the traditional model of community building by emphasizing a family-focused model is described. 6 References. C. Whitcraft