As one of the first suburbs built north of downtown Fresno in the early 20th century, the Lowell neighborhood flourished as a mixed-income community.
However, the trajectory shifted with the announcement of the freeway development in the s. Vacant houses attracted investors who converted the homes into multi-family complexes. Other houses were torn down and replaced with large, poorly designed apartments. Today, Lowell is one of the most densely populated areas of Fresno, and many residents live in dilapidated rental housing. Recognizing the potential within their neighborhood, Lowell residents began organizing nearly two decades ago and formed the Lowell Neighborhood Association.
They advocated for improvements like a community garden, code enforcement, and street sweeping. These grassroots efforts, rooted in recognizing the inherent strengths and resources within the community, laid the foundation for the inception of Lowell Community Development Corporation Lowell CDC in Why are kids not at reading rate and not able to thrive in school?
Over the past decade, Lowell CDC has bought and rehabilitated several single-family and multi-family properties. The organization also facilitates pathways to homeownership, including by flipping single-family homes that they hold for their renters to have the opportunity to buy.
In the cohort, Lowell CDC primarily focused on their project to transform a long-vacant commercial building into their offices, community space, and rental space for a local organization.
