Early on, we set our sights on supporting one of the most visible victims of gentrification: small businesses. Long-time small business owners are often the unofficial historians of a community, helping to make a neighborhood truly a neighborhood. And without commercial protections, small businesses in California are the first to be displaced when a neighborhood begins to change. We won’t be here forever, and when it comes to real estate, we must remember that we are simply temporary stewards. Our foray into real estate emerged in response to community activism and the experiences of our loan clients who were worried about displacement.

Source: New York Times September 13, 2023 13:15 UTC