City First Bank Stories and Data

I strongly urge Congress to support the funding for the Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund….As a governing board member of Central States Development Partners, Inc., a national, certified Community Development Entity (CDE), I can personally attest to the measurable and lasting impact the CDFI Fund programs have on Main Street America. In my work with both Economic Growth Corporation and Central States Development Partners, I have witnessed firsthand how targeted federal investment through the CDFI Fund acts as a catalyst for private-sector growth in communities that need it most. These dollars support job-creating projects, from manufacturing, healthcare, and community facilities that increase access to vital community services needed within severely and deeply distressed communities.

CDFIs support individuals, small businesses, community facilities in rural, metro, and Native communities in every state in the nation. CDFIs have enjoyed widespread bipartisan support for decades. They leverage federal government dollars with bank and other private sector support. They are a smart and efficient market solution the federal government should be proud to support.