SBAN Receives Grant from Kresge Foundation to Study Early-stage Gentrification
The Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN) has received a grant from The Kresge Foundation to research the needs of communities and small businesses in neighborhoods experiencing early stages of gentrification.
Since its launch in 2020, SBAN has focused on preserving BIPOC- and immigrant-owned small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods, particularly those experiencing intense gentrification in the wake of COVID-19. With Kresge’s support, SBAN will broaden its research and programs to address how gentrification impacts neighborhoods in the early phases of change. This includes tailoring SBAN resources to meet the needs of members who work in these neighborhoods.
While communities and small businesses that face immediate displacement threats need more aggressive anti-displacement strategies, those that face less imminent or intense threats may need different strategies related to risk detection and prevention.
To better understand how community-based organizations can best support small businesses during early stages of gentrification, SBAN will convene and interview SBAN members, host webinars on anti-displacement topics relevant to early-stage gentrification, and feature related panel discussions at its 2025 conference. The upcoming third edition of the Small Business Anti-Displacement Toolkit will include new strategies and tools for keeping small businesses in place during early stages of gentrification. SBAN will also produce a report that outlines lessons from existing research and practice and highlights critical areas for research, policy, and future programming.
“We know that communities at different stages of gentrification need different tools,” says SBAN Director Willow Lung-Amam. “We are excited for this opportunity to support more small businesses in diverse neighborhoods.”
The Small Business Anti-Displacement Network is a network of more than 160 organizations across the United States and internationally that work to prevent displacement of BIPOC- and immigrant-owned small businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods. Housed at the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth, SBAN includes policymakers, nonprofit advocates, technical assistance providers, real estate developers, financial institutions, scholars, and small business owners, who share knowledge and collaborate to advance innovative policies and practices that keep small businesses in place. For more information visit antidisplacement.org.
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.
Photo: Washington, D.C. (Allison Shelley)
