Community Development

Change through collaboration

ECHO Housing and Community Development is a designated CDC (Community Development Corporation).

ECHO Housing as a CDC

ECHO Housing & Community Development is deeply committed to fostering sustainable community growth and resilience. Our community development efforts are centered around collaborative partnerships, innovative solutions, and a commitment to inclusivity.

In 2016, we were designated as the lead agency of the Promise Zone, which was one of only twenty-two designations in the U.S.

What Is A CDC?

A CDC is a non-profit organization, usually locally based, that aims to revitalize communities, particularly those with high poverty levels, by focusing on projects like developing affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and creating job training opportunities, often through grassroots efforts by community residents themselves; essentially working to improve the social and economic conditions of a neighborhood or town.

Focus on low-income communities

CDCs primarily serve areas with significant low-income populations, working to address issues like disinvestment and lack of access to essential services.

Community-driven approach

CDCs are often initiated and led by local residents, business owners, and community leaders who aim to address their neighborhood’s specific needs.

CDC Activities

CDC activities include developing affordable housing, facilitating economic development through small business support, providing job training programs, and advocating for community improvements

Non-profit status

CDCs are considered non-profit entities, meaning they are not primarily focused on generating profit but rather on achieving social impact.

2025 COMMUNTIY DEVELOPMENT FOCUS AREAS

From Promise Zone to the Collective Action Network (CAN)

As the lead agency for the 10-year Promise Zone designation, ECHO has driven neighborhood revitalization through economic development, affordable housing, healthcare, crime reduction, job development, and education. With the designation ending in 2026, we have connected with community partners on a sustainability strategy in 2024, focusing on collaboration.

Our transition to the Collective Action Network (CAN) marks a new chapter, expanding our reach to all neighborhoods in need. CAN leverages shared goals, data-driven strategies, and coordinated efforts to address systemic challenges across Physical, Social, and Economic Development.

Collective Action Network

The Collective Action Network (CAN) is a cross-sector group of community leaders who come together to create change. Using the collective impact model, this approach unites multiple organizations to tackle systemic challenges through shared goals, data-driven strategies, and coordinated efforts. Together, we strive to enhance community outcomes and build a stronger support system for vulnerable populations.

Expanding our focus through CAN allows us to serve all neighborhoods in need, rather than being limited to specific areas defined years ago. Our initiatives now span three key areas: Physical, Social, and Economic Development.

Visit the Collective Action Network Summit Page

Mapping Our Community’s Social Ecosystem

In Partnership with Visible Network Labs: A Real-Time Tool for Collaborative Change

What is Social Ecosystem Mapping?

ECHO Housing & Community Development is proud to partner with Visible Network Labs (VNL) to launch a community-wide Social Ecosystem Mapping initiative. This powerful tool allows us to visualize and evaluate the complex web of individuals, organizations, and institutions working together across Evansville’s social, physical, and economic development sectors.

This initiative supports our Collective Action Network (CAN) by identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities for collaboration in real time—helping us move from isolated impact to unified progress.

Why It Matters

The Social Ecosystem Mapping tool gives Evansville something we’ve never had before: a shared platform to understand how we are all connected—and how we can do more, together.

When your organization participates:

You receive a public profile showcasing your partnerships, role, and impact.

You can use your profile and data as support in collaborative grant applications.

Funders can identify who is doing what—and where support or coordination is needed.

You gain clarity on how to direct inquiries, referrals, and collaboration requests.

You can update your data anytime—this is a living system built for long-term value.

Why This Tool is Transformative

🛠 Identify redundancies and gaps in services

🤝 Encourage real-time, cross-sector collaboration

💬 Answer tough questions: Who’s doing what? How are we connected? Who should I call?

🧭 Help new leaders navigate complex systems more quickly

🧾 Contribute to evidence-based funding, planning, and policy

Explore the Data

Now Live! These interactive tools officially launched at the CAN Summit on April 16, 2025:

Full Network Dashboard
See the evolving, real-time, continuously updated, network of participating organizations, including collaboration patterns, shared goals, and more.

Integrated Networks Dashboard: Integrated Networks Dashboard | PARTNER™ Platform
A deeper dive into layered and thematic network assessments—continually expanding as more partners participate. Like the full network, this dashboard is also real-time, continuously updated!

Snapshot Reports

Highlights Report (PDF)– A snapshot summary of key insights from the initial survey launch – data captured as of January 31, 2025

Full Report (PDF) – A comprehensive analysis of the early-stage data collected from network participants – data captured as of January 31, 2025

🔎 Don’t see your organization listed? You can still join! Contact Merrick Korach, Community Development Director, merrick.korach@echohousing.org

How to Participate

If you want to join the platform, our team will connect with you to complete the VNL Partner Survey.

Completing the survey may take some time, especially during your first entry—but the benefits to your organization and our collective impact are tremendous.

Ready to Connect?

If you have questions or need support with the process, we’re here to help every step of the way.

📬 Contact: Merrick Korach, Community Development Director
📧 merrick.korach@echohousing.org

Let’s build a stronger, more connected Evansville—together.

E3 Initiative | Educate | Encourage | Enforce

🌍 E³ Is for Everyone

In Evansville, E is for Everyone. The E³ Initiative believes that everyone—clients, providers, and community members—has a role to play in creating a more just, compassionate, and effective support system. We are building a model that works not just for today, but for the future.

The E³ Initiative originated as a powerful cross-sector collaboration between the Evansville Police Department, Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, and ECHO Housing & Community Development to tackle issues surrounding homelessness, mental health, and community safety.

Since its initial inception in 2020 the model has been expanded to support multiple issues in the community that see higher success rates when partners come together.

Formed using a hybrid of two different models (Sarasota, Florida and Indianapolis, Indiana Police Departments) and then adapted for our community in Southwest Indiana, the E³ Initiative builds on the values of Education, Encouragement, and Enforcement to create meaningful, sustainable change in the lives of our community’s most vulnerable members.

Partner with Evansville Promise Neighborhood

As a member of the University of Evansville’s Evansville Promise Neighborhood (EPN) core team, we are invested in all out comes, but as a community development organization, we are particularly interested in Pipeline Block 4 – Improving Neighborhood & Community. The four solutions in this pipeline include

Provide health, nutrition education, health food access and distribution
Provide family stability programs
Neighborhood Revitalization
Community Safety and Violence Prevention Programs.

ECHO leads initiatives in all of these areas and employs a Housing Policy Director to advocate for policies that result in greater family and neighborhood stability.

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