Company: Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures
Nomination Submitted by: C3 Visionary Strategies
Company Description: Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures, LLC (NREUV) is a community development organization that is engaged in a holistic approach to real-estate development in low-income communities. Using a human-centered approach, NREUV works with local businesses to help grow them, and with local residents to create economic empowerment opportunities.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Social Change Maker of the Year - Race
 Nomination Title: Gina Merritt
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 243 words used.
Through PCC, Gina is helping people of color in low-income, overlooked communities, access job opportunities and eliminate barriers to employment. Through PCC, each individual plans a career pathway which includes training and education programs, access to services to assist with barrier removal, and connections to entry level jobs. PCC now focuses on depth of support, not breadth of connections.
PCC cares more about serving individuals in all the ways possible to help them secure and sustain work while also living independently, rather than creating a quick fix system to funnel large numbers of people through. PCC helps clients with everything from transportation to paying late rent or child support payment to reduce recidivism or homelessness and keep people employed.
For many of those PCC supports, it takes just one bill, flat tire, or bad day to send them back into poverty, prison or addiction. PCC goes beyond workforce training and placement – it is a partner and advocate for individuals, making connections, asking questions or offering support to get them over a hump that could cost them a job, and avoid leaving the employer stranded.
In the last year, PCC has placed 88 individuals in construction jobs; PCC boasts a 98% retention rate which is key to keeping developers and contractors as a partner of PCC; and has paid more than $30,000 in bills (utility, rent, child support etc), helped 15 obtain transportation and uniforms, and paid $10000 in matching apprenticeship stipends.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 42 words used.
https://youtu.be/fzsUueq9j-k - testimonial from person helped by PCC
https://youtu.be/CCIonwkgDBo - video that shows depth of support PCC offers
attachment shows examples of support offered, comparison of PCC to other workforce programs
attachment- developer testimonial
attachment- DC Mayor testimonial
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 196 words used.
Gina is founder of Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures (NREUV), LLC, and has over 27 years of hands-on real estate development, finance, construction, and asset management experience. She has participated in the development of over 8,200 units of housing and has underwritten approximately $4.5B in real estate development transactions. As a black female in real estate, she serves as a strong minority partner helping lead developers with compliance, financing and construction management.
She is also founder of Project Community Capital® , a social capital platform that connects people in low-income communities with jobs ensuring that subcontractors who have socio-economic goals from state and federal funding can meet their requirements by connecting them with individuals who are “Ready-To-Work.”
Since 2022, Gina has been selected to be part of Wells Fargo’s Growing Diverse Housing Developers, a four-year program that will help 39 developers grow their businesses and overcome systemic barriers created by generations of racism and disinvestment; the Black Developer Capital Initiative led by the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) and National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT); and Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneurs Access Network which helps Black- and Latino-owned companies address the disparity gap for greater growth.
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2021 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 220 words used.
66% of those living in fragile communities are people of color and the unemployment rate is 37% for men of working age living in poor communities. 70% of jobs are not posted publicly while 56% of jobs are found through social capital, creating a significant barrier to employment for marginalized communities.
There are many organizations that provide critical services, but there aren’t any providing the individualized, wrap-around support PCC offers. PCC does not limit the support it offers. This year, it connected a client with Vehicles for Change to develop skills and access a car – PCC matched the VFC stipend to double the amount earned per hour. For another client PCC paid for the taxes on the car not covered by VFC.
While there are myriad organizations providing services in barrier removal and workforce training cities and states lack a coordinated effort to ensure candidates are identified, screened and provided the support they need to secure employment. These organizations also lack the connections to developers ready to hire that have a mandate to hire locally. Importantly, the PCC street teams are able to connect with people on a personal level, engaging them in conversation to identify opportunities and challenges. The strength of these partnerships is critical not only to getting people placed in jobs but retained in those jobs.
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