| Modesto Junior College in Modesto, California, will receive a Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities program grant to create "Comunidades Unidas" (Communities United) to fight neighborhood blight, increase the education and skill levels of unemployed and underemployed residents, and provide nonprofit housing development and neighborhood revitalization in blighted, neglected communities. The program features a three-pronged approach to addressing needs identified in the city's and county's Consolidated Plans: 1) employment skills training in the construction industry; 2) the coordination of volunteer neighborhood revitalization efforts in conjunction with community leaders; and 3) the creation of affordable housing in blighted neighborhoods, working with nonprofit development corporations and the construction training students. The program was developed in collaboration with several community-based organizations, the City of Modesto, and Stanislaus County. Leveraged funding includes City of Modesto CDBG funds, and in-kind support from the Workforce Development Collaborative.
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