{"id":285307,"date":"2026-04-03T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/?p=285307"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:46:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:46:28","slug":"russell-a-place-of-promise-empowers-residents-to-build-community-wealth-in-louisville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncrc.org\/russell-a-place-of-promise-empowers-residents-to-build-community-wealth-in-louisville\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell: A Place of Promise Empowers Residents to Build Community Wealth in Louisville"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Russell, Kentucky, a historically Black neighborhood in Louisville, one organization is empowering residents to take an active role in community planning while ensuring real estate investments build generational wealth for the local population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP) has been educating residents about real estate planning, engaging them in the land development process and working with them to establish the community\u2019s investment needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Launched in 2018, RPOP began as a fiscally sponsored project of the <\/span>Community Foundation of Louisville<\/span><\/a> and two incubating partners: <\/span>Cities United<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Louisville Metro Government<\/span><\/a>. Interim co-executive directors Cassandra Webb and Theresa Zawacki have led the initiative since its beginning, drawing on their respective backgrounds in community organizing and urban planning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were very intentional from the beginning about investing in people first because oftentimes, in community development, that is an afterthought or just a piece of the process,\u201d Webb said. \u201cWe wanted to do things differently.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They began by gathering residents, workers, small business owners and nonprofits with the goal of better understanding the specific investments the community needed. They built coalitions, provided educational training on urban planning and convened working groups to define RPOP\u2019s future and strategic priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve been building a system of shared decision making and shared learning with Russell residents,\u201d <\/span>Zawacki said.<\/span> \u201cOur goals are to build Black community wealth and to invest without displacement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2023, RPOP became an independent nonprofit in the form of a <\/span>community land trust<\/span><\/a> (CLT). CLTs are nonprofits that own and develop property specifically for residents’ needs. They are governed by a board of directors primarily composed of community members who participate directly in the land use planning process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Central to RPOP\u2019s vision is investing in people and amplifying resident voices. <\/span>In 2022, <\/span>RPOP founded the <\/span>Russell Storytelling Project<\/span><\/a> as a way to highlight the community\u2019s rich history. Six artists and writers collected oral histories from over 30 residents to create an art exhibition and book, <\/span>For the People<\/span><\/i><\/a>, which celebrates the citizens of Russell.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exhibit will be housed at <\/span>30th & Madison<\/span><\/a>, RPOP\u2019s flagship project. <\/span>The $150 million, five-acre development is expected to break ground this year. The site will house medical, retail and co-working spaces, as well as restaurants and a <\/span>multi-story<\/span> residential building with roughly 120 mixed-income apartments.<\/span><\/p>\n

The team is also partnering <\/span>with <\/span>The Housing Partnership, Inc.<\/span><\/a> to build 25 new single-family, permanently affordable homes on Elliot Avenue in Russell. The project is expected to break ground this spring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow, our programming [is] getting folks prepared to be homeowners for those new homes that we’re building,\u201d Webb said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through its membership with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, RPOP has connected with organizations doing similar work across the country.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I think there’s huge value in being able to be connected to a network that is focused on policy change and model development and best practices around sustainability,\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Zawacki said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Ridel is a Contributing Writer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of the RPOP team.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Russell, Kentucky, a historically Black neighborhood in Louisville, one organization is empowering residents to take an active role in community planning while ensuring real estate investments build generational wealth for the local population.\u00a0 Russell: A Place of Promise (RPOP) has been educating residents about real estate planning, engaging them in the land development process 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