The District Church and City First Bank enter $1.9 million financial partnership inspired by Just Homes.
Left to Right: Tom Nida (EVP/Market Executive, City First Bank), Kevin Nderitu (Executive Pastor, The District Church), Shiri Yadlin (Director, Just Homes), Aaron Graham (Lead Pastor, The District Church)
The District Church recently announced a $1.9 million partnership with City First Bank, a locally-owned Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with demonstrated commitment to local community development in Washington, DC.
The partnership relates to financing for The District Church’s new ministry center located in Northeast DC. The District Church was inspired to turn to City First for this partnership by Just Homes.
“It is important for us to make decisions about where we bank that reflects one of our core values of justice and our vision of seeking to be a church for the city,” says Lead Pastor Aaron Graham.
Just Homes guides congregations in discerning how to best steward their financial resources by banking and investing with justice in mind. With this partnership, The District Church is putting its money where its heart is, and living out a key principle of the Just Homes vision: investing in financial institutions that promote affordable housing development.
Just Homes and The District Church were drawn to City First Bank because of the bank’s community-focused mission and proven track record of investing in the preservation and development of affordable housing in Washington, DC. Each year, 80% of the loans originated by City First are put to work in low-income DC communities. In August, City First announced a merger with Broadway Bank, based in California, to create the largest Black-led Minority Depository Institution (MDI) in the nation.
“We are encouraged to see The District Church living out its calling to biblical justice by investing in affordable housing through this financial partnership, and we look forward to seeing other churches do the same,” says Shiri Yadlin, Director of Just Homes. “As more churches put their money where their hearts are, they can collectively steward their financial power to pursue the vision of a just city where everyone has a home.”
You can learn more about the Invest pillar of the Just Homes vision here.
