Community & Economic Development
Musgrave Street Rehabilitation Project
As you may have read on our history page, the story of CCA begins in the 1990s to early-2000s when a group of adjuncts and graduate students planted the seeds of our work in Northcentral and West Philadelphia by assisting grassroots groups with CDFI, charter school, and childcare projects. Many of those fledgling initiatives have grown into productive, thriving & successful ventures.
Having dedicated time to international and domestic partnerships (2017-2024) - in 2025, we made a strategic pivot back to our core CDFI and economic development work as a direct response to the pandemic's impact and economic development challenges here in our own Philadelphia region. Following many years in Center City and Valley Forge, we have found our (emerging) new home in Philadelphia's Mt. Airy neighborhood.
The Musgrave Street project fulfills dual objectives of (a) Kickstarting an affordable housing initiative, aimed at fostering restorative dignity through permanent homeownership for working families, while creating a supportive housing pathway for CCA women; and (b) Host a neighborhood-based offices for CCA.
CCA recognizes that education is key to opening doors for women and girls. Education can serve entire communities through increasing economic productivity and growth, enhancing women’s domestic role and political participation, and improving health outcomes. The Liberia Institute for Girl’s - Todee (LIG) is an emerging applied poverty research and sustainable development platform for the Todee region of Liberia. The foundation of the LIG ecosystem is a STEM education environment for young women and girls.
STEM Education
Although tiny, we help build intervention mechanisms that bridge gender wealth disparity - going beyond gender pay gap; arguably, a pivotal gender and social equity issue.
Gender Wealth Parity
Building vibrant communities requires collaboration and consideration of all stakeholders. CCA engages with partners to determine what we can do to support the communities we work in. In our home city of Philadelphia, we seek to address the issue of affordable housing and economic mobility.
The Musgrave Street Rehabilitation project is our emerging affordable housing in the East Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Women Capital (USA) is our emerging community development venture capital. These two, blended with our potential collaborative workforce development (in the making) have the potential to assist low- to- moderate-income women increase their equity stakes in the broader economy; and so, lift themselves out of socioeconomic deprivation. (See Programming for details).
Community Development
Research
This portion of our site is under construction.