West Philadelphia is a vibrant, dynamic community that has the potential for an even brighter future. It is also a community that faces its share of challenges.

To insure that we meet these challenges Philadelphia LISC began implementation of an exciting initiative in West Philadelphia designed to foster community empowerment in all of the areas that make a neighborhood great. It's an initiative and a community we call SCI-West. The Sustainable Communities Initiative – West or SCI-West emphasizes improving the whole community by focusing on five key priority areas:

• Expanding capital investment in housing and other real estate
• Increasing family income and wealth
• Stimulating local economic activity and connections to regional economies
• Improving access to quality education
• Supporting safe and healthy environments and lifestyles

The success of this initiative depends in large part on four strong partners. The People's Emergency Center, University City District, Partnership CDC, and The Enterprise Center CDC came together with a dedicated coalition of local stakeholders to coordinate various development and revitalization efforts in the community.