As the light rail is expanded into south Phoenix in the coming years, the community that lives there is taking a proactive approach.

In 2014, the community formed Adelante Phoenix, with funding from a $6 million grant form JPMorgan Chase to the Raza Fund in Phoenix. Adelante is a collaboration of community and business groups that aimed to better the south Phoenix community along the light rail.

Since then, the collaboration has built 675 multifamily housing units, made 50 small-business loans, 42 first-time homebuyer loans, and 307 payday-alternative loans.

The results of this collaboration are captured in a new case study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, which is being presented this weekend at the National Council of La Raza’s national conference here in Phoenix.

We’re joined by Tom Espinoza, who heads the Raza Fund in Phoenix and will moderate the panel.