Our Mission
DeSales Community Development is a community-based non-profit that advances the ongoing wellbeing of neighborhoods as healthy, diverse urban communities through housing development, property management and community services.
Our History
Throughout most of its history, DeSales has exclusively served the Fox Park and Tower Grove East neighborhoods, gaining a reputation as a leader and innovator among local community development organizations. To learn more about our historic service area, check out our Fox Park and Tower Grove East pages.
In the 1990s, DeSales determined that a community-based strategy was needed to address the high proportion of absentee-owned rental properties in parts of its service area, and thus decided to become a developer and owner of multi-family housing. Over the years DeSales has utilized the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program as an effective tool to improve properties and produce quality affordable housing. DeSales gradually expanded its multi-family portfolio, focusing its investment in the most vulnerable areas and blocks in Tower Grove East and Fox Park. Today DeSales owns over 300 market rate and LIHTC apartments. View our development projects here.
In 2004, DeSales made another strategic decision to form a property management company to assume management of its multi-family portfolio. It formed an affiliate, Fox Grove Management, which began managing DeSales’ properties on January 1, 2005.
DeSales has also been a leader in building collaborative relationships and has more recently sought to apply its experience in additional neighborhoods by working with other community-based non-profits. Through these partnerships, Fox Grove Management has acquired new rental portfolios and now manages over 1,600 units across St. Louis City and University City.
Over the years, DeSales has learned the importance of a holistic approach to community development, including community programs and services that empower neighborhood residents. Since 2016, DeSales has expanded its community programs, including youth sports through SouthSide Rec and a Community Services Coordination program.
Today, DeSales is one of the largest non-profit housing organizations in St. Louis. It employs a staff of 60 with an annual budget of $4.1 million. DeSales is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors made up of neighborhood residents, property owners, and business owners.