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Ohio
Community Development
News
April 2015
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Volume 6, Issue 4 | April 30, 2015
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Below is an update with a collection of news items that are relevant to Community Development in Ohio and the Ohio CDC Association.
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Share your Thoughts at a Membership Meeting
Join the Ohio CDC Association for industry updates and networking. Membership meetings follow a facilitated discussion format that encourages members to share their experiences with us so that we can better understand the successes, challenges, and ideas that are unique to our membership and the community development industry in the region.
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Northwest Ohio - Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Fifth Third Bank - Toledo
21st Floor Meeting Room
550 North Summit Street, Toledo, OH 43604
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Central Ohio - Thursday, July 16, 2015
6th Floor Meeting Room
100 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 42315
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Southeast Ohio - Thursday, August 27, 2015
1 Pinchot Lane
Athens, OH 45701
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Who should attend? Community development corporations, community development professionals, local governments, and public officials. Register here. 2015 Membership Meetings proudly sponsored by:
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Did You Take the Membership Survey?
Members, did you get an opportunity to
take our survey? If not, there is still time! The survey takes approximately ten minutes, and your complete submission not only helps us better serve you, but also gets you an entry to win a free conference registration to our 31st annual conference in the Greater Akron area on October 1-2, 2015.
We greatly appreciate your feedback with this survey.
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Webinars on Commercial Vacant Property Redevelopment and Revitalization
Ohio CDC Association, in partnership with Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), presents four free webinars that will explain how to accomplish various aspects of commercial vacant property redevelopment and commercial district revitalization. The webinars are designed as "How To" guides for local community development practitioners, identifying strategies and tools that leverage the link between available commercial properties and economic re-growth strategies in legacy cities. The content of the webinars, described below, will match the overall process of commercial property redevelopment and reuse.
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Tools & Strategies for Commercial Real Estate Redevelopment
July 29, 2015
2 PM - 3:15 PM
Webinar
Click here to register!
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Tools & Strategies for Business Development and District Management
August 26, 2015
2 PM - 3:15 PM
Webinar
Click here to register!
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The target audience of the webinars are community development organizations, including CDCs, Main Street program and commercial district managers, business improvement districts, county land banks, municipal planning and economic development officials, private individuals and developers, chambers of commerce, and other local champions and practitioners leading commercial revitalization efforts.
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In Tomorrow's Weather Forecast: A Catastrophe! Are You Prepared?
Can your community organization withstand or recover promptly from business interruptions? In this lively, free webinar, leading industry expert, Teresa Lindsey, will offer insights on issues our members might consider planning and preparing for in order to keep operating and protected during worst case scenarios. Real-life lessons-learned on matters of Business Resilience, Information Security, Cyber Defense and Fraud Prevention will be shared. The webinar will include an interactive dialogue that enables participants to ask questions, think about how prepared they are for catastrophic events, and consider the types of help available to them.
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Registration
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In Tomorrow's Weather Forecast: A Catastrophe! Are you Prepared?
May 7, 2015
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
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Webinar
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This webinar is proudly sponsored by:
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We Have a Blog!
Tired of waiting until the end of the month to hear what's going on in community development across Ohio? Now you don't have to. Ohio CDC Association is proud to unveil its blog, which features member success stories, training and policy recaps, and AmeriCorps VISTA shout-outs. Check it out at
www.ohiocdcnews.org.
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OCDCA Gives out 4 Scholarships to the NDC Academy 2015
The
National Development Council is holding their annual
Academy in Washington DC May 12-14. Ohio CDC Association is excited to offer four full tuition scholarships to members chosen at random. We had many entries into the contest, but could only provide four with scholarships. These four recipients are
Debra Wilson, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation
Jacqui Buschor, Engage CDC
Irving Moses, Gem-City Hilltop Community Development and Housing
Ashleigh Finke, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing
If you didn't receive a full scholarship, you can still receive a significant discount to this event. As an OCDCA member through NACEDA, you are eligbile for a 64% tuition discount for this event of $300 (the regular price is $825). To access this discount, please
use this form.
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Call for Photos of Dynamic Community Development Work
OCDCA is looking for photos that show community development in action, ideally something that represents both people and place elements of community development. If your organization has a photo that fits this description and would like to be featured on Ohio CDC Association materials, please send your photo to David Foust, [email protected].
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Save the Date - Igniting Collaborative Innovation in the Greater Akron Area!
Ohio CDC Association's 31st Annual Conference in the Greater Akron area Igniting Collaborative Innovation October 1 & 2 Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center
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| Webinar: Tax Credits 101: New Markets and Historic
Enterprise will host a webinar on May 6 at 2 pm that explains the basics of new markets tax credits and historic tax credits. More information available here.
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PCRG Physical Places and Social Spaces Summit
Join the
Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group as they host their fifth annual community development summit in Pittsburgh, May 12-13, 2015.
This year's theme is Physical Places and Social Spaces. Sessions and workshops will highlight cross-sector and regional collaboration in community planning, land recycling, affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and neighborhood revitalization. Register here.
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| 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
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| Rural Development 515 Program Compliance with CRHDO
On May 21, 2015, the Council for Rural Housing and Development of Ohio will host the Rural Development 515 Program Compliance Training to be held at the Quest Conference Center from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Instructor A. J. Johnson will present an overview of the program compliance regulations. Cost for the training is $150.00 for CRHDO members; $200.00 for non-members. More information available
here.
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| Restoring Neighborhoods, Strengthening Economies: A Summit on Innovation & Sustainable Growth in Ohio's Cities & Regions
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| Kresge-Supported Report Focuses on Protecting Affordable Housing
Resurgent interest in urban living is helping to revive neighborhoods in numerous American cities, stabilizing populations and sometimes beginning to reverse previous declines. One consequence of the influx of residents is new public and private investment in amenities such as parks, bike paths and grocery and other stores. However, new demand and investment can also drive up housing costs. That's particularly true in areas that have traditionally been affordable to low- and moderate-income individuals and families, notes a report by ChangeLab Solutions. With support from Kresge's Health Program, the nonprofit ChangeLab Solutions developed a guide to help practitioners and community advocates preserve and expand the number of affordable rental housing options in high-demand neighborhoods. Read more here.
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Gordon Square Arts District Looks to Future After Completing $30M Capital Campaign
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Fund exemplifies Rural Action's Commitment to Appalachian Ohio's future
Rural Action builds model sustainable development projects and encourages a broad civic conversation around Appalachian Ohio's assets in order to create sustainable development paths for the region. Located in Athens, Ohio, Rural Action does a lot to promote sustainable development. As part of that, they recently established a fund for sustainable development through the
Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. Read more
here.
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A New Face for 128-Year-Old House in Jones Home Historic District
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$40M Redevelopment Could Change Fate of One of Cincinnati's Biggest Neighborhoods
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Ohio Fair Lending Conference Series
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The Power of Rent Report
Cleveland Housing Network has been part of a national two-year pilot called The Power of Rent Reporting. Led by Credit Builders Alliance, the pilot enrolled 1,255 individuals from 8 affordable housing organizations to test whether rent reporting to Experian Rent Bureau can be successful as a credit-building strategy for low-income families. CHN enrolled over 500 of its own lease purchase residents in the pilot. Read the report here.
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AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight
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AmeriCorps VISTA Helps Raise $49,905 in Mansfield
OCDCA AmeriCorps VISTA member, Vickie Eichof, aided in grant writing for the recent award of $49,905 to the North End Community Improvement Collaborative. The organization will hold a weekly farmers market where they will offer SNAP incentives and launch their teaching garden, fully outfitted with raised beds, cold frames and tools needed, plus monies for instructors and expansion. The efforts of the North End Local Foods Initiative, which include the North End Farmers' Market and the teaching garden being opened this year, are supported by the Fran and Warren Rupp Donor Advised Fund of the Richland County Foundation.
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| The Future of Food Security in Stark County Stark Community Foundation is leading the effort to address food insecurity in Stark County by conducting an analysis of current food security efforts and ultimately to create a framework for addressing food security that mixes healthy food access, community education and economic development. View the RFP. The deadline is May 1, 2015.
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| Refugee Individual Development Account (IDA) Program
The
Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for projects to establish and manage Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for low-income refugee participants.
Deadline is May 4.
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| Aetna Foundation Grants for Community Gardens & Urban Farms The Aetna Foundation's Local Roots program supports the creation and expansion of community gardens, urban farms, and farmers' markets in underserved, low-income, and minority communities. To be eligible, all projects must include nutrition education or cooking classes focused on the health benefits of fresh produce; the growing or distribution of produce that reflects the food traditions of the target area; opportunities to learn job skills or entrepreneurship within the context of community gardens, urban farms, or farmers' markets; and/or opportunities for community service or volunteer work. In 2015, grants of up to $50,000 over two years will target communities where healthy food can be difficult to buy, and where social and environmental factors may limit people's ability to be physically active. Deadline is May 6.
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| 2015 AmeriCorps State Notice of Funding ServeOhio announces the notice of funding for the AmeriCorps State program for the 2015-2016 service year. AmeriCorps State members provide direct service to LMI communities. Funding comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Limited slots are available. The deadline is May 13 at 5 pm.
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| USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service The USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service program announces four different funding opportunities for local food producers and farmers. Learn more about these opportunities and upcoming informational webinars here. Deadline is May 14. |
| Health Profession Opportunity Grants to Serve TANF Recipients and Other Low-Income Individuals The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is announcing that it anticipates competitively awarding cooperative agreements to support demonstration projects that are designed to provide eligible individuals with the opportunity to obtain education and training for occupations in the health care field that pay well and are expected to either experience labor shortages or be in high demand. In addition to providing education and training services, funds for this project may be used for child care, case management, and other supportive services as appropriate. The deadline is May 29.
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| Ohio USDA Office Grants to Develop or Expand Rural Businesses The Ohio office of the USDA has $700,000 in grants designed to support the development of small and emerging private rural businesses. Some population restrictions apply. Funds must be directed to projects benefiting rural areas located outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Generally, grants range from $10,000 - $500,000, and there is no cost sharing requirement. The deadline is June 1.
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| OCDCA Members Receive "Funding Opps" Members of the Ohio CDC Association receive the Funding Opps newsletter, which disseminates numerous funding opportunities applicable to CDCs in Ohio. Funding Opps is sent, at minimum, once per month and contains plenty of good information. If you are an OCDCA member and are not currently receiving Funding Opps, please contact Lisa Much at [email protected]. If you are not a member and are interested in this benefit, please contact Melissa Miller at [email protected]. |
For current postings Click Here.
Organizations with employment opportunities in the housing and community development field, please send your employment notices to Lisa Much at [email protected]. |
| New OHFA Affordable Homeownership Program At OCDCA's urging, OHFA is close to approving a new $1 million affordable homeownership pilot program with a projected application to be ready during the summer of this year. The first draft of the 2015-2016 Housing Development Gap Financing Guidelines are now available on the OHFA website. This new OHFA program would be funded by the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, and the proposal covers homeownership developments of 4-10 units. OHFA welcomes and encourage your comments and questions. Please send them to Debbie Leasure at [email protected]. You may also call her at 614-995-4512. They will accept comments until Monday, May 4th. The Final Draft will be presented to the Multifamily Committee for approval on May 13th and to the full Board on May 20th. OCDCA would like to thank the many members that provided letters of support and documented the need and demand for affordable homeownership resources. |
| State Budget Update The current version of the budget bill (H.B. 64) passed by the Ohio House of Representatives contains language to create a gas station cleanup fund. The funding for this initiative is left over Clean Ohio money. It is estimated that $20 million in Clean Ohio funds were either unused or represent cost savings from completed projects. Rather than redirect the leftover funds back into the Clean Ohio program, the budget proposal seeks to create a new "Service Station Cleanup Fund" for abandoned gas stations. The program would be run by the Development Services Agency. The current version of the bill would provide up to $500,000 in assessment grant funding and $2 million in cleanup funding to address these sites. The funding could not be used by property owners that contributed to the contamination at these former service stations. Read more here. Additionally the House version calls for an investment championed by the Finance Fund for a healthy food financing initiative of $1.5 million in state fiscal year (SFY) 2016 and $2 million in SFY 2017. The version also removes the 60,000 county population threshold to allow for county land banks to be created in all of Ohio's 88 counties. The budget will now be worked on by the Ohio Senate throughout May and potentially into June when a House and Senate conference committee will meet to hash out differences between their different versions. For a comparison of the Governor's proposed budget and the House passed version, click here. |
| 2016-2017 QAP Focus Groups The Office of Planning, Preservation and Development will host a series of focus groups with members of the development community during the months of April and May 2015 at OHFA. Interested parties may reserve a space at meetings scheduled for May 6th at 1:00pm and May 14th at 10:30am. The focus groups will be limited to a maximum of fifteen people. Please contact Myia Batie, Program and Policy Manager, at [email protected] to confirm seat availability. |
| Housing Impact of Shale Development in Eastern Ohio Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs recently presented findings from The Impact of Shale Development on Housing and Homelessness in Eastern Ohio, a report authored by her research team and funded by OHFA. This document is part of an ongoing effort by the Office of Affordable Housing Research and Strategic Planning to evaluate challenges posed by an influx of energy industry workers entering a constrained housing market. The OU team spoke with 128 people representing 66 organizations operating in and around the eight-county region with the most drilling activity. Participants included public agencies and officials, nonprofit organizations, real estate professionals, advocate groups, financial institutions and charities. The final report distilled the experiences and opinions of those who have seen housing impacts firsthand, along with data about the housing conditions in the area, and provided policy recommendations for OHFA and others to act upon. |
| 2015 Ohio County Profiles The Center for Community Solutions has updated profiles for each of Ohio's 88 counties providing economic, social, and demographic information are available here. |
| TAKE ACTION: HUD Appropriations Bill Halts All Funding to NHTF The proposed FY 2016 appropriations bill for HUD passed April 29 by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) would eviscerate the National Housing Trust Fund. The bill:
- Transfers all funding that is supposed to go to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) into the HOME program.
- Forbids Congress to put any other funding into NHTF.
The House Appropriations Committee press release on the proposed THUD bill states that the bill will provide level funding of $900 million for the HOME program, but fails to mention that it would do so only by raiding the NHTF. The House Appropriations Committee will consider the THUD bill when they reconvene after their recess next week. Please reach out to your Representative before May 12 and urge him or her to oppose the bill's treatment of the NHTF and the HOME program. When you contact your Representative, share with him or her that:
- The NHTF is the only federal program that provides new money specifically to expand the supply of rental housing that is affordable for extremely low income (ELI) households. Nationwide, there is a shortage of 7.1 million rental housing units that are available and affordable for ELI families.
- The funding for the NHTF is a dedicated source of revenue on the mandatory side of the federal budget, and as such, is not subject to annual appropriations. Funding for the NHTF is based on an assessment of 4.2 basis points of the annual volume of business of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is a reliable, predictable stream of funding that is supposed to be separate from HUD appropriations. It is not subject to sequestration.
- As an appropriated program, HOME has suffered deep cuts in recent years, including cuts dictated by sequestration. Its FY15 appropriation of $900 million is less than half of the FY10 appropriation ($1.9 billion). The Appropriations Committee should not be managing the sequester cuts to HUD programs by raiding mandatory funds that have a dedicated purpose.
- Neither program is funded anywhere near what is required to address the unmet housing need.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION There are three Ohio Congresspeople that serve on the House Appropriations Committee, tell him or her to oppose the THUD Appropriations bill's treatment of the NHTF. Congressman David Joyce - 202-225-5731 Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur - 202-225-4146 Congressman Tim Ryan - 202-225-5261 Urge your Representative to remove all references to the National Housing Trust Fund when the bill is marked up in full committee after next week's recess and to maintain level funding for the HOME program.
To reach other Ohio Congresspeople call the Congressional switchboard at 877-210-5351.
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| Senate-House Budget Conference Negotiations Begin On April 20, members of the Senate-House Budget Conference held their first meeting to negotiate differences between the Senate and House FY16 budget resolutions. Senate Budget Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WY) is chairing the negotiations to reach a concurrent budget resolution. Both resolutions would maintain the sequester spending caps put in place by the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA), restricting FY16 nondefense discretionary spending to flat funding relative to FY15. Both the Senate and House budget resolutions threaten the Budget Control Act's principle of parity between defense and nondefense program funding. Low income advocates think the parity principle is critical to protecting resources for the most vulnerable people because there could be a reluctance to cut nondefense program funding if it means equal cuts to defense programs. |
| Federal Reserve Announces New Community Advisory Council The Federal Reserve Board of Governors announced the formation of a new 15-person Community Advisory Council today. The only other sector that gets full, direct access to the full board of governors are banks. The Fed is accepting Statements of Interest with a public process through June 12. |
| NSP Evaluation Report In a new report, HUD evaluates the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which was part of a package of programs that aimed to deal with the consequences of the housing market collapse. NSP had three rounds of funding that targeted assistance to communities facing the neighborhood effects of foreclosure. The evaluation focuses on the second round of program funding (NSP2) and the results reflect a diverse sample of counties. According to HUD, NSP2 was too modestly funded to consistently prevent declines in property values or fully achieve intended impacts. |
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Thanks for subscribing and reading! Please feel free to email us with any comments or suggestions!
Sincerely,
Lisa Much
Program and Development Manager
Ohio CDC Association
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