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AmeriCorps VISTA: A Farewell & Welcome
Last week, OCDCA bid farewell to Tim Adams, who finished his year as the AmeriCorps VISTA Leader. Prior to serving here, he served one year as a VISTA at OCDCA member Homes on the Hill CDC. Tim has now accepted a full-time position one block away at the Ohio Association of Free Clinics. We wish him the best!
We are excited to welcome our new AmeriCorps VISTA, Patrick Creedon. Patrick received a degree in Psychology from the University of Tulsa, and is interested in non-profit work, specifically in public health and community development. He will be helping research and identify funding opportunities, expanding the microbusiness program, and researching the creation of a social enterprise program for OCDCA members. Welcome Patrick!
In August, we will welcome our new AmeriCorps VISTA Leader, Alexis George, who will move to Ohio from Texas to serve.
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OCDCA Creates a Public Relations Toolkit
The Toolkit is designed to build the marketing and public relations capacity of the members of Ohio CDC Association. It provides guide posts for talking in public about community development work, including a working definition of our field, framing language for setting the terms of public discussion, tips for target audiences, and do's and don'ts for using mobilizing and inclusive language. Use the tips in the document to help work though communications planning and marketing.
Access the toolkit.
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OCDCA Member Benefit & Virtual Meeting
Join us for a virtual membership meeting to learn about OCDCA membership benefits and how to take advantage of them. We will also be having a conversation about what your organization needs and how OCDCA can help you meet those needs.
| Event and Date |
Location |
Registration |
OCDCA Member Benefit & Virtual Meeting
July 14, 2016
10:00 - 11:30 AM |
Webinar |
Register Here! |
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Registration Opens Next Week!
Passion for Progress: Redefining Community Development / Athens / Oct. 13-14
In 32 years, we've never held the conference in Athens, but with a growing number of members, innovative strategies in local and healthy foods, impressive impact towards bolstering low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs, and focus on zero waste, it is clearly time to showcase the revitalization occurring throughout the region.
Read more
here
. Follow the excitement on Twitter with
#cdcohio16
.
Thank you to our sponsors! If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference, please contact Lisa Much at
lmuch@ohiocdc.org.
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Sponsors to Date:
Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
PNC Bank
Chase Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Citizens Bank
Finance Fund
Ohio Housing Finance Agency
Third Federal Savings & Loan
WesBanco Inc.
Changeworks
Enterprise Community Partners
Federal Home Loan Bank Cincinnati
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Integrated Community Enterprises
Key Bank
National Church Residences
Ohio Savings Bank, a Division of New York Community Bank
Osteopathic Heritage Foundations
Regionomics
Safeguard Properties
Boenning & Scattergood
Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development
EfficiencyCrafted®
Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action
National Equity Fund
LISC Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky |
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Akron Women Planting Seeds, Hoping Corn & New Lives Grow
"Four homeless women spent Tuesday morning in East Akron planting seeds for what they hope grows into a small corn field and, by extension, a new life. The women are part of Future Story, a program run by Haven of Rest Ministries that teaches women how to launch micro-businesses of their own. Future Story collaborated with East Akron Neighborhood Development on the corn field. Kyle Julien, director of urban planning for the development group, said the Summit County Land Bank helped his organization gain control of the land, which is owned by a defunct California company."
Read more in the Akron Beacon Journal.
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Cleveland's 'Live, Work, Play' Can Stabilize Population
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Share Your Stories
We love hearing about the awesome work you do throughout Ohio. If your organization is mentioned in the news, please share it with us. We love photos too! If you send it to Lisa Much at
lmuch@ohiocdc.org
, we can put it on our blog and in this newsletter.
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New GOPC Report Finds Challenges Have Grown For Ohio's Smaller Legacy Cities
A new report from the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) highlights the critical conditions of Ohio's small and mid-sized older industrial cities and their regions in the wake of the Great Recession and decades of population and manufacturing job loss. The report, titled "From Akron to Zanesville: How Are Ohio's Small and Mid-Sized Legacy Cities Faring?" examines the economic health of Ohio's older industrial cities-also known as legacy cities-over the last 15 years and recommends proactive state policy solutions to strengthen these places.
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Thriving Communities Institute and Loveland Technologies Receive Major Ohio Mapping Grant
Cleveland-based Thriving Community Institute and Detroit-based Loveland Technologies have received a major grant from JP Morgan Chase for comprehensive property mapping to aid revitalization in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Read more in the Washington Post.
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Report on Cleveland University Circle Initiative
The Democracy Collaborative announced the release of their latest report, "Cleveland's Greater University Circle Initiative: An Anchor-Based Strategy for Change," co-authored by Walter Wright, Kathryn Hexter, and Nick Downer. This report is the first in their new Community Wealth Innovator Series, in which leading practitioners will document community wealth building best practices and lessons learned.
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AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight
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On Friday, June 24, OCDCA VISTAs completed their year of service. We thank them for your dedication. Our VISTA Members have made significant contributions to their communities, and while these contributions cannot be simply reduced to numbers, there are many impressive quantitative measures that deserve highlighting. Over the last year, our VISTA Members have:
- Recruited more than 1,500 community volunteers, who completed over 13,300 of volunteer service.
- Organized or attended over 400 community events to support their organization's services.
- Raised over $250,000 in cash and in-kind contributions.
These measures are only a sample of the concrete efforts that our VISTA Members have made during their service year. As many of our VISTA Members head to school to complete advanced degrees or continue with their careers in community development, we have no doubt that they will continue to make a difference in their communities.
In addition, several of our current VISTA Members are re-enrolling for another year of service.
Read more about our 2015 - 2016 VISTAs here.
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Symposium Will Advance Community Development and Health Partnerships
"Community Development & the Social Determinants of Health" will bring together members of the health and community development fields in Cleveland, Ohio on August 30. Hosted by the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA), the symposium will advance partnerships and strategies that improve health and wellness in low-income communities around the country. Participants will learn about the social determinants of health; concrete, successful models working in local communities; regional and national partnerships that can provide infrastructure and increase awareness; and key federal, state and local policies. The symposium is sponsored by the New Venture Fund with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Learn more.
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Exploring Financial Capability & Access for Entrepreneurs Webinar Series
You're invited to join CFED's first ever Listening & Learning Series, a five-part virtual series on Exploring Financial Capability & Access for Entrepreneurs. Five webinars from April through July cover a broad range of topics. The last webinar is July 12.
More information here.
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5th Annual Real Food Real Local Conference
Whether you are a local food entrepreneur, farmer, processor, retailer, or locavore, this event has something for everyone: creative ideas, proven approaches, great connections, plenty of interaction and fun!
Learn more about this conference, happening July 18-20.
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Financial Management for Non-Profit Organizations
You're invited to the Financial Management for Non-Profit Organizations training. The training is free to non-profit organizations and will be offered in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, August 31st from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with registration beginning at 8:30 AM. There are limited spaces available so please register today!
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Reclaiming Vacant Properties (RVP) Conference
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Save the Date: Life. Liberty. Home.
Save the Date for the 2016 Ohio Housing Conference, November 8 - 10, 2016. Hosted by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, the event will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center with hotel accommodations provided by Hyatt Regency. Registration opens in August. Sponsorship information may be obtained
here.
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Housing Development Gap Financing Opens July 3rd
The Housing Development Gap Financing program's next application window will open on July 3, 2016, with final proposal applications due to OHFA by 5:00 p.m. on July 21, 2016. Learn more from the
2016 Consolidated HDAP Program Guidelines.
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Efficiency Crafted Homes Incentives
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YouthBuild, Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
YouthBuild is a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are high school dropouts, adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, homeless youth, and other disconnected youth populations. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses several core issues important to low-income communities: affordable housing, education, employment, leadership development, and energy efficiency. Deadline is July 6.
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Specialty Crop Block Program
The purpose of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as "fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture)." Deadline is July 6.
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Nurture an Idea Award
Enterprise Ohio announces the 3rd Annual Nurture an Idea RFP. Two nonprofit organizations will receive $10,000 each to implement innovative and transformative community development initiatives in Cuyahoga County. Strong proposals should focus on creating opportunity through affordable housing, transportation, community resources, jobs, health care and more. Award winners will be selected at a community-wide event on October 3, 2016. Applications are due July 12, 2016.
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Central Ohio Foster Grandparent Program
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Ohio State Office announces a grant funding opportunity for eligible organizations to apply to operate and manage a Foster Grandparent Program in Franklin County, Ohio. Deadline is July 15.
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Ohio Humanities General Grants
Ohio Humanities' General Grants program includes Monthly Grants up to $2,000, Quarterly Grants up to $5,000, and Major Grants up to $20,000. Projects take many forms: exhibitions, public talks, literary festivals, oral history, as well as planning activities that require humanities perspectives. Some of them have a July 15 deadline.
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HUD Community Compass TA & Capacity Building Program
Community Compass is designed to help HUD's customers navigate complex housing and community development challenges by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully.
Deadline is July 19.
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Healthy Food for Ohio Funds
Finance Fund Capital Corporation developed Healthy Food for Ohio (HFFO) to increase access to affordable, fresh food in underserved areas, improve the diets and health of Ohio residents, and spur economic development and revitalization. Grants and loans are available to fund costs associated with land acquisition, predevelopment, construction, equipment, infrastructure, and related expenses for new and existing facilities. Eligible applicants include grocery chains, individual grocery stores, neighborhood food stores, co-ops, and nontraditional food projects such as farmers markets and food hubs. Projects must operate in limited supermarket access areas in Ohio. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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Organizations with employment opportunities in community development may send their notices for free posting to Lisa Much at
lmuch@ohiocdc.org
.
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Ohio Housing Trust Fund Turns 25 Years Old
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2016 Housing Tax Credit Awards Announced
Recipients of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's 2016 Housing Tax Credits Awards were announced. Final Results, Competitive Scoring, and a County Map are all available
here.
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Several Members Receive State Community Connector Grants
More than 100 community partners will share $9.4 million in Community Connectors grants that will be used to create student mentoring programs, ODE recently announced.
The community mentorship programs are expected to reach 40,000 students, according to an agency release.
(List of recipients).
Congratulations to several members that were recipients. Since Community Connectors launched in July 2015, about 14,000 students have been mentored and mentors have logged about 91,000 hours of group activities with students.
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After Significant Progress, Appropriations Process Stalls
Congress moved quickly in May to advance its appropriations bills. The full Senate approved its Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill, and the House moved its THUD bill out of the Appropriations Committee. Despite overall flat-funding for all non-defense discretionary spending, both bills provide most housing and community development programs with either increased or level funding. For more information, see Enterprise's comprehensive overview of the House bill, Senate bill, and an updated budget chart. For now, though, the appropriations process has largely stalled. It is unclear if and when the House will bring its THUD bill to the floor for debate. Many expect that Congress will enact a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open through the November elections. At that point, Congress will either need to enact another CR or pass a full-year appropriations bill.
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Fed Publishes Latest Economic Well-Being Report
Last month, the Federal Reserve Board released its latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households for 2015. The Fed surveyed more than 5,600 people on a variety of topics, including savings behavior, economic preparedness, banking and credit access, housing and living arrangements, auto lending, education and student debt and retirement planning. According to the report, 46 percent of Americans said they did not have enough money to cover a $400 emergency expense. Instead, they would have to put it on a credit card and pay it off over time, borrow from friends or family or simply not cover it at all. While this marks a slight improvement from 2014, down from 47 percent in 2014 (a one percentage point decrease), the report shows that nearly half of all Americans continue to lack significant savings and financial stability more than seven years into the economic recovery. The Fed also found that 22 percent of workers were juggling two or more jobs in 2015.
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Bipartisan Bill to Expand LIHTC Introduced in Senate
Senate Finance Committee member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. The bill would expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by 50 percent in order to create or preserve an additional 400,000 affordable homes over the next ten years. The bill is co-sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).
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House Passes Bill to Increase Federal Support to Social Impact Bonds
On June 21, the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation that would meaningfully expand federal support to state and local Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), also called "social impact partnerships" or "pay-for-success" contracts. SIBs are a promising tool for creating new public-private partnerships to tackle some of the most pressing social and economic challenges facing low-income communities-all while ensuring that any taxpayer investment yields measurable results. Included in the legislation is a provision that would establish a new interagency council to identify, support and monitor eligible state and local SIB initiatives that could save federal dollars and create a new 10-year, $100 million fund within the Treasury Department to support state and local SIBs. The bill now goes to the Senate, where similar bipartisan legislation was introduced last year.
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The State of the Nation's Housing Finds Renter Cost Burden at an All-Time High
The number of severely cost-burdened renters - people paying more than half of their income in rent - has reached an all-time high of 11.4 million households, according to the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies' (JCHS) newly released The State of the Nation's Housing 2016. The report finds that rental demand has increased in recent years, with a net increase of 1.4 million renter households in the past year alone - the largest-ever single year increase. As demand for rental housing has increased, so have rental prices. Rents rose by more than 3.6 percent in 2015, far outstripping the pace of inflation and growth in wages. Incomes have increased just 1.2 percent in the past year, making rents increasingly unaffordable.
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