|
As IACED's annual membership drive is launched, we hope that
you will choose to rejoin Indiana's only statewide association for the
community economic development industry. Together, we're making a difference
for people and communities all around the state.
The first round of renewal notices are on the way. If you do not receive a
renewal notice by mail in the next week, IACED may need to update your information.
You can also
renew your membership online at our
website by clicking here.
Please contact
Caroline Lampert at 317-920-2300 ext. 10 or by email at clampert@iaced.org IACED depends on your continued support to provide the best
possible services to the many organizations we serve. We wish to sincerely
thank those who remained with us in 2008 and plan to renew in 2009. Please remember January begins a new membership
cycle and your dues will pay for services provided this current year. While
some of you may have paid your dues later in 2008, they covered the membership
services provided to you last year. If you have any questions, please let us
know.
New Members Welcome! We are always eager to serve new member
organizations. Remember to ask another organization to join when you renew your
membership! They may contact IACED for a membership packet or download the
membership form from our website.
|
Community Economic Development Inventory
Dear IACED Members and Friends: IACED is collaborating with the the Indiana Nonprofit Sector Project to develop an inventory of major community economic development projects across the state of Indiana. We ask for your participation in this project by completing a brief survey. By doing so, you will help us identify effective and collaborative solutions to community needs and document the significance of community development efforts to the well-being of Indiana communities. This initiative is a collaboration of the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development (IACED) and the Indiana Nonprofit Sector Project (INS), sponsored by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. IACED services community development organizations working on behalf of disadvantaged and low-income populations in Indiana by rebuilding distressed communities. The Indiana Nonprofit Sector Project aims to provide solid, baseline information about the scope and community dimensions of Indiana nonprofits, the challenges they face, and the contributions they make to local communities, as well as to the state as a whole. We ask for your help in these efforts by completing the COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVENTORY survey. Most respondents will be able to complete the survey in less than 15 minutes. The survey focuses on place-based Community Economic Development (CED) strategies as opposed to those focused on individual residents and families. CED is a community-based process that aims to foster economic opportunities and improve social conditions in a sustainable way and frequently involves nonprofit collaboration with government and private businesses. Your participation in this survey is, of course, completely voluntary and your individual responses will be kept in strictest confidentiality. The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs has sole responsibility for the survey and in no case will anyone at IACED or elsewhere have access to individual responses or raw data without your explicit permission. Your timely response to this survey is greatly appreciated! Access the survey here. In return for your participation, we will be happy to send you a copy of our report, but please make sure we have your contact information (last question) so that we can do so.
Andy Fraizer, Executive Director IACED Kirsten Gronbjerg, Project Director Indiana Nonprofit Sector Project IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs IU Center on Philanthropy | |
| Greetings!
Welcome to 2009.
2008
was a whirlwind year. No doubt, many of
you were affected by the economic turmoil. The Indiana Association for Community
Economic Development (IACED) will contact you in the coming weeks to discuss the impact of the recession on your operations and communities. This will help us structure IACED's services to support you in the future.
Now, more than ever, it is
important to renew your membership with the IACED. Your membership keeps you connected to
valuable information, resources, and colleagues across the state. On behalf of IACED's Board of Directors, thank you for your past participation. As a statewide association, the number and
participation of member organizations is an indicator of IACED's success. In 2008, IACED hit a high of 201 members with
membership increasing by 4.7 percent.
January means the Indiana General Assembly is back to work. In a time of financial uncertainty and economic downturns, the legislature and Governor have a tremendous task before them: setting the budget for the next two years. Media reports suggest the budget debate will focus on the importance of protecting the state surplus versus investment in the creation of jobs.
The Governor outlined his ideas in the inaugural address and State of the State address. He is supportive of local government reforms including eliminating townships, replacing county commissions with a single county executive, and requiring small school districts to consolidate administrative functions. He is also supporting legislation to allow Hoosiers to vote on whether property tax caps become a permanent part of the state's constitution.
Reducing foreclosure is anther issue which is receiving attention in the General Assembly. The first hearing of the 2009 General Assembly was a forum
on mortgage foreclosure convened by the House of Representatives Financial
Institutions Committee. In addition to IACED, partners in this
community forum included the Alliance for Children and Families, AARP Indiana, the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Indiana
AFL-CIO.
IACED
members Affordable Housing Corp., Pathfinder Services, and CCCS of Northwest
Indiana attended and brought staff and families impacted by foreclosure to provide testimony. The testimony from
families and their housing counselors focused on additional
actions and policies for policymakers to consider.
IACED is focused on the foreclosure issue in this year's legislative session.
As of today, Indiana does not have the highest foreclosure rate in the
nation. However, this ominous distinction is a recent memory, and
Indiana continues to be amongst the top 10 foreclosure states. The
fact we are not number one today is little comfort to those many
Hoosier families affected by foreclosure.
IACED believes the foreclosure challenge is best addressed
by a comprehensive approach to all aspects of the problem. It will
require strategies to mitigate the effects of the current challenge,
mitigate the impacts of foreclosure, and prevent future abuses which
caused the current crisis. Mitigating the effects means strategies
focused on preventing foreclosure. These strategies include helping
borrowers gain greater access to counseling and short-term financial
resources. Another strategy is to include a fair foreclosure process
with ample time to seek and secure alternatives to foreclosure.
Mitigating the impact deals with the concentration of vacant homes left
behind in Hoosier communities which are magnets for crime and represent
lost property tax base. Preventing future abuses will require
regulatory changes which prohibit many of the predatory practices which
led to the current crisis. IACED will continue to advocate for changes
supporting Indiana communities during this crisis.
In addition to foreclosure issues, IACED will advocate for members to receive support in the following ways:
Individual Development Accounts
Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) provide matched bank accounts for qualified low-income households to be used for asset purchases such as home repairs or higher education. IACED will advocate for increases in the program. This program helps Hoosier families build wealth and is an important tool.
Neighborhood Assistance Program
IACED will also educate policy makers about the importance of the Neighborhood Assistance Program as a fund development tool for community-based non-profits.
Microenterprise
Microenterprises are an important tool for many Hoosiers to use to supplement or create their own income. IACED will advocate for increased funding to microenterprise developments.
If you have any questions about IACED's legislative agenda, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Andy Fraizer
|
|
Welcome New Members!
IACED is pleased to welcome the following new members to our association:
Purdue Center for Regional Development - Associate Member
New Albany Urban Enterprise Association - Voting Member
Thank you for joining! We are looking forward to getting to know you and helping you serve Indiana communities and families.
| |
|
IACED Training Updates
January 20-21
This two-day course will build participant knowledge of major management issues including the four phases of property management - People, Records, Fiscal, and Property. The training will cover the following topics:
- Deciding to become involved in housing management
- Creating a management plan
- Marketing, screening, and lease agreements
- Management reports and management agreements
- Monitoring financial performance, income, and expense analysis
- Risk management, insurance, safety, and emergencies
- Managing the resident relationship
- Maintenance operations
Participants will leave with an understanding of property management and the related tasks of asset management.
ISTA
150 W. Market St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
Regional Forums on Community and Economic DevelopmentThe Indiana Humanities Council and Ball State University's
Bowen Center for Public Affairs will co-host a series of regional
discussions as part of an effort to help Hoosier communities deal with
tough economic times. Four communities will be selected for the events,
which will focus on areas including community and economic development,
sustainability, arts and culture as a community development strategy, local government reform, and education reform. Former Indianapolis Mayor
Bart Peterson will moderate the sessions.
IACED is exploring ways to partner with the Humanities Council and Bowen Center in these forums. IACED will distribute additional information once the communities are chosen for these forums. You will find additional information on the forums on the Humanities Council website and this news article from Inside Indiana Business.
|
|
American Recovery and Reinvestment
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) outlined an $825 billion economic stimulus package Thursday morning, January 15 which she said would be marked up in committees this week. The plan includes $550 billion in new spending and $275 billion in tax cuts, with major investments in roads, education and health care, as well as aid to struggling states and tax relief of up to $500 per worker. States are the biggest winners in the package, with hundreds of billions of dollars flowing through state and local education and health care programs and transportation systems. The legislation is expected to pass the Congress prior to the February recess. Major housing provisions include the following: - Public Housing Capital Fund: $5 billion for building repair and
modernization, including critical safety repairs.
- HOME Investment Partnerships: $1.5 billion to help communities build
and rehabilitate low-income housing using green technologies. Distributed by formula.
- Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP): $4.2 billion to help communities purchase and
rehabilitate foreclosed, vacant properties in order to create more affordable
housing and reduce neighborhood blight.
-
Homeless Assistance Grants: $1.5 billion for the Emergency Shelter Grant
program to provide short term rental assistance, housing relocation, and
stabilization services for families during the economic crisis. Distributed by formula.
-
Rural Housing Insurance Fund: $500 million to support $22 billion in direct
loans and loan guarantees to help rural families and individuals buy homes
during the credit crunch.
-
Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Program: $10 million for rural,
high-need areas to undertake projects using sustainable and energy-efficient
building and rehabilitation practices. Funds will be awarded by competition to
projects that can begin quickly.
-
Lead Paint: $100 million for competitive grants to local governments and
nonprofit organizations to remove lead-based paint hazards in low-income
housing.
-
Rural Community Facilities: $200 million to support $1.2 billion in grants
and loans to rural areas for critical community facilities, such as for
healthcare, education, fire and rescue, day care, community centers, and
libraries.
There is a proposal in the legislation to reserve $750 million included in the $4.2 billion
for a second round of NSP funding, targeted to non-profits. The The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) is advocating for this set-a-side to be used for working capital or
capacity building. In
addition the proposed legislation deregulates the NSP funding and it can be used much more
broadly to demolish housing, and most regulations, except fair housing, labor
practices are set aside to get money out much more
quickly. The package also includes funding for job training, CDBG, Americorp, energy efficiency,
social services, etc. Highlights include: - Home Weatherization - $6.2 billion
- Head Start - $2.1 billion
- Wireless & Broadband - 6 billion
- Job Training - $4 billion
- Economic Development Assistance- $250 million
- Brownfields - $100 million
- CDBG - $1 billioin
- Americorps expansion - $200 million
You will find comprehensive summaries of the legislation on the Congressional Quarterly web site (PDF file) and here. |
|
Join ICHS for the 2009 Winter Forum
Who: Indiana Coalition for Human Services
This organization promotes quality, accessible, and comprehensive human services for all Hoosiers.
What: One forum - two great presentations:
- The Economic Crisis in Indiana: The Outlook for Human Services
Dr. Jerry Conover, Director, Indiana Business Research Center, Indiana University
- 2008's Big Tax Reform: Issues for Local Government and the 2009 General Assembly
Dr. Larry DeBoer, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
When: Friday, January 23, 2009
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Thornbur,g LLP Conference Center, Auditorium II
11 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204
(easy, affordable parking in Circle Centre Mall under Carson's)
RSVP: Fax or email your registration using the attached form by Wednesday, January 21, 2009 |
Registration Now Open for Exploring
Innovation: A Conference on Community Development
Innovation in Changing Times
April 22-24, 2009
Chase Park Plaza
St. Louis, Mo.
Exploring Innovation: A Conference
on Community Development is a unique opportunity for anyone interested in
community development to create and implement solutions that deliver real
results.
The information shared at the
conference will help organizations and communities survive-and thrive-during
these challenging economic times.
Exploring Innovation is:
- the best experience for anyone
interested in a comprehensive view of community development,
- a fun atmosphere that will help
unleash ideas,
- a unique learning opportunity where
participants are engaged before, during and after the conference,
- a place to hear real stories of
transformation,
- just what communities need right
now.
Presented by the Federal Reserve Bank
of St. Louis in partnership with cfed, Enterprise Community Partners,
NeighborWorks America, Opportunity Finance Network and Social Compact.
|
|
Foreclosure Halt Update and New REO Rental Policy
On Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Fannie Mae announced its new National REO Rental Policy. Under this policy, Fannie Mae offers renters who are occupying one- to four-unit foreclosed properties at the time Fannie Mae acquires the property the opportunity to remain on a month-to-month lease. This policy addresses the problem recently experienced by some renters of having been displaced through foreclosures, even when they have been making their monthly rent payments consistently to the foreclosed borrower. Fannie Mae previously announced an eviction suspension which remains in place until the end of January. The new policy will be in place prior to the end of that suspension. If a renter is living in a foreclosed property, property managers, on behalf of Fannie Mae, will notify them of their options. One of those options is that the renter will be offered a month-to-month lease with Fannie Mae at market-rate rent, provided that the property is "habitable" and meets state laws and local codes for rental properties. The other option available is where the renter chooses not to remain in the property and enter into a lease, and Fannie Mae will offer monetary support to aid in the transition to new housing. More information on this policy, including a list of frequently asked questions and answers, is available here. |
|
Best Practices in Supportive Housing and Employment: Advocating for Employment Services Funding
Resources for funding community- and housing-based employment initiatives are hard to come by. Federal funding under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is one source of state and local employment and training funding. However, WIA funding alone will rarely be effective for disadvantaged populations (e.g., the homeless and formerly homeless) unless you take local action to engage your Workforce Investment Board (WIB). On December 11, 2008, Enterprise presented an online event to teach practitioners how to advocate for employment services funding. The online presentation and is available here. Learn how to advocate for this commitment from your local WIB and also how to expand your horizons beyond WIA, to tap into other funding sources, and enhance mainstream workforce partnerships. In Indiana, the State Workforce Innovation Council (SWIC) is charged with
developing opportunities for Hoosiers to gain employment and earn
competitive wages. SWIC develops and implements workforce solutions
based on the input of representatives and local workforce investment
boards around the state. You will find additional information about the Workforce Innovation Council here, and the regional WIBs here. |
Commission Releases Report on Future of Fair Housing
The National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity released its report, The Future of Fair Housing, on December 9. The Commission, co-chaired by two former HUD Secretaries, Henry Cisneros and Jack Kemp, recommends creating an independent fair housing enforcement agency to replace the existing structure at HUD, calls for a revival of the President's fair housing council, and urges federal programs' and activities' compliance with obligations to affirmatively further fair housing, a mandate that the report says has not been taken seriously. The Commission conducted five hearings in 2008 on the state and future of fair housing in the United States. According to the report, "The hearings exposed the fact that despite strong legislation, past and ongoing discriminatory practices in the nation's housing and lending markets continue to produce levels of residential segregation that result in significant disparities between minority and non-minority households, in access to good jobs, quality education, homeownership attainment, and asset accumulation." The report, produced by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Leadership Council on Civil Rights Education Fund, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the National Fair Housing Alliance, is available here . |
|
Mayors: Lack of Affordable Housing, Foreclosures Contribute to Increasing Homelessness
In its annual look at homelessness in 25 of America's cities, a study released in mid-December by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 63 percent of cities surveyed reported an increase in homelessness due to the foreclosure crisis. Cities reported that increases are driven not by homeowners losing their homes but primarily by tenants being evicted from foreclosed units. More than 80 percent of the cities surveyed for the hunger and homelessness study reported that their homeless population is higher this year than last, by an average of 12 percent. A lack of affordable housing was the most common response for the cause of family homelessness and trailed only substance abuse for contributing to homelessness among individuals and unaccompanied youth. Illustrating the shift from a reliance on shelters to an emphasis on rapid re-housing, 71 percent of the cities surveyed include a Housing First component in their plan to end homelessness, and the number of permanent supportive housing beds added in the last year (4,677) surpassed the number of new beds added to short-term and transitional shelters (3,802) in these cities. The U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Survey is available here. |
Community Revitalization: A School-Centered Approach
A recent report from Enterprise Community Partners discusses how high quality public education is an essential component of transforming distressed neighborhoods. School-centered community revitalization (SCCR) is an approach to revitalization in which improving academic outcomes for neighborhood children is a central part of the strategy. The study also presents policy recommendations that will expand school-centered community revitalization. School-centered community revitalization is based on a partnership between a local school and an external sponsor, which could be a for-profit or nonprofit housing developer, a university, or a local foundation. The sponsor partners with the community's elementary school and commits to making substantial improvements in the areas of principal and teacher quality, research based curriculum, and early childhood education. These improvements have been shown to increase academic quality. In order to achieve these improvements, the sponsor must have political influence in the city, a commitment to the neighborhood, and the financial resources to contribute to physical improvements to the school and school programming. SCCR focuses on changing the fundamentals of instruction at a particular school while investing in housing and infrastructure in the school's immediate neighborhood. The long-term nature of the partnership assures SCCR sponsors will have a vested interest in the neighborhood as well as the school and work towards its revitalization. This program understands that communities with a shortage of good public school options cannot retain income diversity, which can lead to concentrations of poverty. The study concludes with recommendations for policy makers in order to promote school-centered community revitalization. The recommendations include providing demonstration grants to 20 sponsors of school-centered revitalization, beginning state-initiated pilot programs at public schools, and seeking philanthropic sponsors that will provide funding and evaluation of school-centered community revitalization efforts. The report, Policy Roadmap for Expanding School-Centered Community Revitalization, by Jill Khadduri, Heather Schwartz, and Jennifer Turnham at ABT Associates, can be found here. |
New Report Outlines Improving Adult Education, Workforce Training
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is out with its latest report for improving Indiana's adult education and workforce training efforts. Key recommendations include: goal setting and accountability, collaboration and alignment, affordability and marketing and awareness. Chamber President Kevin Brinegar says "if many of these recommendations are addressed, more adults will have living-wage jobs, the state's economy will be fueled by a more educated workforce and fewer adults will rely on costly state services such as Medicaid and corrections."
|
The Hospitality Certification Program
Indianapolis Employment Network is a collaboration of more than 70 state and local advocates dedicated to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The network's Homeless Action Team has designed a hospitality training program for homeless and formerly homeless people with disabilities based on successful models in other metropolitan areas. The Homeless Action Team has put together a Hospitality Certification Program to provide a 10 week training course that prepares clients for jobs in the hospitality industry.
The curriculum was designed by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and has been used in the hospitality industry for more than 50 years. The certification demonstrates an individual is fully prepared to take on the tasks of an entry level position. The curriculum is designed for an 8th-9th grade reading level, but the Homeless Action Team is willing to work with individuals with reading levels as low as 4th grade.
Requirements for the program include: being homeless; having a disability; individuals with mental illness or substance abuse disorders must accept treatment; having an interest in hospitality employment; and eligibility for vocational rehabilitation.
After completing the program, students are placed in a local hotel. When the student successfully completes 90 days on the job, he qualifies for professional industry certification for his current position. The graduate will then receive job placement assistance.
Several local hotels have expressed interest in participating in the program. Staff positions for this program are still being filled, but agencies that work with the homeless will soon be able to refer their clients to the certification program.
View a powerpoint about the program here. |
|
National Housing Trust Fund
Resources Frozen
The Housing Economic Recovery Act of 2008 established the National Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund, which are to be financed by contributions based on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's annual new business purchases from the previous year. Now, the housing crisis and a directive from the Federal Housing Finance Agency threaten the future of these funds.
In a Nov. 18 report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Fannie Mae reported that its new regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, required it to stop setting aside or allocating funds for the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund, as authorized in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, until further notice.
For fiscal year 2009, these funds were to pay for potential costs to the Federal Housing Administration's new Hope for Homeowners foreclosure prevention program. In fiscal year 2010, these funds are to be split between the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund.
Read the SEC filing here. |
|
How Your Community Can Thrive:
Even in Tough Times
2008 will go down in history as a turning point. Unexpected new events and ideas surfaced, changing the way we will lead our daily lives in the future. Financial turmoil abruptly altered the economic picture, forcing people to shift their thinking about everything from the household budget to global interconnectedness.
An article by Philip Myrick, Vice President of Project for Public Spaces, reminds us times of economic challenge are also times of great opportunity for community development. As the economy changes, local communities become the sources of human and creative capital that will catalze economic growth. Our communities can thrive if we remember several basic principles:
- We are defined by our homegrown culture and character
- Bigger is not better
- Community partnerships offer the best way forward
- A plan can never substitute for a vision
- Take over the streets
Read the full article here. |
Neighborhood Stabilization Program Improvements Sought
Ten Solutions to Improve the Effectiveness of HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program
National community development partners continue to work with HUD to improve the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Since HUD released the NSP Notice on September 29, 2008 partner organizations including Enterprise Community Partners, the National Community Stabilization Trust, and other leaders in the field have been working to ensure the NSP is as effective as possible. Partners recently produced and released "Ten Solutions to Improve the Effectiveness of HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program." |
House to Consider Bill to Amend
TARP Program
On January 9, House Committee on Financial Services Chair, Barney Frank (D-MA), introduced H.R. 384, the TARP Reform and Accountability Act of 2009. The bill amends the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, the $700 billion bailout bill that Congress hurriedly passed before the election at the behest of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (see Memo, 10/3/2008).
Congress and others have been highly critical of how TARP has been implemented both for lack of accountability for how dollars have been spent, and for not doing anything to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Some Members are objecting to releasing the second $350 billion at all.
Chairman Frank's bill directs how the second $350 billion of the TARP's $700 billion authorization will be spent. The bill would establish a foreclosure mitigation plan within the Department of Treasury on which at least $40 billion, and up to $100 billion, would have to be spent. Treasury would be required to submit its foreclosure mitigation plan to Congress by March 15, 2009. The plan would cover owner-occupied units.
The bill would also make improvements to HUD's Hope for Homeowners program, the Federal Housing Administration program authorized by Congress in 2008 that has attracted little interest from lenders. In addition, the bill would require Treasury to establish a program, outside of the TARP, to stimulate demand for home purchases, including increasing the availability of affordable mortgages.
|
Housing Policy Agenda Forecast
HAC Conference Panel Discusses Outlook for 111th Congress
As part of the 2008 Housing Assistance Council's National Rural Housing Conference, Enterprise Community Partners Senior Director of Government Affairs, Dvora Lovinger, provided a perspective on the outlook for housing policy in the 111th Congress. The panel discussed the possibility of including funding for housing programs in plans for an economic stimulus package. During the panel entitled "The Outlook for Housing Policy," Lovinger talked about the idea of housing as infrastructure beyond building highways and repairing bridges.
The other panelists included Laura Hogshead, House Appropriations Committee staff member, and Dom McCoy, counsel, House Financial Services Committee. Hogshead noted that the new administration and 111th Congress will have an increased focus on affordable rental housing, specifically HUD programs, as part of any efforts to address the economic crisis. McCoy discussed the need to stimulate the tax credit markets, which have lost a significant number of investors during the economic crisis.
|
|
Send us Your Stories!
IACED knows IACED members are doing great work - we'd like to spread the word! If you've had a successful project or remarkable experience, send your story to ncarnagua@iaced.org or call 317-920-2300 ext. 17.
Don't have time to send the whole story now? Just send an email expressing interest, and an IACED staff member will follow up with you. | |
|
|
|
