NEOSCC has been quite busy since the first of the year. We have been working with the Sasaki Team (Scenario Planning Consultants) to develop an engaging visioning process for the region that will include many opportunities to get involved and share your thoughts.  Our Regional Assessments of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice team has been reviewing preliminary data and conducting a region-wide survey for government officials and housing stakeholders (see article below.)  NEOSCC is pleased to announce the schedule for the first round of Fair Housing Forums which kick off in March (see schedule below).   In conjunction with all of this activity, we have been conducting engagement throughout the region to prepare for the Scenario Planning Process.

A FEW FAQ'S

What is Scenario Planning and when do we get to find out about the opportunities for engagement?

At the end of this month, we will be publishing a special edition of Vibrant Northeast Ohio that will answer all your questions about the process and how you can make your voice heard! 

Isn't there anything you can share now?

Yes, we will be having three rounds of workshops throughout the region.  These will take place around the end of April, end of July and beginning of August.  

We will also be launching a dynamic on-line tool to gather your priorities and vision for the future.

OK, What Can I do in the meantime?

Glad you asked...A couple of things:

• Read the article below about the Fair Housing Forums coming up in March.
• Visit Our Get Involved Page to participate, volunteer or host a speaker or you can also download this handout and forward it to your networks.

• Help us with our Social Media Drive to 1000 

At our January board meeting yesterday, the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Board elected a new slate of Board officers and members of the Board's Executive Committee. These officers will lead the organization throughout 2013, the final year of the initial, three-year federal grant.

"This slate of Board officers and Executive Committee members provides NEOSCC with the leadership of some of the best planning minds in the region," said Hunter Morrison, NEOSCC Executive Director. "This year our focus will be on conducting the Scenario Planning process and creating the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan. These officers, led by Grace Gallucci, the new Executive Director of NOACA, gives us a reservoir of expertise and experience that will help ensure that the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan is an innovative, actionable framework for improving this region's future."

2013 NEOSCC Board Officers:

Board Chair: Grace Gallucci, Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)

First Vice-Chair: Bob Nau, Stark County Regional Planning/Stark County Area Transportation Study (SCATS)

Second Vice-Chair: Jason Segedy, Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS)

Third Vice-Chair: Rachel McCartney, Eastgate Council of Governments

Treasurer: Steve Hambley, NOACA

Secretary: Fred Wright, Akron Urban League

You are invited to attend!  NEOSCC is currently undertaking a study to evaluate fair housing throughout the 12 Counties of Northeast Ohio.  It is known as a Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. Through a series of Fair Housing Forums, we are reaching out to each of the 12 Counties to listen to your thoughts on this important issue.

Listen to preliminary findings of the study.  Provide your knowledge, opinions, and feelings about fair housing choice.  Please offer your suggestions on how to eliminate impediments to fair housing choice - ways we can work together to further fair housing in Northeast Ohio.

State and Federal fair housing laws prohibit discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status, ancestry or military status.

March 11

9:00am - Summit County, Akron Urban League (President's Hall), 440 Vernon Odom Blvd., Akron

1:30pm - Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (Corporate Offices, Board Room), 8120 Kinsman Rd., Cleveland

6:00pm - Cuyahoga County, Hall of La Sagrada Familia, 7719 Detroit Ave., Cleveland

March 12

9:30am - Wayne County, Wayne Metropolitan Housing Authority (Training & Conference Center), 1273 W. Old Lincoln Way, Wooster

2:00pm - Medina County, City of Medina, City Hall (Multi-purpose Room),  132 North Elmwood Ave., Medina

6:30pm - Lorain County, Lorain County Transportation & Community Center, 40 East Ave., Elyria

March 13

9:30am - Ashtabula County, Ashtabula County Head Start (Lake Erie Room), 4510 Main Ave., Ashtabula

2:00pm - Lake County, Lake County Administration Bldg., 105 Main St., Painesville

6:30pm - Geauga County, Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority (Community Room), 385 Center St., Chardon

March 14

9:30am - Portage County, Portage County Regional Planning Commission,  124 N. Prospect St., Ravenna

2:00pm - Trumbull County, The Wean Foundation (Western Reserve Room), 147 W. Market St., Warren

6:30pm - Mahoning County,  Covelli Center (Community Room), 229 E. Front St., Youngstown

March 15

9:30am - Stark County, The Metropolitan Centre, 601 Cleveland Ave. N.W., Canton

You can download a pdf of the schedule here 

NEOSCC Fair Housing Survey Underway

As part of the Vibrant NEO 2040 planning process, NEOSCC is conducting a regional analysis of impediments to fair housing choice (often called a Regional AI).  Western Economic Services -  is helping us craft a useful Regional AI for all of the communities in our 12-county region.  

Working with Western Economic Services, we have created two surveys to help gauge the status of fair housing in our communities.  If you are involved in the housing industry please take some time to complete the survey.

We have created two surveys.  One for government officials and one for housing stakeholders.  Our definition of "housing stakeholders" are people like an advocate/ service provider, banking/ finance, construction/ development, condo or homeowner association leader, insurance, law/ legal services, property management, real estate, or resident advisory council leader. 

Please fill out the most appropriate survey and forward both survey links to anyone else you think would like to participate in this research.  

Regional Land Protection in Northeast Ohio

The Western Reserve Land Conservancy (www.wrlandconservancy.org) has recently completed Common Ground, a regional land protection report for northern Ohio. The Western Reserve Land Conservancy is a nonprofit conservation organization in Moreland Hills, dedicated to preserving the natural resources of northern Ohio. Common Ground is the first-ever collaborative look at conservation in Northeast Ohio. The report is the result of the efforts of the region's conservation community over the past year. It will soon be released to additional conservation partners and to the public.

Regional land conservation provides many benefits for Northeast Ohio. The ultimate objective of land conservation is to preserve the natural resources of the region that optimize quality of life for its inhabitants, including animals and plants as well as humans. Conservation protects existing open spaces, productive agricultural lands, ecologically-sensitive areas, and encourages more efficient land use within the existing development footprint. The ultimate vision of Western Reserve Land Conservancy is to ensure Northeast Ohio will be an authentic place where development is concentrated in historic urban areas such as Akron, Elyria, and Youngstown, in historic Western Reserve villages such as Chagrin Falls, Medina, Wooster, and Hudson, and, as needed, in new areas that promote lasting, community-oriented development. Working farms and urban gardens will flourish, supported by local markets that provide healthy and fresh produce that connects citizens to the land in a tangible, enduring way. Parks and preserves will connect people to the land, provide a safe place where children can play, and support a quality of life that attracts and retains diverse residents.

However, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy is not alone. Other land conservancies, both small and large, have operated successfully to protect many acres of farms, forests, and fields from spreading development. Some of these include national-level organizations like the Trust for Public Land (www.tpl.org) and The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org). Others include local-level organizations within Northeast Ohio such as Gates Mills Land Conservancy (http://gatesmillslandconservancy.org/), the Killbuck Land Trust (www.killbucklandtrust.org) and the West Creek Preservation Committee (www.westcreek.org).

The Western Reserve Land Conservancy plans to release Common Ground over a series of events during the month of February. For more information about the report's release, please contact the Conservancy at (440) 528-4150 or info@wrlandconservancy.org.