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Ohio Community Development
News
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Volume 5, Issue 4 | April 24, 2014
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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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Upcoming Events
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Event and Date
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Location
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Registration
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Rehab & Critical
Home Repair: An A to Z
May 28, 2014
10:00am - 2:00pm
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Upper Arlington Lutheran Church
3500 Mill Run Dr.
Hilliard, OH 43026
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Click here to register!
$15 for members
(Lunch Included)
| Nuts and Bolts of IDAs
June 5, 2014
10:00am - 4:30pm | Columbus Metropolitan Library
3rd Floor Board Room
96 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215 | Click here to register!
$35 for Members
$45 for Non-Members
Free for AmeriCorps*VISTA | Social Enterprise:
Foundations and Beyond
June 19, 2014
10:00am - 2:00pm | 324 Frasch Hall
Franklin University
201 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215 | Click here to register!
$25 for Members
$50 for Non-Members | The Art of the Deal:
Passion-Purpose-Profit
July 16-17, 2014
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 1:00pm | New Salem Baptist Church
2956 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus, OH 43224 | Registration opens soon! |
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Upcoming Webinars*
in partnership with Heritage Ohio.
*Please identify yourself as an OCDCA member when registering!
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30th Annual Ohio CDC Association Conference
Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Ohio CDC Association's 30th Annual Conference! This year the event will take place at the Crowne Plaza in Dayton, Ohio on October 9-10. Please join us again this year for two days of networking with community development professionals from across the State of Ohio and learning from leaders in the field about the latest developments and trends in community development. Also experience "The Birthplace of Aviation" and all the things it has to offer!
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Become an IDA Site with OCDCA
OCDCA's Individual Development Account (IDA) program, Assets Ohio, is gearing up to apply for additional federal match funds. IDAs have been proven to be an extremely effective tool to lift LMI individuals out of poverty. An IDA is a matched savings account that must go towards one of three assets: a house, a small business, or a college degree. Individuals with an IDA must also complete financial education and asset specific education before they can receive match funds.
Several of OCDCA's members have already pledged that they will work as sub-grantees and offer IDAs at their organization. However, there is still plenty of room for additional members to become sub-grantees and offer IDAs to individuals in their service area.
If you have questions about the IDA program, or would like to join OCDCA and several of its members in using IDAs to fight poverty, please contact Suzanne Parks as soon as possible at [email protected] or (614) 461-6392 ext. 206, as the grant is due May 7th.
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OHFA 2014 Spirit of Homeownership Excellence Awards
Help the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) recognize the best affordable housing efforts in the state by submitting your entry for the 2014 Spirit of Homeownership Excellence Awards. OHFA's Spirit of Homeownership Excellence Awards were created to honor innovation and quality in the affordable housing industry during Homeownership Month. OHFA encourages partners to consider nominating programs or initiatives that help Ohio residents prepare for the responsibilities of homeownership or make homeownership affordable. Specifically, OHFA seeks to recognize consumer education programs, well-structured mortgage products, affordable and efficient construction, foreclosure prevention initiatives, or other innovative efforts to achieve and maintain homeownership. Nominations will be accepted through May 16, 2014 at 5 PM EST.
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OHFA Multifamily Lending Programs Survey
OHFA would like learn about the need for potential new multifamily lending products to be offered by OHFA. To take the survey click here.
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Pittsburgh Community Development Summit
On May 14th and 15th, 2014, join more than 500 leaders from across the region in downtown Pittsburgh the Fourth Annual Community Development Summit, Reaching Across Boundaries. This year's keynote speakers include Shelley Poticha, director of NRDC's Urban Solutions program, and David Rusk, author of Cities without Suburbs. For more information, visit their website.
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A study released by the non-profit Thriving Communities Institute concludes that the epidemic of foreclosure, abandonment and blight in Cleveland and five inner-ring suburbs is responsible for a nearly $45 million shift in the tax burden to Cuyahoga County's other 53 communities.
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Welcome New Members!
OCDCA is pleased to welcome this new member for April 2014:
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Burten, Bell Carr Development's MC2 Healthy Food Access Project Recognized
Burten, Bell, Carr, Development's MC2 Healthy Food Access project was recognized in the USDA hearing on Capitol Hill this month by U.S. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge. BBC's AmeriCorps*VISTA members, Caitlyn Neely and Julia DiBaggio, played a key role in The Bridgeport Mobile Market's success. This discussion can be seen here at the 1 hour and 6 minutes and 50 second mark of the video. Click, "click to watch the archived webcast" under Webcast to the left of the page.
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Cathy Vue of ASIA, Inc. Awarded "Champions of Change" for Affordable Care Act Outreach to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community
On Thursday, April 24th, the White House and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services honored 11 advocates and community leaders as "Champions of Change" for their work to educate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about the Affordable Care Act. The event celebrates the leadership, commitment, and hard work of navigators, consumer assisters, community health centers, and other individuals or organizations that have focused on ensuring that AAPIs fully benefit from health reform. The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. Congratulations Cathy and ASIA, Inc.!
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Arts Placemaking Grants
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has placemaking grants for creative projects that contribute to the livability of communities and place the arts at their core.
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Redefining "Rural"
Planning rural places is unique. The Citizens Institute for Rural Design competitively provides money and technical assistance to help. May 6 deadline. |
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HUD Technical Assistance
Technical assistance (TA) is available to HUD grantees. HUD has Technical Assistance (TA) providers available to help. For more information or to apply through the portal please visit the HUD One CPD website.
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Home Depot Foundation Grants
The Home Deport Foundation is funding projects that focus on the repair or weatherization of homes and community centers serving low-income individuals and veterans. The grants are up to $5,000 and are given in the form of Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools and building materials. To find out more about the funding opportunity, click here.
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Serve Ohio
ServeOhio, the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism, recently announced the availability of AmeriCorps grants for groups across Ohio. More information on the 2014 Ohio AmeriCorps Formula Operational and Planning Grants is available on the ServeOhio website. The deadline for applications is May 9th.
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Community Economic Development Healthy Food Financing Initiative Projects
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the estimated release date of the 2014 Community Economic Development (CED) Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HHFI) Projects. The current estimated post date for the grant application is April 14, 2014, and the current estimated due date is June 16, 2014. Grants will be awarded to CDCs with viable projects that seek to improve the "economic and physical health of people in areas designed as food deserts." Projects that work to improve areas with "poor access to a healthy food retail outlet, a high percentage of low-income residents, incidence of diet-related health conditions, or high concentrations of persons eligible for food assistance programs" will also be considered for funding.
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For current postings Click Here.
Organizations with employment opportunities in the housing and community development field, please send your employment notices to David Foust, at [email protected]. |
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Neighborhood Infrastructure Assistance Program Update
Progress is continuing on the Neighborhood Infrastructure Assistance Program (NIAP - SB 149/HB 219). The original proposed program would offer a tax credit to businesses that make monetary donations to catalytic community development projects. In adjusting to the dynamics of Governor Kasich's introduced Mid-Biennium Review (MBR), NIAP stakeholders are working with the Senate and Senator Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City) to amend the MBR (subHB483) with a NIAP version that allow for credits from personal donations in addition to business donations. For any questions please contact Nate Coffman at [email protected] or (614) 461-6392 ext. 207.
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Ohio Housing Trust Fund Lift the Cap
Earlier in April an amendment to lift the cap on the Ohio Housing Trust Fund had been included in the Mid-Biennium Review (MBR) by Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) working with the Coalition for Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO). The amendment was removed from the legislation at the urging of Rep. Ron Maag (R- Lebanon). Apparently, Rep. Maag took the action at the behest of a lobbyist who works for the Ohio Recorders' Association. COHHIO is more determined than ever to lift the cap and are developing an advocacy plan. Over time, because of the cap, the Trust Fund has forgone approximately $69M that could have been put to good use across the state.
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Mid-Biennium Review
The Center for Community Solutions explains the changes in Ohio's budgetary practice and policy proposals in this year's MBR.
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HDGF Home Ownership
Home ownership is currently an ineligible use for the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's (OHFA) Housing Development Gap Financing (HDGF) program. Some members have expressed a need to access this resource for home ownership. OCDCA has expressed the need for a statewide affordable home ownership resource and will be working with OHFA over the coming months in the hope of eligibility and a resource in 2015.
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Fast-Track Foreclosure
On April 2, the House passed HB 223, a pilot program specifically for foreclosed vacant properties in Lucas, Franklin and Cuyahoga Counties. The measure would serve to speed up the process by which abandoned properties are transferred through sheriff sales The legislation has been referred to the Senate and has bipartisan support championed by Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) and Rep. Michael Curtin (D-Marble Cliff). An article from the Akron Beacon Journal, titled Weight of Foreclosure, provides the details.
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CHDO Workshops - Understanding the New HOME Rules - Columbus May 20 - 22
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of 2.5-day Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) training workshops that will be held during the spring and summer of 2014.
The workshops are intended:
- To orient participants to important changes in the 2013 HOME Final Rule
- To provide detailed information about the Rule's CHDO-specific provisions
- To help CHDOs and their PJ partners develop strategies to build and demonstrate the capacity needed to maintain CHDO status and receive HOME CHDO set-aside funds
The training is most relevant for CHDOs that have been in operation for less than five years. A limited number of spaces will also be available for PJ staff to attend the workshops with their CHDOs. CHDOs and PJs interested in attending should watch for further announcements as specific dates and locations are finalized. As individual trainings are scheduled, they will be posted to the OneCPD Resource Exchange's Course page. Other courses will be offered outside of Ohio and scholarships are available to defray the cost of travel.
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With Congress in recess for two weeks, Senate Banking Committee staff are working to agree on possible amendments to the "Johnson-Crapo" housing finance reform draft legislation that was made public on March 16. The Banking Committee is scheduled to mark-up the bill on April 29, the day after Senators return from recess. A part of the proposal applies 75% of a new 10 basis point fee on users of the new system to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF). This is estimated to generate $3.75 billion a year in dedicated revenue to the NHTF proposed by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and other national advocates. This highly complex legislation has raised concerns of access to credit by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and the Urban Institute. Among many issues is that the bill would allow participants in the mortgage insurance system to "opt out" of serving under served communities by paying the highest possible fee. Enterprise Community Partners also has an issue brief on the legislation. There is consensus that the proposal is an improvement over the first iteration, "Corker-Warner", but many feel the proposal does not go far enough to achieve affordable housing goals.
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Housing Finance Reform and Housing Counseling - Sign on requested
Senator Sherrod Brown (D - Ohio) will be introducing amendments to Johnson-Crapo to bolster housing counseling in mortgage reform including:
- Requiring servicers to refer delinquent loans to housing counseling as early in the delinquency as is practicable;
- Eliminating the legislatively mandated down payment requirement for counseled loans; and
- Building housing counseling into the mission of the new Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation (FMIC).
To sign on to a letter to Senator Brown supporting his amendments please click here. |
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Rural Housing Trends
Housing Assistance Council (HAC) staff reviews disturbing funding trends and the FY 15 Administration budget request in "Analysis: Rural Housing Programs in Decline."
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Rural Areas Lose People But Not Power
Rural lawmakers are dwindling in number as people continue to migrate to metropolitan areas. But the battle between urban and rural politics remains as described in Governing Magazine.
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NLIHC Releases Out of Reach 2014
The National Low Income Housing Coalition's (NLIHC) 25th annual Out of Reach 2014 report provides state-by-state information about how many hours a week a minimum wage worker actually need to work to afford a two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. Ohioans must earn at least $13.84 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent. The study found that 32% of renters in the state do not earn enough to afford such a dwelling. The national "Housing Wage" is $18.92 this year, according to the report. Ohio's number is up from $13.79 last year. To view NLIHC's press release on the report click here.
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Thanks for subscribing and reading! Please feel free to email us with any comments or suggestions!
Sincerely,
David Foust
Membership Manager
Ohio CDC Association
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Contact Us
Office: (614) 461-6392
Fax: (614) 461-1011
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Location and Directions
33 North 3rd Street
Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43215
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