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.

Partner News

Special CDC Registration Rate for the National Community Land Trust Conference

The National Community Land Trust Conference will take place April 28-30 in Cleveland and CDCs can register for the conference at a reduced cost. Join them for one day only on Wednesday, April 30th for just $15.00, or for the entire conference for $305.00. To register at the reduced rate, contact Marge Misak at NHS of Greater Cleveland. The conference is hosted by the National Community Land Trust Network and Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland. For more information about the conference, click here.

Finance Fund - Partner. Invest. Grow.

Find out how to Partner. Invest. Grow. with Finance Fund at their exciting, all-new annual event! Join them May 8, 2014 from 5-8pm at The Columbus Athenaeum. There is no cost to attend. Please complete the RSVP form by April 23, 2014. RSVPs are required to attend dinner. Please contact Larrinda Lyles if you have any questions 614.221.1114 x 5057 or [email protected].

Housing Ohio 2014 Conference

Visit the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio's (COHHIO) conference page to learn more about the conference that provides comprehensive information on some of Ohio's most important homelessness and housing issues. The event is April 7 & 8 at the Sheraton Columbus Capitol Square. Enjoy networking opportunities, diverse and informative workshops, and distinguished speakers. Don't miss their 20th year anniversary conference!

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.

GOPC Releases Study on Weinland Park in Columbus

Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) releases its new study, "Achieving Healthy Neighborhoods: Evaluating the Impact of Housing Investments in Weinland Park," a data-driven report that considers whether the Columbus neighborhood of Weinland Park is achieving long-term health and stability. The Report finds that as a result of investments, Weinland Park is improving; however, the neighborhood has not yet reached a sustainable level of health, and coordinated programs and investments should continue to support long-term vibrancy.

Member News

Welcome New Members!

OCDCA is pleased to welcome these new members for March 2014:

Rural Action and the Southeast Ohio Food Hub Network Receive USDA Grant

On March 20th, Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Doug O'Brien visited Nelsonville, Ohio, to announce a grant award of more than $198,000 to help Rural Action and the Southeast Ohio Food Hub Network expand the distribution of locally grown foods.

The grant is being awarded to Appalachian Ohio's Rural Action to provide business support, technical assistance and shared infrastructure resources. It is being made through USDA Rural Development's Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program, which finances and facilitates development of small and emerging businesses in rural areas. The RBEG program supports a broad array of business activities.

The Southeast Ohio Food Hub Network is comprised of the Chesterhill Produce Auction (Morgan County), the ACEnet Nelsonville Business Incubator (Athens County) and the Village of Somerset Farmers' Market (Perry County). Rural Action estimates the grant investment will help retain more than 275 food sector jobs and could create as many as 65 new jobs and associated businesses. The food hub network also will allow for easier distribution of fresh, local produce to the Southeast Ohio Food bank, enabling area residents at every economic level to have access to local foods.

O'Brien, who made the announcement on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, noted that the grant also will help facilitate the creation of a centralized cooling space at the Nelsonville Food Hub, allowing it to act as an aggregation point for local food shipments to Columbus and other urban Ohio markets.

ECDI Celebrates 1,000th Loan Closing

On Friday, May 28, 2014, Central Ohio's own Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) will celebrate one thousand loan closings, funding another new business in Ohio!

Funding Opportunities

Enterprise CDC and CHDO Grants

Enterprise Community Partners announced the availability of pass-through grant funding made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 grant program. The purpose of this grant funding is to support and improve the capacity and production of community housing development organizations (CHDOs) and community development corporations (CDCs). View and download Application materials.

To learn more about the program and its requirements, please join them for a review session via Webex on March 31 at 11:30 a.m. Please register in advance.

Community Economic Development Projects

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the estimated release date of the 2014 Community Economic Development Projects (CED) Grant. 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 projects that are "well planned, financially viable, and innovative projects to enhance job creation and business development for low-income individuals." The estimated total funding for this grant cycle is estimated to be $17,000,000, there are expected to be twenty-two awards, the estimated award ceiling is $800,000, and the estimated award floor is $100,000. For more information about the grant please click here.

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.

Two Health Impact Assessment Grant Opportunities

The Health Impact Project (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts) released their Call for Proposals to fund Health Impact Assessment projects. The brief proposal deadline is April 2, 2014. The Health Policy Institute of Ohio is tracking interest in this opportunity among Ohio stakeholders, so please let Amy Bush Stevens ([email protected]) know if your organization is considering applying for this grant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced a new grant opportunity called Health Impact Assessment for Improved Community Design. The application deadline is April 28, 2014. Click here for more information.

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.

Job Opportunities

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].

State News

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 recently introduced Mid-Biennium Review (MBR), NIAP stakeholders are working with the General Assembly to amend the tax portion of the MBR (subHB472) 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.

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. The February 2014 Ohio Consolidated Plan draft continues home ownership as an ineligible use for this upcoming funding round. It's important for OHFA and the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) to hear from practitioners. If you'd like to express your desire for a statewide affordable home ownership resource you can demonstrate the need to OHFA and ODSA by making written comment on the Consolidated Plan ineligibility and the need for a permanent state resource during the comment period. Letters must be postmarked by March 31st. Please see the public comment notice for written comment instructions.

OHFA Survey

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) would appreciate a few minutes of your time to participate in their inaugural Housing Needs Survey. This survey will ask for your expertise regarding your local community, the nature of the housing market, and policies targeted toward helping your constituents - as well as what you think will help make it better. The survey will only take 10 to 15 minutes to complete and will be available until noon on March 28, 2014.

Federal News & Resources

Congress Launches FY15 Appropriations Work

After receiving the President's budget request on March 4, Congressional appropriators immediately began work on their FY15 spending bills and set a schedule of hearings on the budget request. The first official step the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will take is to divide the total spending amount for the fiscal year among the twelve appropriations subcommittees, resulting in what are called the 302(b) allocations. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs stated that they will proceed with establishing 302(b) subcommittee allocations within the FY15 spending caps, not the higher amount requested by the Administration. View a detailed chart of the HUD and USDA affordable housing and community development requests included in the President's FY15 budget.

A letter signed by 3,267 organizations was delivered to Congressional leaders on March 19, urging them to allocate the highest possible levels of funding to programs protecting economic and transit opportunity, as well as ensuring a safe and stable home for all Americans. The letter urges leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to allocate increased funding for the Transit, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittees, so they have the resources they need to fund housing, community development and transportation programs. Read the letter and see all 3,627 organizations that signed on. Thanks to the many OCDCA members that participated.

Bipartisan Senate Housing Finance Reform Bill Favors Funding for NHTF

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Chair Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) released the text of their bipartisan housing finance reform bill on Sunday, March 16. The bill provides for potentially at least $3.5 billion a year for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF). The Johnson-Crapo bill is built on the framework of S. 1217, the Corker-Warner bill. The bill has been released as a "discussion draft." Committee leaders hope to mark-up the bill before the April congressional recess, possibly as soon as the first week of April. Like Corker-Warner, the Johnson-Crapo bill would wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and create a new Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation (FMIC) to regulate the secondary mortgage market, similar to the way the FDIC regulates banks. For the discussion draft click here and for a section by section summary of the bill click here.

Affordability Interactive Map

The Urban Institute has produced an interactive map that codes the housing affordability crisis at the county level.

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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