Progress continues on advancing proposed Neighborhood Infrastructure Assistance Program

OCDCA offered proponent testimony to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on November 12th for the  Neighborhood Infrastructure Assistance Program (NIAP). Senate Bill 149 proposes to create a program that would offer a tax credit to businesses that make monetary donations to catalytic community development projects.  Providing testimony in partnership with coalition member Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), OCDCA and GOPC explained the design specifics of the program and discussed successes other states have experienced with similar programs.

After OCDCA and GOPC testified, a representative from PNC Bank offered proponent testimony in support of the bill.  PNC has been a leading voice for the creation of this program in Ohio and has many years of experience participating in similar tax credit programs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Providing the private sector-investor-perspective, Stephanie Cipriani, Senior Vice President of Community Development Banking, described a range of projects PNC has invested in. 

A nonprofit leader from Asbury Park, New Jersey described the transformation of a neighborhood which was decimated by riots in the 1970s.  With the help of New Jersey's Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program, Paul McEvily and Interfaith Neighbors, Inc. have led the revitalization of one of New Jersey's more disinvested neighborhoods.  McEvily's testimony included a series of pictures of this neighborhood transformation and the impact of the private-public partnership created through New Jersey's program.

On November 19th, Tim Bete, President of St. Mary Development Corporation in Dayton, offered proponent testimony at the third hearing of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He described the complexity of development financing, the resource contraction facing the industry, and the catalytic impacts of community economic development projects.

OCDCA and GOPC will offer proponent testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee later today for H.B. 219, the companion legislation in the House. The third House hearing is anticipated in early December. The proponent testimonies significantly contributed to the momentum and energy around this proposed program. The coalition greatly appreciates the commitment and travels of the testimony team! 

Officers and Board Members Elected

At the Annual Business Meeting, the voting membership elected the following officers and board members.

For Officers: (one year term)

President

Steve Torsell, Homes on the Hill CDC

Vice President

Don Corley, WSOS Community Action

Secretary

Maryellen Cameron, ICAN Inc.

Treasurer

Terry Glazer, United North Corporation

For the Board of Trustees: (two year term)    

Terry Glazer, United North Corporation

Jim Sweeney, Franklinton Development Association

Sabrina Waytes, Western Reserve Community Development Corporation

To view a complete board list click here. OCDCA appreciates the dedication and service of the officers and board members. Congratulations on your election!

Association Strategic Plan Adopted

Conference Recap

The annual conference in Cincinnati was both exciting and inspiring. 265 community development professionals from around the state convened for sessions with topics including healthy food systems, comprehensive community development, local design, form-based code, green neighborhoods, wealth building, finance tools, and resource sharing. There were neighborhood tours which showcased housing diversity, Cincinnati's form-based code, the balance of neighborhood and institutional interest, and there was also a Segway tour of some of Cincinnati's great civic venues. Christopher Leinberger delivered an excellent keynote presentation at the opening luncheon. For a photo gallery, press releases, and the conference program, click here to visit out 2013 conference page.

Another highlight of the conference were the 2013 member awards. Click here to read the full press release. Please congratulate all of our award winners!

OCDCA would also like to thank our sponsors, without whom, the conference would not be possible:

Cincinnati CDCs Featured in Positive Light in Cincinnati Enquirer Article 

A recent article in the Cincinnati Enquirer highlighted some of the positive effects that Cincinnati's CDCs are having in their communities. The article outlines some of the successful projects and strategies that are the result of the hard work done by some of our members in Cincinnati.

Neighborhood Progress Inc., Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition, and LiveCLEVELAND Merge to form Cleveland Neighborhood Progress 

Three organizations that have played a pivotal role in revitalizing Cleveland neighborhoods are joining forces to save money, provide more efficient service and accelerate growth. Recently, the boards of Neighborhood Progress Inc., the Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition and LiveCLEVELAND voted to merge. The new organization, which will have a new name and visual brand by September, will play a leading intermediary role between major foundations and neighborhood-level community development corporations that seek philanthropy. Click here for a video about the merger, and click here to read an article about the merger.

USEPA Cleanup Grants

Did you know that as a community development corporation, you can qualify for Brownfield grant funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)? The US EPA's Brownfields Program has a rich history rooted in environmental justice and is committed to helping communities revitalize brownfield properties, mitigate potential health risks, and restore economic vitality. Part of this program is the Cleanup grant, which provides funding for a grant recipient to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. Your organization can apply for up to $200,000 per site. Due to budget limitations, no entity can apply for funding cleanup activities at more than three (3) sites. These funds may be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum). Cleanup grants require a 20 percent cost share, which may be in the form of a contribution of money, labor, material, or services, and must be for eligible and allowable costs (the match must equal 20 percent of the amount of funding provided by EPA and cannot include administrative costs). A cleanup grant applicant may request a waiver of the 20 percent cost share requirement based on hardship. An applicant must own the site for which it is requesting funding at time of application. The performance period for these grants is three (3) years.  If you would like to learn more, would like assistance in vetting a potential grant project or help in preparing an application, please contact member Dan B. Brown, President of Partners Environmental Consulting, Inc. at (440) 248-6005 or [email protected].  

National Endowment for the Arts Releases Funding Guidelines for Our Town

Now available on the NEA website are guidelines and application materials for Our Town, the agency's primary creative placemaking grants program. Pending availability of funding, grants will range from $25,000 to $200,000. Our Town will invest in creative and innovative projects in which communities, together with arts and/or design organizations and artists, seek to improve their quality of life, encourage greater creative activity, foster stronger community identity and a sense of place, and revitalize economic development. The application deadline is January 13, 2014 at 11:59 PM ET. For program inquiries, please email [email protected] with specific questions and a design specialist will respond.

Now in its fourth year, Our Town has provided $16 million to support 190 projects in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These projects are diverse in geographic distribution, number and types of partnerships, artistic discipline, and type of project. In FY 2013 alone, 35 of the 59 grants supported projects in communities with populations under 100,000.

Wells Fargo Home Ownership Grants