Spring 2015 - In This Issue:

Mayor Dwight C. Jones
WHERE TO FIND US
Check out our  website to take a closer look at what we have been working on and to stay abreast of what we have in the pipeline!
IN THE NEWS
Richmond Times Dispatch: Mayor Jones: The Right Agenda for Richmond's Future

Style Weekly: Hope and a Promise 

The Nation: Is the Former Capital of the Confederacy Finally Ready to Confront Its Poverty-and Its Past?

UPCOMING EVENTS

Staff from the Office of Community Wealth Building will be on hand at the following events to present an update on the City's poverty reduction strategy:

 

Councilwoman Ellen Robertston (6th District) Community Meeting

When:Tuesday, April 14

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Where: Hotchkiss Community Center

701 E Brookland Park Boulevard

 

Councilwoman Reva Trammell (8th District) Community Meeting

When: Thursday, April 16
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Satellite Restaurant & Lounge 
4000 Jefferson Davis Highway
CHAT 'N' CHEWS

Would you or your or organization like to host a Chat n Chew with the staff of the Office of Community Wealth Building? 


Chat n Chews are informal discussions around issues related to Community Wealth Building in the city of Richmond. Staff from the Office of Community Wealth Building will present information about the work we are doing and engage in a dialogue with attendees about ways to catalyze that work going forward.  If interested send an email to Christina Mastroianni

RVA FUTURE

  CONNECTING STUDENTS TO COLLEGE AND               CAREER

tree-student.jpg

Exploring the possibility of a Promise Scholarship program for Richmond was one of the major recommendations of the Mayor's Anti-Poverty Commission. The goal of Promise Scholarship programs are to provide a city's high school graduates with the financial means and nonfinancial support to enroll in college or a quality training program. Mayor Jones's proposed FY16 budget includes a $425,000 investment in the launch of a Promise Scholarship program, to be called RVA Future, in conjunction with the RPS Education Foundation and in partnership with Richmond Public Schools. The initial investment will be used primarily towards the creation of "Future Centers" in Richmond high schools.

 

Future Centers will be dedicated spaces within City high schools staffed by at least one full-time professional as well as networks of volunteers. Future Center staff will meet with every high school student every year, starting in ninth grade, to plan for life after high school and develop plans for achieving students' goals. Juniors and seniors interested in pursuing college will be provided more intensive guidance and support throughout the application and financial aid process. Future Centers will also provide support and information to students interested in technical school and related career paths.

 

In addition, the Future Centers will serve as a coordinating hub to link students to existing scholarship programs and college advising resources.


This initial investment in the Mayor's proposed budget will also allow fundraising to begin for a scholarship program intended to benefit all RPS high school graduates.

 

The Office of Community Wealth Building is working closely with Richmond Public Schools and the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation on development of the RVA Future program.
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WELCOMING OUR NEW HOUSING ADVOCATES
Back Row: Kelly Evans (Supervisor), Ebony Neblett (Whitcomb), Charlene Riley (Gilpin), Gwen Harris (Creighton) Front Row:  Chelsea Roane (Mosby), Keandra Holloway (Fairfield)

This month we offer a warm welcome to our five new Housing Advocates, who along with supervisor Kelly Evans, make up the Housing Advocate Team.

 

The Office of Community Wealth Building collaborated with the Richmond City Health District in the implementation of this program. Housing Advocates will operate in each of the major RRHA communities (Creighton Court, Fairfield Court, Gilpin Court, Hillside Court, Mosby Court, and Whitcomb Court). Each of the Advocates is a current or recent RRHA resident. Housing Advocates will work directly with residents to provide education on lease compliance issues, provide information on guidelines, resources, and opportunities relevant to RRHA residents, and encourage positive community engagement among residents. The Advocates are working in tandem with the existing Community Advocates in the Resource Centers located in RRHA communities. They also will work in collaboration with RRHA Resident Service Coordinators to assure residents have access to needed information and resources.

 

The entire program is called the Good Neighbors Initiative. The long-term aim of the initiative, in addition to helping neighbors address immediate issues constructively, is to promote the engagement and empowerment of public housing residents. We are excited that this initiative has launched and look forward to working with Kelly and her team.
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FY16 PROPOSED BUDGET

The Jones Administration has made it a top priority that "all citizens benefit from a resurgent Richmond through strategies to mitigate poverty and its social economic and long-term implications on our citizenry and this City." (Mayor's Message to City Council, March 13, 2015). To that end, the FY16 proposed budget for the Office of Community Wealth Building includes substantial investments in Education, Housing, and Workforce Development, totaling approximately $3.6 million. These budget items are part of an integrated plan to address the systemic dimensions of concentrated poverty and to create and expand pathways out of poverty for City residents.

 

In addition, the budget calls for an expanded and enhanced MetroCare program, originally designed to assist low-income households with gas utility bills. The program now also includes assistance with water bills and water conservation.

 

FOCUS AREA

 

FY16 PROPOSED FUNDING

 

EDUCATION

Family Based Workforce Development Initiative (BLISS)

 

142,150

 

Early Childhood Educational Programming

 

72,850

 

Middle School Renaissance 2020

 

350,000

 

RVA Future

 

425,000

 

Communities in Schools

 

428,389

 

 

 

 

 





HOUSING

Affordable Housing Trust Fund

 

975.000

 

Good Neighbors Initiative 

 

200,000

 

 

 

 

 





EMPLOYMENT/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Center for Workforce Innovation

 

436,000

 

Retail/Business Attraction

 

100,000

 

Social Enterprise

 

100,000

 

 

 

 

 





ADMINISTRATION

Community Wealth Building Team

 

310,456

 

Maggie L. Walker Citizens Advisory Board/Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board

 

50,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WATER AFFORDABILITY

MetroCare Water Assistance Program

 

156,390

 

MetroCare Water Conservation Program

 

269,417

 

 

 

 

 

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CITIZENS ADVISORY BOARD
In December of last year, City Council ratified the creation of the Maggie L. Walker Initiative Citizens Advisory Board, a new 14-member formal body charged with monitoring and evaluating the City's anti-poverty and community wealth building initiatives. By ordinance, at least eight of the members must live in high poverty communities and two must be public housing residents. 

The following board members have been appointed: 

 

Heidi Abbott

Chanel Bea

Kamala Benjamin

Domingo Caratachea

Lillie Estes

Dr. Elsie Harper-Anderson

Pauline Hymes

Penny McPherson

Reverend Bo Millner

Patrice Shelton

Albert Walker

Reverend Dwayne E. Whitehead

 

The first meeting of the Citizens Advisory Board was Thursday, March 26. 
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For more information about the Office of Community Wealth Building, click here. To speak to someone from our staff, please call 804-646-1300. To find out how you can get involved, email us or call us at 804-646-1300.