Nate Coffman, Executive Director - Ohio CDC

As the community development movement has changed and tactics have diversified, it’s important to tell the story of community development and community development corporations (CDCs) — how organizations and community members unite to boost the quality of life and generate economic opportunities. As part of the Ohio CDC Association’s effort to tell their collective story, they partnered with several members to highlight their revitalization and stabilization endeavors across all corners of Ohio. They hope this video inspires you to tell your story too!

 What is Community Development in Ohio?

Watch our video ~ If We Can, So Can You

Jack Riordan, OCCD Development Specialist

It is the Day of the Bird as I start this January message. I am thankful for the memories OCCD and I share; some occurred before many of you started school, long before there was the Box On Grate Hotel or you got a glimpse of the Little Old Lady with Cats. I am thankful for the good that OCCD has achieved to improve the lives of the citizens of our Communities and the tiny bit I was able to contribute. I will not bore you with fuzzy, heavily edited mementos of OCCD’s first 50; it thrived by helping its members adjust to the money and whims of DC and The State House. I would not bet it will be around in another 50 years, but OCCD could make it if it demonstrates the same flexibility and ability to attract new young leaders while politely tolerating us old left-overs.

I will now bore you with what I see in the next fifty years which will affect your lives. My personal plan is to enjoy only half of the next 50 with you; I promise that only a tiny portion will be on the payroll as the Lapsing Legacy.

The War On Poverty will fade away as ALL low income assistance programs are consolidated into THE SYSTEM agency. This might be a real benefit to those trying to get ahead. There will be a single office in every county with scattered satellite branches run by nonprofit corporations, one for every 15,000 people below the poverty line. The transition to THE SYSTEM will take the first 10 years. It will include everything: new mother programs, (all fathers must be genetically identified), child care, special education, and after school programs. It will offer work for the unemployed including live on-line work at home (no underwear or pajamas allowed on screen), health care, housing vouchers, homeless and disabled assistance, and job training programs at private companies and governments. Guilt and tax reform will generate public and private employment for every skill level. If you do not work, if able, or are not a full time student, you will not eat. It will become the job for government in partnership with the private sector to provide meaningful dignifying work and qualifying education.

All of us, rich and poor will have to sign up for our SYSTEM CARD, on our first visit to obtaining a driver’s license, or on graduating from high school which will be mandatory ever if it takes 6 years. The CARD will have our retina scan, thumb print and ALL (I mean ALL) our data and history. This card must be carried at all times and will have many ID uses - voting, driving, and listing all our insurance coverages. It will be used to access food assistance at grocery stories. For us old folks we will have to report to a satellite to get our card or the mobile card maker will come to our domicile. Non-profit charitable assistance providers will be required to use this card. States wishing to utilize highway and other federal funds will have to tie their driver’s license’s data into THE SYSTEM.  

The mandatory nature of THE SYSTEM will result in an insurrection that will last the second ten years. After that I will only have five years to reach my goal.

We will finally do away with the penny. There will be no cash. THE SYSTEM card plus credit cards will make all purchases.   If you want coins and bills you will have to order them from your bank.

Income and wealth inequality will be the source of domestic and international tension constantly threatening wars and insurrections.

Unwillingness to learn and work will be a major issue and problem.

Enough of the Middle Class will realize that the Poor are not the cause of their problems; that the lobbyists for tax avoiding corporations and the ultra-rich (who manipulate the government and economy for their benefit) are the reason problems have stagnated and they will rise up to elect enough good people in both parties who pledge to cut the connection between donations and legislation and regulation so the USA can return to Governance of and for the People, all the poor, middle and rich people.

Local governments will collectively demand that their concerns be addressed by state and federal legislators.

Because smaller communities need help maintaining services and rebuilding infrastructure, CDBG will continue. It will continue in almost its present form, providing federal funds for any “activity” related to lower income family needs and as long as the project is “consistent” with an approved long-range regional plan updated every 5 years or as needed.

Tax credits will continue to develop new low and moderate income housing units. Public housing units will not be replaced and taken off the market when beyond repairs.

Federal Economic Development will be available only if the activity is not tied to local or state tax incentives.

Because of world population increases food production will be a dominate industry. Owning farm land will be a source of wealth and income along the making of a host of artificially produced delicious and nutritional eatables.

During the latter part of the next 50, transportation will be fueled by a currently unrecognized source.

Communications will be by systems yet to be invented.

Face masks and hard surfaces will be removed so football will become a safe sport.

There will be no secrets.

Race will not be an impediment to success.

Terrorism and War will be almost continuous until a Christian-Moslem Prophet comes along who will recognized their Hebrew origins and point out that there is One Mountain with many paths to Allah-God and that killing is not acceptable to the Source.

The Little Old Lady with Cats said, “You are at it again. You know our beloved Government could never agree on something as complex as THE SYSTEM no matter how much it would help and protect us. Consolidation of the delivery of all low income programs has a chance.”

A head poked out of a Box-on-Grate Hotel and said, “Let the games begin.”

Debra Mayes, OCCD Training Coordinator

Happy New Year! Actually as I write this, it is only December 4…. Patricia and her deadlines…. Is it just me or did the past year seem to pass by in about 5 months???

And talk about time passing….In the ten (10) years since the hiring of Jack and me, a total of seventy-eight (78) training opportunities have been offered and attended by nearly seventeen hundred (1700) members and non-members. Now time is going too quickly AND suddenly I feel really tired!!

So as we tumble into the new year, the first training opportunity is the OCD CHIP Application Training. AND TAKE NOTE – THE TRAINING AND OCCD WINTER QUARTERLY ARE A WEEK EARLY!! On January 20, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., OCD will conduct the PY 2015 CHIP Program Application Training at the Embassy Suites Dublin, 8100 Upper Metro Place, Dublin Ohio  43017.  Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.  During the training, OCD will distribute the PY 2015 CHIP program application materials and provide detailed instructions regarding the documents.  Interested applicants are encouraged to attend the training; however, the application materials will also be available, after January 20, 2015, on the OCD website by visiting http://development.ohio.gov/cs/cs_chip.htm and selecting “PY 2015 Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program Application and Instructions” or by calling OCD, at (614) 466-2285, and requesting a copy of the document.

Why a week earlier??? Space availability. Folks seem to prefer Embassy Suites Dublin for the OCCD Winter Quarterly and our “traditional” time had already been “snatched” for 2015 and 2016. Eighteen months out is becoming too short of a time frame for securing hotels…. It used to be that was only the case in October.

The Training and Sessions Committee will be determining the April OCCD Spring Quarterly day prior training at the committee meeting this month. Typically this training focuses on fair housing as April is Fair Housing Month.

There has been discussion on providing trainings on Thursday afternoon rather than the day before the OCCD Quarterly. If you would like to weigh in on that….tc-occd@occd.org.

Basics of Community Development Part I was offered at the OCD Development Conference in November. Geared for new practitioners, the session included an overview of program history, an explanation of national objectives and eligibility requirements, and a discussion on project selection and citizen participation requirements. Testing after the course was optional and I am pleased to report that all received a passing grade. Basics of Community Development Part II will be scheduled for some time in 2015. Watch this newsletter column for date and time.

Mark your calendars as OCCD will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2015. DO Not, I repeat DO NOT schedule anything for July 29-30, 2015.

With the new by-law changes comes the restructuring of some of the committees. We have a new name, and a bit of a tweeking, but remain committed to providing information and training on topics of interest to you our members. If you would like to submit topics for consideration or names of potential speakers, please do so through tc-occd@oc 

Change of address!!!! Please replace my old e-mail trainingcoordinator@occd.org with tc-occd@occd.org!!!!!

Reminder

Power Point presentations from the OCCD Quarterly meetings are posted to the OCCD website under Learning Resources-Post Training Materials when permission is given by the speakers. Occasionally, due to the size of the presentation because of pictures, this is not possible. The members’ only password is required to access. If you do not have this password, please contact Patricia Richards at office@occd.org.

Locations for 2015-

The OCCD 2015 Winter Quarterly Meeting will be held January 21-22, 2015 (note a week earlier than usual) at  Embassy Suites, Dublin.

The OCCD 2015 Spring Quarterly Meeting will be held April 29-30, 2015 at Crowne Plaza North, Columbus.

The OCCD 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held July 29-30, 2015 at Crowne Plaza North, Columbus.

The OCCD 2015 Fall Quarterly Meeting will held October 28-29, 2015 at Crowne Plaza North, Columbus.

Locations for 2016-

The OCCD 2016 Winter Quarterly Meeting will be held January 20-21, 2016 (note a week earlier than usual) at  Embassy Suites, Dublin.

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David Goodman, Director

As 2014 draws to a close, the Development Services Agency is reflecting on what we have accomplished and making plans for the year ahead. JobsOhio is making us stronger. Since they are recruiting job creators to Ohio, Development can focus on what we do best; service to the businesses, communities and people of Ohio. 

Development Services is committed to providing accountability for taxpayer money and quality customer service to Ohio businesses and communities. I am happy to report that in 2014 businesses delivered 103 percent of the jobs they promised. A great majority of the companies that received state incentives are fulfilling their commitments to the state.

More people than ever are sharing in our state’s economic growth. Ohio spent more money with more minority-owned businesses than ever before. Our Minority Business Development team is helping businesses become certified with the state, which can provide them with new opportunities. For more information about both the Minority Business Certification and the Minority Business Development Centers, call (614) 466-5700.

To help potential customers with clear information about assistance, we have developed a “Program Finder” on our website. I’ve often likened it to a Wendy’s menu for its simplicity in getting customers to what they want effortlessly. Search by program or keyword, and you can find detailed information including eligibility requirements, related programs and contact information. We hope this tool provides more information as you navigate your community development projects.

Looking forward to 2015, here are a few of the initiatives we’ll be focused on:

Ohio Means Jobs - a great tool for individuals and businesses alike. Not only can you search for positions and post your resume, but you will also find resources to help you identify training programs and develop a career plan. Ohio businesses can post job openings, search posted resumes, and find out more about state workforce.

Ohio Career Exploration Internship Program - this program helps high school students learn more about a profession and gain better understanding of the skills, training, and education needed to enter a career. Growing our workforce makes Ohio more attractive to job creators.

Access to Capital - in the next year, we will work to help businesses through collateral support for energy-efficiency projects; and provide capital access for public-private partnerships.

Thank you for your partnership and commitment to Ohio communities. We look forward to working with you in the year to come. Feel free to call our office at (614) 466-2285, if you need assistance or have suggestions on how we can improve our services. Have a great holiday season!

Jorgelle Lawson, CPD Director, U. S. Department of HUD

Burr, it is cold outside! Not too much to report for this article. By the time of the winter meeting, we hope to have budget numbers with formula allocations. “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672)

CPD COLUMBUS FIELD OFFICE / NATIONAL PROGRAM UPDATES:

On-Site Monitoring -- While cold outside, our annual risk based monitoring will begin earlier this FY. We scheduled on-site monitoring reviews starting in December 2014. They will continue every month through August 2015.

Differences between the Low-Mod Income (LMI) Survey Notice CPD-14-013 and Notice CPD-05-06 -- After the LMI Survey Notice CPD-14-013 was published (on September 23, 2014), several questions arose asking if there are any differences between Notice CPD-14-013 and Notice CPD-05-06 (published in 2005). Indeed there are significant differences between the two policy documents. In fact, even though the headings and sub-headings in both Notices may be the same, the texts/discussions may be different. The discussions under several headings in Notice CPD-14-013 include answers to questions that were asked after Notice CPD-05-06 was published. Also, due to a HUD Rule published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2012, the definition of what constitutes a family is more expansive in Notice CPD-14-013 than in Notice CPD-05-06. Furthermore, CPD-14-013 includes definitions of “current residence” and “usual residence” pursuant to the American Community Survey (ACS), which has replaced the Decennial Census as the source of Data for the Low- and Moderate-Income Summary Data (LMISD). These definitions have significant effects on performing LMI qualifications. In addition, whereas Notice CPD-05-06 could be used as a stand-alone policy document, Notice CPD-14-013 must be used in conjunction with Notices CPD-14-10 and CPD-14-11: Transition Policy for Low/Moderate Income Summary Data Updates during Fiscal Year 2014-State and Entitlement CDBG Programs. Please review this information.

Please continue to check your e-mails for updates from my office. If there are any changes in e-mail addresses, please let your CPD Rep or Myrna Cokes know as soon as possible. In addition, please provide updated staffing information to our office. This would include changes resulting from elections, office reorganizations, etc.

See you at the meeting.