What a wonderful evening it was! Over-the-Rhine Community Housing held its fourth annual Celebrating Our Beloved Community event at Music Hall Ballroom, just around the corner from its office, last Thursday, October 14, from 5:30 to 8:30 p m.
This fundraiser brings together so many different aspects of the community development industry and of the diverse OTR community. The food is always terrific - hors d'oeuvres from What's for Dinner, this year. Really plenty for a light supper.
And then, from my point of view, so many friends to meet and greet, so many hugs to gather. It's like they give a big party so I don't have to! It really is an event that brings together so many caring people.
High point this year was a wonderful speaker, ibrahim adbul-matin, the author of Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet. A youth organizer and environmental policy consultant, media personality and blogger (Brooklyn Bedouin), Ibrahim added good energy to the love all ready in the room.
An award to Elder High School for the many years its students have spent Saturday mornings working on housing rehabs, a fantastic set of performances by Elementz, honorary co-chairs Dan Korman of Park + Vine and Zeinab Schwen of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Ohio - a very inspiring and fun way to spend an evening.
Everyone's supply of community building energy got a big boost.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Public Forum: Balancing Interests in OTR
The entire title of the public forum presented by Woman's City Club on September 21 was: "Balancing the City's Interest in Neighborhood Revitalization and the Interests of Residents: Over-the-Rhine as a Case in Point."
Quite a title and quite a speakers list: Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, OTR Community Housing executive director Mary Burke Rivers, Chad Munitz of 3CDC, Debbie Mays, community activist, Cassandra Barham from the Contact Center, and Jeanne Golliher from Cincinnati Development Fund. The moderator was Karyl Cunningham, president and CEO of Emanuel Community Center.
Roxanne had a powerpoint, as did Chad. The big room at First Unitarian Church was full of people, full of energy, lots of questions. Much of the discussion seemed to center on the re-doing of Washington Park. There was no real disagreement expressed, and yet no clear consensus emerged either - no clear statement about what was in the City' interest and what was in the community and residents' interest.
This would seem to be a still-evolving discussion. It was great of Woman's City Club to bring all the parties together, to get the dialogue out front and in the public eye.
Quite a title and quite a speakers list: Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, OTR Community Housing executive director Mary Burke Rivers, Chad Munitz of 3CDC, Debbie Mays, community activist, Cassandra Barham from the Contact Center, and Jeanne Golliher from Cincinnati Development Fund. The moderator was Karyl Cunningham, president and CEO of Emanuel Community Center.
Roxanne had a powerpoint, as did Chad. The big room at First Unitarian Church was full of people, full of energy, lots of questions. Much of the discussion seemed to center on the re-doing of Washington Park. There was no real disagreement expressed, and yet no clear consensus emerged either - no clear statement about what was in the City' interest and what was in the community and residents' interest.
This would seem to be a still-evolving discussion. It was great of Woman's City Club to bring all the parties together, to get the dialogue out front and in the public eye.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Community Development Bus Tour - October 15
To get a look at current affordable home ownership opportunities up close, sign up for our Annual Community Development Bus Tour on Friday afternoon, October 15, noon to 4:30. Cost, including a box lunch and networking reception, is $30.
We'll be walking and riding our way through three communities, looking at the work that their CDCs are doing to keep them great places to live. Spring Grove Village (used to be Winton Place), Northside and South Cumminsville are rehabbing affordable homes of varying sizes and designs. They can also help find financing and other support for prospective home buyers. Working in Neighborhoods, based in South Cumminsville, has certified housing counselors on staff, and has a yearly schedule of classes to get folk ready for their new homes.
All three neighborhoods are acquiring foreclosed homes and fixing them up for new owners. They are all also planning on building new homes in the next year or so, with many green / sustainable features. Go to our website, www.cdcagc.org, for more information and to sign up. It is always a terrific day.
We'll be walking and riding our way through three communities, looking at the work that their CDCs are doing to keep them great places to live. Spring Grove Village (used to be Winton Place), Northside and South Cumminsville are rehabbing affordable homes of varying sizes and designs. They can also help find financing and other support for prospective home buyers. Working in Neighborhoods, based in South Cumminsville, has certified housing counselors on staff, and has a yearly schedule of classes to get folk ready for their new homes.
All three neighborhoods are acquiring foreclosed homes and fixing them up for new owners. They are all also planning on building new homes in the next year or so, with many green / sustainable features. Go to our website, www.cdcagc.org, for more information and to sign up. It is always a terrific day.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Awards Celebration Honors Spirit of Community
One of the most powerful and most empowering events of the year is coming up on June 24 - the annual Awards Celebration of the CDC Association of Greater Cincinnati. The Most Outstanding persons in the community development industry (including CDCs, agencies, public officials, banks, funders, for-profit developers, architects, engineers, planners and consultants) are recognized and honored by their peers. This gathering of 150+ enjoys the great food of The Perfect Brew catering, while hearing about the achievements of executive directors, lenders, volunteers, government staffers, and about the best building projects and collaborative efforts in the region.
This is a Celebration that will make you feel better about the world! Thursday, June 24, 11:30 to 2 p m, at DePaul Cristo Rey High School (formerly Concordia Lutheran), on Central Parkway at the corner of Clifton Hills. Cost is $27 in advance, $30 at the door. Make reservations on our website: www.cdcagc.org.
I'll see you there!
This is a Celebration that will make you feel better about the world! Thursday, June 24, 11:30 to 2 p m, at DePaul Cristo Rey High School (formerly Concordia Lutheran), on Central Parkway at the corner of Clifton Hills. Cost is $27 in advance, $30 at the door. Make reservations on our website: www.cdcagc.org.
I'll see you there!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Affordable Housing Advocates Annual Meeting
Join us and others who believe in the need for safe, clean affordable housing to discuss the State of Affordable Housing in Hamilton County on Tuesday, June 22nd from 4 - 6 PM at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Call to support the National Housing Trust Fund
Call 877-210-5351, the toll-free number for the Congressional switchboard, and ask to be connected your Senators' offices. To find your Members of Congress, click here. Once connected, please ask for the housing staff person and relay the following message:
Our community needs a National Housing Trust Fund to help build, rehabilitate and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes. I understand that H.R. 4213, the tax extender bill, is expected to include $1 billion for the initial NHTF funding and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support NHTF homes. Please work to ensure that this much-needed funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is included in the bill, and please support H.R. 4213 when it comes up for a vote.
After calling your Senators, call your Representative with the same message. Thank you.
Details:
Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is expected to be included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives during the week of May 17. The bill will include $1 billion as the initial NHTF capitalization and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with capital grants.
The Senate could take up the bill this week as well; if not, the Senate is expected to complete the bill before the Memorial Day recess.
H.R. 4213 is more commonly known as the tax extender bill. Both the House and Senate have previously passed extender bills. H.R. 4213 includes additional amendments, including the National Housing Trust Fund, and thus must be voted on by both chambers again.
The bill was developed by the Ways and Means Committee in the House and the Finance Committee in the Senate. The bill would extend unemployment benefits and more than 50 special tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009. The total cost will be around $100 billion. Some, but not all, of the cost will be offset by closing tax loopholes and increasing some taxes.
For More Information:
Click here to read NLIHC's press release on the sign-on letter. Click here to see the NHTF sign-on letter and list of signatories. Haven't signed the letter yet? You still can. Click here.
Our community needs a National Housing Trust Fund to help build, rehabilitate and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes. I understand that H.R. 4213, the tax extender bill, is expected to include $1 billion for the initial NHTF funding and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support NHTF homes. Please work to ensure that this much-needed funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is included in the bill, and please support H.R. 4213 when it comes up for a vote.
After calling your Senators, call your Representative with the same message. Thank you.
Details:
Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is expected to be included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives during the week of May 17. The bill will include $1 billion as the initial NHTF capitalization and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with capital grants.
The Senate could take up the bill this week as well; if not, the Senate is expected to complete the bill before the Memorial Day recess.
H.R. 4213 is more commonly known as the tax extender bill. Both the House and Senate have previously passed extender bills. H.R. 4213 includes additional amendments, including the National Housing Trust Fund, and thus must be voted on by both chambers again.
The bill was developed by the Ways and Means Committee in the House and the Finance Committee in the Senate. The bill would extend unemployment benefits and more than 50 special tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009. The total cost will be around $100 billion. Some, but not all, of the cost will be offset by closing tax loopholes and increasing some taxes.
For More Information:
Click here to read NLIHC's press release on the sign-on letter. Click here to see the NHTF sign-on letter and list of signatories. Haven't signed the letter yet? You still can. Click here.
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