CEDAM Staff - Region 2 Site Visits, Member Meetings

 

CEDAM would like to thank all of the members of Region 2 who hosted visits and meetings during last week. Executive Director Angie Gaabo and staff had the pleasure of meeting with our members in Fremont (NCCS Center for Nonprofit Housing), Honor (Benzie Housing Council), Traverse City (Homestretch, Traverse City Housing Commission and Grand Traverse Area Community Living Management Corporation) and Hillman (Rural Michigan CDC). We were greeted with smiles, dynamic conversation and much excitement. Also, the Downtown Conference in Traverse City was a great success and CEDAM was very pleased to be a part of it as a representative for the Living in Michigan campaign.

At these meetings, we saw affordable single, multi-family and supportive group housing, discussed future development plans, and explored various community and governmental topics that affect rural and urban community development groups.

Top to bottom, the pictures are from our meetings with John O'Neil at Benzie Housing Council, MaryAnne Macy at Grand Traverse Area Community Living Management Corporation and Cynthia "CK" Kieliszewski at Rural Michigan CDC.

Industry Survey 2007: LAST CHANCE to highlight your accomplishments

 

2007 Industry Survey - Your organization deserve to be highlighted! Please take the survey and add to the data for the upcoming report.

If you need a hard copy of the survey, please contact Emily immediately.

Also, congrats to Mark Neumeier of Neighborhood Renewal Services of Saginaw, Inc. - he completed the survey before the August 31st deadline and the organization was drawn as our prize winner! Mark, please contact Emily to claim your Lowes' gift certificate.

How did Indiana get funding for Housing and Community Development?

The Indiana Association for Community and Economic Development (IACED) helped convene a research report that aided advocacy efforts to win a dedicated funding source for the state's Affordable Housing and Community Development Fund this year. The report, "The Indiana Affordable Housing Development Fund: 2006," was written by the 16-member Advisory Committee of the Indiana Affordable Housing and Development Fund appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels. The report represents a broad range of perspectives and interests in the housing sector and helped convince Indiana lawmakers to approve legislation for dedicated funding sources.

The combined efforts of the advisory committee, research, lobbying and local collaboration helped to win approval for the Affordable Housing and Community Development Fund from the General Assembly.

"Our goal was to gain $25 million for the fund but we ended up with $5 million to $6 million a year," Christie Gillespie, Executive Director of IACED, said. "Over time, we have been building relationships with legislators, so I'm sure there will be other opportunities to build the fund."

Muskegon is being revitalized with a variety of tax breaks and a little bit of hope

Howell workshops on Historical Downtown Preservation -  October 8th and Nov. 12

Southwest Detroit Business Association secures the state's first Business Improvement District

Good things are happening to the Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation!

Listen to Detroit Public Radio's interview with Graig Donnelly, Executive Director, discussing Woodbridge's 'green architecture' in Detroit, taped on September 10. Also, in the radio show, Woodbridge's "quilted space" house is described - it is partially constructed of recycled material from a house in Chicago.

Lastly, Woodbridge acquired a building from the Wayne County Nuisance Abatement Program - an old bank on the northwest corner of Warren and Grand River. The future plans for the structure includes new headquarters, as well as some sort of small neighborhood business incubator spaces. Here is a picture of the building from the 1940s.