Conferences and Events
Funding Opportunities
Information Resources
Policy News
FeaturesConferences and Events>> Truth or Consequences: The Third Annual Asset Management Professionals' Conference will be Dec. 6-7 in Washington, D.C., hosted by CHAM (a collaboration of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, The Enterprise Foundation and Neighborhood Reinvestment). Join asset and property managers, investor partners, LISC/NEF staff and agency officials at the only conference for nonprofit asset managers. Sessions include LIHTC Property Performance: Writing and Using an Asset Management Plan; Preservation Projects; Insurance Strategies; and more. For further information, contact Lisa Deller at ldeller@liscnet.org. >> Opportunities and Benefits: The Section 8 Voucher Home Ownership Option Training will be Dec. 10 in Kansas City, Mo. Hosted by the LISC Center for Home Ownership, the LISC Housing Authority Resource Center, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Fannie Mae and HUD, this one-day workshop is for those developing or operating Section 8 home ownership programs and will cover management, counseling, recruiting, special needs and financial issues. For more information, email hwilson@liscnet.org. LISC is hosting, presenting at and/or helping to sponsor all of the events listed above. Funding Opportunities>> The Echoing Green Foundation is accepting applications for the Echoing Green Fellowship, a program that provides social entrepreneurs who possess original and compelling ideas for nurturing social change with resources to start new autonomous public service projects or organizations. The program is open to individuals who work in all public service areas, including community and economic development. Fellowship winners receive a two-year $60,000 stipend, health and dental insurance, and technical assistance. The application deadline is Jan. 6. For more information, go to the Echoing Green Foundation Web site. >> The Open Meadows Foundation funds projects that (1) are designed and implemented by women and girls, (2) have limited access to financial resources, (3) reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of society, and (4) promote the empowerment of women and girls. The Foundation provides grants of up to $2,000 to cover start-up expenses or to support ongoing projects. The application deadlines each year are Feb. 15 and Aug. 15. For more information, go to the Open Meadows Foundation Web site. >> YouthActionNet, a program of the International Youth Foundation, recognizes emerging youth-led projects that promote social change and connect youth to local communities. The program is open to 18 to 24-year-olds. Both individuals and groups may apply. Winners receive $500 and funds for a disposable camera to photo-document their project for an online photo gallery. In 2003, 10 recipients will be selected in each of two rounds. The application deadlines are April 18 and Oct. 1. For more information, go to the YouthActionNet Web site. >> The Bikes Belong Coalition promotes bicycling and assists local organizations, agencies, and communities across the U.S. in developing bicycle facilities projects that will be funded by TEA-21, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. The Bikes Belong Coalition Grants Program accepts applications for grants of up to $10,000 each and will consider successor grants for continuing projects. There is no deadline for applications. For more information, contact Tim Baldwin, Grants Program Administrator, at (617) 734-2111 or tim@bikesbelong.org. For more Funding Opportunities please see the eNewsletter Archive Information Resources>> Smart Communities: Curbing Sprawl at its Core is a new LISC publication, written by Tony Proscio, which identifies the critical links between community development and smart growth. This report describes how regional and community development strategies are most successful when they work together toward the common goal of improving the quality of life for individuals and families of all income levels in all areas--urban, rural and suburban. To download this report, go to the LISC Online Resource Library. >> HUD launched a Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse (RBC) Web site last week to support government agencies and organizations seeking information about laws, regulations, and policies affecting the development, maintenance, improvement, availability, and cost of affordable housing. Hosted by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, RBC is now accessible on the HUD Web site and at the following url: www.regbarriers.org. >> America's Working Families and Housing Landscape is a study released last week by the Center for Housing Policy at the National Housing Conference (NHC). The study found that in two years there has been a dramatic 30 percent rise in the number of working families that spend more than half their income on housing. It reaffirms that working the equivalent of a full-time job does not guarantee American families a decent, affordable place to live. For more information about this study, go to the NHC Web site. For more Information Resources please see the eNewsletter Archive Policy News>> HUD Secretary Mel Martinez addressed the LISC Homeownership Summit in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 21. The Secretary outlined the Administration's minority homeownership agenda before 200 practitioners and policy makers at the Summit and C-Span 2 broadcast the speech on November 22. Summit co-sponsors included Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Federal Home Loan Bank System, Freddie Mac, ICF Consulting, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Realtors, National Cooperative Bank, NCB Development Corporation, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation and Washington Mutual. >> 400 attended a national Smart Growth Conference in Cincinnati on Nov. 7. The conference explored the connection between smart growth and community development. Lead sponsors were LISC, the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland, Chicago and St. Louis, and the National Neighborhood Coalition. >> The House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity reviewed CDC capacity. LISC testified before this Subcommittee on Sept. 17. In addition to overseeing Section 4, the Subcommittee reviewed a report by the General Accounting Office on various HUD technical assistance programs, and considered proposed legislation to expand CDC capacity building. Oversight Subcommittee Chair Sue Kelly (R-NY) praised the work of CDCs and asked the GAO for more background on HUD's capacity building efforts, including Section 4. >> Congress deferred appropriations action by adjourning without passing appropriations bills for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The 108th Congress will convene in January. For more Policy News please see the eNewsletter Archive FEATURES>> New Education Facilities Financing Center With funding from the Walton Family Foundation, LISC will launch a national Educational Facilities Financing Center that will help neighborhood groups create or expand hundreds of community-based school facilities across the country. The primary goal of the new center is to leverage the Walton funds by helping LISC programs establish local school facilities funds across the country. To a more limited degree, the center will provide grant and loan financing to individual school projects and will assist at the policy level with the creation of federal, state and county financing mechanisms for school facilities development. The center will be based in New York City, and program activity is expected to begin in 2003. For more information, go to the LISC Web site or email Amanda Wasson at awasson@liscnet.org. |
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