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Congress reached a fiscal year 2017 (FY17) budget agreement—the Omnibus Appropriations Act—late in the evening Sunday, April 30, 2017. The bill funds the federal government through September this year. The FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act packages 11 regular appropriations bills, as well as additional Trump administration requests on national defense and border security.
The spending package is expected to be voted on in the House and Senate this week before the current Continuing Resolution ends on May 5. The Omnibus Appropriations Act provides $1.070 trillion in base discretionary funding. The final budget agreement upholds the bipartisan deal made in late 2015 to lift the spending caps—sequestration—required by the Budget Control Act for defense and non-defense programs.
The FY17 budget agreement does not include any of the $18 billion in cuts requested by the Trump administration in the “skinny budget” proposed for FY18.
Looking ahead, FY18 begins October 1, 2017. In a typical year, the President releases his budget proposal on the first Monday in February. Congress then begins its work on a budget resolution and on appropriations legislation. President Trump released a “skinny budget” in March. The full administration FY18 request is expected in mid-May. This timeline has prevented Congress from even beginning regular order budget conversations. Refer to this Prosperity Indiana blog on the FY18 spending proposal—the “skinny budget.”
The following links are legislative text and summaries for each of the FY17 appropriations bills incorporated into the omnibus legislation. These files are provided by the House of Representatives Rules Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee:
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The FY17 Omnibus Appropriations Act funds many HUD programs the same as last year FY16 or with small increases. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) detailed budget chart, this is true for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Family Self-Sufficiency, Native American Block Grants, Native Hawaiian Block Grants, Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships programs, Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), Homeless Assistance Grants, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, Housing Counseling, Policy Development and Research, and Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The programs to see funding cuts compared to FY16 were the Public Housing Operating Fund and Section 811 Housing for People with Disabilities.
This budget chart from Enterprise Community Partners provides additional program detail. Prosperity Indiana’s national partner NLIHC summarized the major housing provisions of the Omnibus Appropriations Act.
The agreement provides $20.292 billion for tenant-based rental assistance, $18.355 billion renews previous contracts. The bill allocates $47 million for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), $7 million of which is to serve Native American veterans. The bill also provides $10 million to support new Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers and $120 million for Section 811 mainstream vouchers. The bill provides $10.816 billion to renew project-based rental assistance contracts for calendar year 2017, an increase of $186 million from the FY16 funding level.
The public housing capital fund saw a small increase, while the operating fund received a $100 million cut. The operating fund allocation fell from $4.5 billion in FY16 to $4.4 billion, while the capital fund allocation increased from $1.9 billion to $1.942 billion to help address lead-based paint hazards in public housing. The bill directs $35 million of the capital fund to be used for supportive services and service coordinators.
The bill increases the number of public housing units that can convert under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program from 185,000 to 225,000 and extends the program’s sunset date to 2020. Under RAD, public housing agencies leverage public and private debt and equity, largely through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, to rehabilitate public housing stock and make capital improvements.
The bill increases funding for homeless assistance programs to $2.383 billion from $2.25 billion in FY16. The bill targets $43 million to address youth homelessness and waives the requirement that youth 24 years of age and under provide third-party documentation to receive housing and supportive services within the Continuums of Care. The bill extends the authorization for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) by one additional year. It is now set to expire next year, October 1, 2018.
The bill provides $502 million to the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program, enough to renew all existing contracts and provide $10 million to build new units or provide rental assistance. The bill also reduces funding for the Section 811 Housing for People with Disabilities program to $146 million, $5 million less than the FY16 level. The bill does not include language allowing Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) properties to convert under the Rental Assistance Demonstration.
The bill level-funds the HOME Investments Partnerships program (HOME) at $950 million and the Community Development Block Grant program at $3 billion. The bill also provides a four-year suspension of the 24-month funding commitment deadline under the HOME program. Because of the additional requirements on project selection, underwriting standards, and developer capacity under the HOME program, many communities have struggled to meet the two-year commitment deadline, which led to funding being lost. This language removes this barrier while keeping in place other, more meaningful deadlines.
Funding for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program was increased to $356 million to account for changes made to how the program funds are awarded by the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative received an increase above FY16 funding, $125 million to $138 million. Jurisdictions receiving Choice grants must ensure that at least $50 million is made available to public housing authorities.
The bill provides $145 million to the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes’ grants, a $35 million increase above FY16, and proposes initiatives to address lead-based paint hazards in affordable housing. The bill directs HUD to establish a process to improve data on how PHAs are complying with lead-based paint regulations in properties that use Section 8 vouchers.
The bill also takes steps to address the physical conditions of HUD-assisted housing to ensure residents are living in decent and safe homes. It requires HUD to act against property owners receiving rental subsidies that do not maintain safe properties. The language authorizes the HUD secretary to replace the property’s management agent with one approved by HUD, impose civil monetary penalties, change HUD’s contract with the property owner until the program is resolved, transfer the property or contract to a new owner, and relocate tenants, among other actions.
The bill funds the HUD’s office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the same level as FY16. The bill also prohibits HUD from directing local governments to change zoning laws under the agency’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule or with the AFFH assessment tool.
Department of Agriculture
The FY17 spending bill includes $2.94 billion for rural development programs, an increase of $166 million above the FY16 enacted level. The Agriculture section of the omnibus includes a provision setting aside at least 10 percent of most rural development programs for counties with at least a 20 percent poverty rate for the last 30 years (10-20-30).
The bill funds USDA’s Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance program. It also provides a modest increase to USDA’s Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Loan program and the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization demonstration. It provides increases for rural housing programs including Section 502 Single Family Direct Loans, Section 504 Housing Repair Grants, and Section 521 Rental Assistance.
The Agriculture section of the bill provides $24 billion in loan authority for the Single Family Housing guaranteed loan program, equal to the FY16 level. It includes $1 billion, $100 million above the FY16 enacted level for the direct loan program that provides low-income rural families with home loan assistance. In addition, $1.4 billion, $15 million more than current levels, is included for the Rental Assistance program, which helps low-income families and the elderly in rural communities obtain affordable rental housing.
The bill directs the USDA secretary to incentivize nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities (PHAs) to assume ownership of rental housing properties and to ensure that they remain affordable by allowing these entities to receive a return on investment and asset management fee up to $7,500 per property. According to NLIHC, a record number of USDA rental homes were lost last year due to prepayment or maturity of their USDA Section 515 loan. When that occurs, tenants are no longer eligible for USDA’s rental assistance program and may be subject to rent increases. These incentives are aimed at making it more financially feasible for nonprofit organizations and PHAs to maintain properties as affordable for the long term.
The bill provides discretionary funding, as well as mandatory funding required by law, for food and nutrition programs within the USDA. This includes funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Child Nutrition programs. WIC funding is $6.35 billion, the same as FY16 level. SNAP receives $78.5 billion in required mandatory spending, this is $2.3 billion below FY16. Child Nutrition Programs are funded at $22.746 billion in mandatory funding. This is $637.2 million above the FY16 enacted level. This funding will provide free or reduced-price school lunches and snacks for 30.3 million children who qualify for the program.
The bill supports a $946.8 million grant and loan level for rural business and industry programs to promote small business growth in rural areas. It provides $1.25 billion for rural water and waste program loans, the same as the FY16. The measure provides $6.94 billion for rural electric and telephone infrastructure loans.
The Omnibus funds the communities facilities program at $2.6 billion, a $400 million increase from last year. This program provides low-cost loans to build critical community infrastructure like hospitals, schools and public safety facilities. It targets historically underserved rural communities throughout the country.
A portion of this funding supports the Department of Agriculture’s relending program, which leverages Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) partnerships to build and repair critical community facilities.
Department of Treasury
The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund received a $14.5 million funding increase above FY16 levels to $248 million – the largest appropriation in the history of the fund. The bill places emphasis on serving persistent poverty counties and supports the enhancement of CDFI presence and activities in underserved rural communities.
The Omnibus funds the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) grant program in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at $15 million, level funding from the previous year. This provides certainty to VITA programs that the grant funding will continue for at least the near future.
In other policy matters in the IRS section of the legislation, the agency is prohibited from finalizing any regulation or guidance clarifying the 501(c)4 determination process. Recall, controversy erupted in 2013 when the IRS was accused of targeting nonprofit groups by scrutinizing their political activity while assessing applications for 501(c)4 nonprofit status.
Small Business Administration
The Omnibus Appropriations Act provides $886.8 million for the Small Business Administration (SBA) The bill funds business loans at $157 million. The bill also funds $125 million for Small Business Development Centers, $10.5 million for SCORE, formerly the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and $12.3 million for veteran outreach programs.
Department of Justice
Funding for community safety provisions at the Department of Justice includes $2.4 billion for State and Local Law Enforcement activities, including the Office on Violence Against Women, juvenile justice programs, and community crime prevention grant programs. The bill contains $103 million to fund the recently authorized Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) grant program, which consolidated and expanded existing grant programs to combat opioid abuse, and $10 million for Community Oriented Policing Services’ (COPS) anti-heroin task forces grants. The bill also contains: $403 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG).
Health and Human Services
The Assets for Independence (AFI) program at the Department of Health and Human Services is not funded. According to CFED, “AFI’s $18.95 million in funding that fueled Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) across many programs and states was eliminated as part of a broader $900 million cut to the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Education.”
Additional funds are directed at fighting opioid abuse, $801 million, an increase of $650 million or 430 percent is provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs. Specifically, the bill provides a $50 million increase above FY16 levels for CDC opioid abuse programs and a $51 million increase to SAMHSA for treatment and overdose reversal, of which $20 million is for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) authorized programs. The bill also provides $50 million for Community Health Centers treatment and prevention.
Community Health Centers (CHCs) are funded at $1.49 billion, the same level as FY16. There are more than 10,400 Health Centers nationally, serving over 24 million patients per year. Health centers advance the preventive and primary care model of coordinated and comprehensive care, coordinating a wide range of medical, dental, behavioral, and social services in communities.
SAMHSA and HRSA received $1.2 billion for mental health programs. This level includes an $80 million increase above FY16 for key mental health investments. The bill provides $541.5 million, an increase of $30 million above FY16, for the Mental Health Block Grant, and continues a 10 percent set-aside for serious mental illness activities. The bill also provides $50 million within the funding for Community Health Centers to provide mental health services.
Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is funded at $2.9 billion, an increase of $95 million above FY16. Head Start receives $9.3 billion, an increase of $85 million above FY16. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is funded at $3.39 billion, equal to FY16.
Department of Transportation
The bill provides funding for the Department of Transportation based on levels enacted in the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. For discretionary transportation programs, the measure provides $500 million for new TIGER grants and $2.4 billion for New Starts transit grants. New Starts will see a boost of $236 million in FY17This includes $50 million for Indianapolis’ transit expansion.
Department of Labor
Several community development related programs are included in the Department of Labor budget. YouthBuild is a program to help at-risk high school drop-outs develop skills and knowledge to obtain industry-recognized job credentials, apprenticeships, and employment. It receives $84.5 million, equal to the FY16 level.
The Apprenticeship Opportunities effort also receives $95 million, an increase of $5 million above FY16, to continue and expand a grant program established focused on the range and number of apprenticeship opportunities available in a wide variety of fields nationwide. A component of the program will also help involve more women and other workers, who have not traditionally participated in apprenticeship programs.
Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receives $8.058, $81 million below the FY16. This includes $1.394 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $863 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, both, equal to FY16. Brownfield grants receive $47.7 million in funding.
Legal Services Corporation
The legislation provides $385 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) equal to the FY16 level. The Corporation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes equal access to justice and provides grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. LSC distributes more than 90 percent of its total funding to 133 independent nonprofit legal aid programs with more than 800 offices. Indiana Legal Services Inc., a Prosperity Indiana member receives these funds.
Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation responsible for Americorps and VISTA receives $1.03 billion, a decrease of $65 million overall. The bill maintains funding for core national and community service programs, including $386 million for AmeriCorps grants and $202 million for Senior Corps programs, equal to the FY16 level. In addition, the Committee includes expanded resources for state commissions to build the capacity of national and community service programs locally.
May is Bike Month. In Indiana it’s also a celebration of speed, car racing, and all things local.
I kicked off May a little early with a metric century (100 kilometer/62 mile) bike ride in Louisville with my husband as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. It is a great way to spend a Sunday morning, and great training for my upcoming triathlon season. It also gave us an opportunity to see metro Louisville in a way we hadn’t yet experienced. I have run the Derby half marathon and loved the tour of Louisville it provided. So many great places.
Director of Capacity Building Rose Scovel, AICP with her husband, David Scovel, LPG Senior Geologist, BCA Environmental Consultants
The month begins with the One America Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon – known locally as “the Mini.” The Mini is something everyone should do (at least) once. It is a local celebration, it is one of the largest half marathons in the country, and it is an opportunity for a physical activity challenge and to see Indianapolis in a different way that most people have experienced it. I have walked/run the Mini eight times. It was my first half marathon. The Mini is walker friendly and is a mix of elite level runners and people who walk a half marathon once a year. The course begins downtown and heads out toward the Town of Speedway, which has been undergoing a transformation of their downtown and Speed Zone economic development area. It then enters the track and you cover the entire 2.5 miles on foot (I have also ridden my bike around the track). Then the course weaves back to Military Park. There are neighborhoods on the route that highlight some of the very real housing challenges in Indy, neighborhoods that many “outsiders” don’t see otherwise. Regardless, people see the city in a whole new way. The training programs that lead up to the Mini create a sense of community (and happen in several places around the state) and connect people in meaningful relationships.
Director of Capacity Building Rose Scovel, AICP finished her 8th Mini in 2016.
That same weekend is the American Planning Association national planning conference in New York City. I will be attending as part of the Planners4Health collaboration. There we will talk about the work the collaboration has been doing around integrating planning (and community development) with public health and promoting health in all plans.
Connecting bikes and the Indianapolis 500, the Central Indiana Bicycling Association has their 500 miles (or 500 kilometers) in May competition where members try to ride either 310 or 500 miles in May to earn a special jersey (average 10-16 miles per day). These miles can be commuting (avoiding the traffic and enjoying the spring weather), recreation rides, or training for bike races or triathlon. All miles count. All miles are a way to experiences neighborhoods in a different way than you do in a car. Some miles end in local beer or local donuts, which is economic development at its most fun!
Friday, May 19 is Bike to Work Day. While many more days are great for biking to work, May 19 is a day set aside for groups to meet and encourage people to try riding in to work. It’s about people working with people to overcome barriers to biking to work (logistics, safety, etc.). It is about building a community of people. It allows you to experience your commute in an entirely different way. Depending on your community and where you work you may be able to ride most of the way without being on roads. Of my 10 mile bike commute only 1.3 miles is on road, the rest is on the Monon Trail and the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis. Allyson (Director of Sustainability) has been bike commuting for the past few weeks because construction projects have left the roads so congested that her bike commute is faster than driving. Try it out! A few quick guidelines if you aren’t used to bike commuting:
Indiana State Department of Health Healthy Communities Planner Pete Fritz, AICP, ALSA is a regular bike commuter and always ready to ride
Look for bike events in your community – in Indy we have organized rides to the ball park, weekly recurring rides, women’s rides, grand touring weekend rides (often involving stops at local restaurants), and beer rides (lots more too). It’s a great way to get some physical activity, meet new people, and explore. You don’t need a fancy bike. You don’t need to wear spandex.
If your community has a local bike share program May is the perfect month to try that too! I use Pacers Bikeshare in Indy to get around downtown without moving my car. It’s a great way to get to meetings or appointments (or lunch) and is faster than walking – or getting the car from the parking garage. More communities in Indiana have added bike share programs in the past few years.
If you try riding on trails and decide you like it (you’ll love it), the Greenways Foundation of Indiana has a number of different challenges that run from April 22 (Earth Day) through October. Some are focused on local trail use while others encourage exploring your region or the state. I am participating in the Hoosier Trail Hero challenge for the second year – riding (or running) at least 10 different trails around the state. http://www.greenwaysfoundation.org/
Beyond Monumental Strategic Partnerships Manager Swati Gunale and Prosperity Indiana Director of Capacity Building Rose Scovel, AICP riding in the Greenways Challenge in 2016.
Planning, Healthy Communities, Bikes, and Community Development are all connected and help connect people and places to make prosperity. Prosperity Indiana’s capacity building team can help you make connections and provide information resources on how to make your community healthier (and more fun).
Also, Prosperity Indiana will be hosting our first Twitter chat on May 11 at 11:00 AM and we'll be talking about healthy neighborhoods and physical activity. I'll have control of the @INCommDev Twitter handle and we'll have fun for an hour. There will be six questions to respond to and opportunities to connect with others doing the same work.
Happy biking! Cheers to healthy communities!
Rose Scovel, AICP
Director of Capacity Building
First organized in July 2001 by a collaboration of Chicago-area organizations and directed by the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, Money Smart Week has grown and become an annual public awareness campaign promoting personal financial literacy across the nation. During the six days of Money Smart Week, participating organizations from community groups, financial institutions, and government agencies will host events to educate the general public on smart money practices. This year, Money Smart Week will be from Monday, April 24th to Saturday, April 29th.There are several opportunities to attend events in Indiana with hosts including the Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, AARP Indiana, The Social Security Administration, The Indy Star, Indiana Legal Services, and more. Below are some events that will be held throughout the state, but please use the Official Money Smart Week Event Page to find an event near you.
Tippecanoe County: Events will be held on Purdue University’s campus beginning on Monday, April 24th.The Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network joined HomesteadCS and Purdue Federal Credit Union to present to Purdue University staff members, students, and interested community members about the predatory nature of Payday lending. The presentation took place at Purdue University’s Horticulture Building room 117 at 12pm and at 5pm. A recording of the presentation will be made available to the public. On April 28th, a seminar on Homebuyer Education will be held in the Horticulture Building room 117 at Purdue University from 12pm-1pm. This event is open for students, faculty, and staff.
Marion County: Events will be held throughout Indianapolis including an Indy Star Call for Action event on Tuesday, April 25th from 4:30pm-8pm. The event will take place at the John Boner Community Center at 2236 E. 10th St. and will provide consumer advice through free attorney consultations available in both Spanish and English.
On Wednesday, April 26th from 9:30am-12pm there will be a viewing of $CAMMED: Investment Fraud Revealed—a thirty-minute documentary about investor fraud in Indiana. Afterwards, investigative reporter for RTV6 Rafael Sanchez will M.C. the event with a panel of experts including Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, Deputy Attorney General Steve Frank, Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Cindy Oetjen, and Dr. Mary Guerriero Austrom from the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Center, among others. The event will be held at North United Methodist Church on 3808 N. Meridian St.
On Saturday, April 29th the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Indianapolis Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority will present Women Building Our Financial Legacy: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Social Security & Investments. The event will begin at 8:30am at the New Direction Church located on 5330 E. 38th St. Breakfast will be provided, but please RSVP by Thursday, April 27th through the eventbrite page or 317-748-3195.
Johnson County: Kelly Griese, an Investor Education Coordinator from the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office will provide a free fraud prevention presentation on Tuesday, April 25th, from 6:30-8:00pm. The presentation will be held at Prince of Peace United Church of Christ on 3050 West Smokey Row Road, Bargersville and will cover the latest scams and techniques used by fraudsters, how to request and review your credit report, how to freeze your credit, and how to report fraud. Seating is limited so please register online at center.com/register or by calling Pastor Joan Dell at 317-535-7712.
Webinar: On Tuesday, April 25th from 11am-12pm, the Social Security Administration will host a Social Security Retirement Planning webinar. Register to attend the webinar at attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/6272735108852379650 in order to learn more about the many factors to consider when deciding when to start receiving your Social Security benefits.
Through the joint efforts of dedicated individuals, agencies, community organizations, and financial institutions, Money Smart Week will empower Americans in all fifty states with the knowledge and tools to become financially stable. Please join us by finding an event near you through the Official Money Smart Week Event Page.
The time is fast approaching when Prosperity Indiana staff members hit the road for regional meetings. We will travel across our state for a series of meetings with community development professionals, advocates, neighbors, elected officials, and other stakeholders that are focused on building resilient families and vital communities.
Join us at five locations this summer to engage on issues currently facing your organization and community, the work Prosperity Indiana is doing on your behalf and how Prosperity Indiana can help you build on your organization’s and community’s strengths.
These meetings will allow you to:
Please mark your calendars for this opportunity and register today! Up to five staff at member organizations can attend for free, if the Executive Director is among the attendees. Lunch will be provided.
June 19: Northeast Regional Member Meeting Fort Wayne, Hosted by Prosperity Indiana member Brightpoint 12-2 pm EST
Come learn about the Community Loan Center program and hear from Brightpoint staff about their experiences and impact through this employee lending innovation aimed at reducing reliance on payday lending. Community Loan Centers allow local employers to offer employees small dollar loans at 18% interest rate on a 12-month term. Participating employees can build their credit and take advantage of financial education classes.
June 27: Southeast Regional Member Meeting Jeffersonville, Hosted by Prosperity Indiana member New Hope Services 12-2 pm EST
Thinking about going solar? Come hear Allyson Mitchell, Prosperity Indiana's Director of Sustainability, discuss the Solar Uniting Neighbors (SUN) For All program and learn how you and your organization can participate. The group-purchase solar discount program aims to help community organizations and residents purchase and install solar panels at a reduced rate to lower their organizational and household operating costs and pass those benefits on to low- moderate-income (LMI) individuals. Direct funding opportunities are available to Prosperity Indiana members.
July 20: South Central Regional Member Meeting Bloomington, Hosted by Prosperity Indiana member City of Bloomington 12-2 pm EST
Incorporating asset-building strategies into existing programs can enable and support individuals and families at all income levels. Discuss with Kelsey Clayton, Indiana Assets & Opportunity Network Manager, the economic barriers families face. Also learn about the Learning Cluster, a current initiative assisting organizations in integrating financial capability services, which help Hoosiers achieve financial stability and provide access to tools that help organizations think through this innovation.
August 10: Northwest Regional Member Meeting Hammond, Hosted by the Continuum of Care Network of Northwest Indiana 10 am -12 pm CST
Hear Director of Capacity Building Rose Scovel share about how you can utilize the staff expertise at Prosperity Indiana to assist you with consolidated planning, housing needs assessments, housing studies, assessments of fair housing, HUD compliance, and other plans and processes that might be required for your organization.
September 27: Southwest Regional Member Meeting Evansville, Hosted by Prosperity Indiana member Old National Bank 12-2 pm CST
Come hear about the Outcomes Platform: a new data collection, tracking and outcomes reporting solution. Learn how you can use this comprehensive and interactive data tracking tool to visualize the impact that your organization has on your community and the results of your collective efforts with local partners.
Every day, I get to work with the brightest people and impactful organizations across Indiana. These organizations and their staff are Prosperity Indiana member organizations - local nonprofits, private businesses, and government - each with a mission and drive to serve and build communities. From amongst these member organizations, the board of directors receives and solicits nominations to help lead our organization.
Know someone who fits this description, apply to join the Prosperity Indiana board of directors here.
At the March 17 meeting, the board of directors approved a slate for election to renew and supplement the board leadership.
The slate for renewing members of the board includes:
The slate for new board members includes:
If you are the membership (bundle) administrator of a 2017 voting member organization, please log into the member portal and cast your ballot for the board of directors election.
Are you looking to make positive difference in people's lives?
Carey Services is seeking applicants to serve adults with development disabilities as:
EOE
The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is seeking candidates for multiple positions. OCRA works with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to aid communities in shaping and achieving their vision for economic development.
There are two openings for Program Managers - Grant Services. They assist the Business Office of the Lieutenant Governor in the operation and administration of grant programs administered by the agencies that are under the purview of the Lieutenant Governor. The agencies for which Grant Services provides assistance include the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and the Office of Defense Development.
Responsibilities include review of grant applications for compliance with federal, state and departmental regulations to determine eligibility for funding; providing technical assistance regarding the requirements for environmental review, civil rights, land acquisition/relocation, procurement of goods and services, prevailing wage payment, minority and women owned business enterprise requirements and/or other related statutes; on-site field-monitoring activities of federal and state grants and work with grantee to resolve findings and bring project to closed status. Complete written monitoring reports, applicable worksheets and Federal reporting.
The CDBG Project Manager (PM) reports to the CDBG Program Manager and helps manage Indiana’s CDBG Program. This includes the State and Small Cities CDBG Programs, CDBG Disaster Recovery Supplemental Appropriation Two (IKE) and all other programs utilizing CDBG funds. The PM will also be responsible for coordination with the Grants Management Team for compliance monitoring and all other aspects of Grants Management. The PM will perform grants management and compliance on other OCRA funded programs as assigned.
For the full job descriptions and to apply, visit http://www.in.gov/spd/careers/ and search for “rural” or “Lieutenant Governor's Office.”
Community-based organizations from every corner of the country will convene near Washington, DC on May 31-June 2 for People & Places 2017. (Scholarships for registration to the event have all been awarded -- thanks to all who responded.) Click here to attend this event alongside your Hoosier peers and others from around the nation.
Here are four reasons you don't want to miss this dynamic peer-learning event:
See what's working to strengthen places and improve lives. The agenda features 35 sessions with more than 100 presenters. Learn about their successful strategies to remediate blight, promote equitable development, bolster small businesses, encourage asset growth, make places healthier, and so much more. Get inspired by local solutions that you can adapt and transform back home.
Learn effective political organizing tactics. There were some big wins in the November elections at the state and local levels. Ballot initiatives and organizing campaigns across the country resulted in significant new funding for housing and community development. Learn from advocates how they achieved victory and – in some cases – learned from defeat.
Connect to diverse community development networks. Engage with peers from five national networks. You'll develop your own network of placemakers who are just a phone call, text or email away.
Go to Capitol Hill to protect resources. Join us on Capitol Hill as our five networks raise our voices on behalf of the places we serve. Tell your representatives in Congress how federal funds work to improve lives in your community. Help change the narrative to highlight work that benefits low-income and disinvested places. If we don't tell the story of our places, who will?
HOSTS
* National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders * National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development * National Urban League * Network for Developing Conscious Communities * National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations
Read a message from the hosts about the importance of bringing together our networks at this critical moment for America's places.
HOTEL DISCOUNT
Hotel rooms are available at the discounted rate of $215 per night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia – right above the Crystal City Metro Station. The hotel is minutes from Washington, DC and just one Metrorail stop away from Reagan National Airport. Reserve a discounted hotel room online or call 877-212-5752 and say you're attending People & Places 2017. You must RESERVE YOUR ROOM BY MAY 2 to get the discounted rate. In case you want to extend your time in the DC area, the discounted rate runs from May 27-June 5.
Click here for more information and to register today!
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) announced on April 5, 2017 a new grant funding opportunity, the Quick Impact Placebased Grant Program (QuIP), a matching program designed to fund the type of place enhancement and community transformation that sparks community wide conversation and creativity.
“One of the cornerstones of OCRA’s mission is to continuously look for partnership opportunities that offer a variety of resources to support community-led initiatives which improve the economic health and wellbeing of Indiana,” said OCRA Deputy Director Matt Crouch. “We are excited to launch QuIP as a fast turnaround, high impact opportunity for projects throughout our cities and towns.”
Eligible Applicants include:
Eligible applicants have the opportunity to apply for project funding between $2,500 and $5,000 with a 50 percent required cash and/or in-kind match.
“The goal in creating the Quick Impact Placebased Grant Program was to provide communities another opportunity in which to build upon their local assets and create community connections,” added IOTD Executive Director Mark Newman. “We recognize this is a fast turnaround, but have great faith these grants could provide the quick wins for communities to build upon or spark the initial conversations for local transformation and growth.”
Examples of Eligible Projects:
There are many eligible projects. These dollars should be used to create a small change that spurs conversation and community engagement. The space should in some way be transformed for the better.
Ineligible Projects include:
OCRA and IOTD encourage these projects to be community unique and locally inspired. Placemaking involves a working partnership with local governments, residents, community groups, and organizations as well as business and community agencies. Successful applications would demonstrate community collaboration, partnership capacity, and have impactful community benefits.
Applications must be received in the OCRA office by 4pm, EST on Friday, April 21, 2017.
Applications can be delivered in person or mailed to: 1 North Capitol Suite 600 Indianapolis, IN 46204
For more information on QuIP, contact your OCRA Community Liaison or visit: www.in.gov/ocra/quipgrant.htm.
In case you missed it, here's a link to our latest podcast:
2017 Mid-Session Policy Update
Other podcasts released this year include:
April podcasts will focus on business diversity.
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