Piece of the PI: Newsletter
A monthly publication for the members of Prosperity Indiana
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Letter from the Executive Director |
I have spent an embarrassing amount of time looking for the perfect “coming home” quote to begin this letter. While many of the quotes I found captured the importance of strong roots, I couldn’t quite find one that said all the things I’ve been feeling since moving back and joining the Prosperity Indiana team: excitement, a touch of anxiousness, inspiration and alignment.
It’s been comforting reconnecting with the people and places of my youth and connecting with so many Prosperity Indiana members, partners, and supporters. I have been overwhelmed by the generous kindness of both old and new friends who have reached out with words of encouragement. It’s also been nice to enjoy the Central Indiana summer staples: strawberries, Indy cars, and fresh corn. Every day I’m reminded by a familiar sight, sound, or landmark of cherished memories of the past, but the truth is this isn’t the Indiana of my youth. As highlighted in PI’s latest report, Hoosier wages continue to lag behind our Midwest neighbors in the top 20 occupations while rent prices are steadily increasing. What does that mean for our communities? It means that a growing majority of our neighbors who work full-time can’t find or afford safe, stable housing.
This is simply unacceptable. As we begin a new chapter of leadership at Prosperity Indiana, we have an opportunity to ensure that these statistics aren’t the end of our story. I’m ready to work, and together we can make our communities exactly what we want and deserve for them to be: safe, welcoming, and thriving. I invite you to join us in August for our annual Regional Meetings happening throughout the state. I am excited to meet you, learn more about your work, ideate together, and hear from you how Prosperity Indiana can strengthen our support for the incredible work you do every day.
See you soon,
Aspen |
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We REAP prosperity by providing Resources, Engagement, Advocacy, and Programs that support our members' work! |
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Spotlight on Coming Capacity Webinars
Mark your calendar for PI’s series of FREE lunch-and-learn webinars to assist your community achieve housing stability. Registration is open and spaces are going fast!
The Why, How, and What of Housing Stability | July 11, 2023 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET
Skyrocketing inflation and the limited availability of affordable housing units have left many Hoosiers facing housing instability. This webinar will provide you with a working definition of housing stability as well as a framework to help you and your community address five root causes of housing instability.
The Impact of Housing Counseling Services | August 8, 2023 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET
Housing counseling is an evidence-based practice to help Hoosiers remain in their homes or achieve homeownership. Whether you work with individuals through Center for Working Families, Family Development Matrix, or Financial Empowerment frameworks, please join us to understand how housing counseling services strengthen housing stability. This webinar will also be a refresher course for housing counselors who want to review specific best practices related to credit repair, rental rights, and budgeting.
TA Opportunity for Community Development Corporations
The Office of Community Services (OCS) will provide up to $1.5 million (150,000 maximum per award) to stimulate new CED project development through administrative capacity building. Please visit 2023 CED Planning Grant NOFO for more information.
PI is not only making our members aware of this $150,000 capacity building opportunity but would love to assist you by providing the proposed capacity building services at our discounted member rate. Please reach out to Marie Beason for more information or to discuss how PI can assist your organization.
A Tool You Can Use
For communities looking for ways to catalyze and support small businesses, the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance shared an amazing resource during its June Northwest Regional Forum. The NWI BizHub is an online platform to help small businesses in northwest Indiana thrive by providing entrepreneurs and small business owners with free, easy access to the vital assistance, resources, and information they need—when they need it. Check out this fantastic best practice in connecting and growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem within communities.
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Annual Regional Meetings
As you have hopefully already seen, the Prosperity Indiana team is coming to a city near you this August! Be sure to double check that you've registered for our updated meetings and note possible changed times and locations, because you won't want to miss this! We'll be reviewing member-only benefits and the programs we offer, introducing our new Executive Director, giving away prizes, and holding listening sessions to learn about the latest priorities of your organization & community.
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Prosperity Indiana Co-Releases Two Reports with National Organization
Twice a year, Prosperity Indiana partners with the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) to release new research on the housing needs of low-income Hoosiers. These reports are called “The Gap" and “Out of Reach.”
“The Gap” measures the availability of rental housing affordable to extremely low-income households and other income groups. The latest version of “The Gap” was released on March 16, 2023 and can be found here.
“Out of Reach” documents the significant gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing across the United States. The latest version of “Out of Reach” was released on June 14, 2023 and can be found here.
Policy Action Alerts
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Spotlight on Coming Coalition Webinars
Financial Industry Regulation with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | July 14, 2023 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Join us on Zoom to get to know the federal agency that regulates banks, lenders, and other financial institutions to make sure Hoosiers and all Americans are treated fairly. Attendees will learn about the CFPB's direct impact in Indiana and the role it plays, some of the CFPB's key functions such as regulations, supervision/enforcement, data and research, and the CFPB's Consumer Complaint System and how to use it.
The number of households in financial hardship in Indiana continues to be undercounted using the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and as a result, a significant number of families do not qualify for critical supports needed to achieve financial stability. Indiana United Ways and United Way of Central Indiana, in collaboration with its research partner United for ALICE, recently released its newest calculations for cost of living in counties across Indiana based on conditions that emerged during the COVID pandemic. Join us on Zoom to learn more and discuss ways we can collaborate to put ALICE into Action. |
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Sponsor
Piece of the PI is sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBI). |
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Member Jobs
Project Manager - Strategic Initiatives Test Coordinator, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
Fair Housing Tester/Mystery Shopper, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
Assistant Program Officer – Workforce and Health Equity, LISC Indy
Fundraising Research and Analytics Director, United Way of Central Indiana
Impact Director (multiple positions), United Way of Central Indiana
Manager of Community Engagement, United Way of Central Indiana
Manager of Organizational Development (multiple positions), United Way of Central Indiana
Vice President of External Strategy & Development, Central Indiana Community Foundation
Downtown Specialist, City of Bloomington
Environmental Program Coordinator, City of Bloomington
Deputy Director, Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention
Continuum of Care Coordinator, Coalition for Homelessness Intervention & Prevention
Executive Director, PACE Community Action Agency
Marketing Communications Associate, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership
Various positions, Blue River Services Inc.
Various positions, John Boner Neighborhood Center
Various positions, Indiana Legal Services
Various positions, Brightpoint |
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SAVI Data Literacy Workshops July-December 2023 SAVI Training is a hands-on curriculum focused on improving data literacy and building capacity in the community to use data operationally and strategically. We have four groups of modules (seven workshops) centered on how to find, analyze, and interpret data to make informed decisions. Register today!
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New Data Releases from StatsIndiana and the Indiana University Business Research Center New data includes labor force estimates, county health rankings, state and county housing unit estimates, and homeownership and vacancy rates. |
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Contact Us
Prosperity Indiana is here to support you! The best way to reach us is always via email. For more of the latest in community economic development, please visit our blog!
Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
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Prosperity Indiana 1099 N. Meridian Street, Suite 170, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 222-1221 This email was sent to {Contact_Email}. If you no longer wish to receive email from Prosperity Indiana, click here. |
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