On February 13, 2013 Representatives Robin Shackleford and Cherrish Pryor introduced an amendment to House Bill 1132 in the Indiana House of Representatives Financial Institutions Committee to accomplish this priority. The critical language reads as follows:

(g) The commission shall, by resolution, establish uses for the housing trust fund. However, the uses must be limited to:

…

(5) funding other programs considered appropriate to meet the affordable housing and community development needs of lower income families (as defined in IC 5-20-4-5) and very low income families (as defined in IC 5-20-4-6), including lower income elderly individuals, individuals with disabilities, and homeless individuals.

The language was passed unanimously by the committee. Thank you to Representative Woody Burton for allowing the amendment to his legislation.

The district encompasses several Indianapolis neighborhoods, including Mapleton-Fall Creek. Only increases in the assessed value of a property within the North Midtown district after March 1, 2012 will be captured in the allocation area. TIF funds can be used for a variety of community development, environmental, economic and infrastructure improvement projects in support of efforts to eliminate blight, improve environmental conditions, spur economic development activity, and enhance public space.

You can learn more about the North Midtown Indy TIF district by clicking here.

If you want to learn more about TIF as a tool for revitalization in support of your community development project, contact IACED Program Manager Rose Scovel.

RADC Board President and six-year Board Member Sarah Hempstead, Principal of Schmidt Associates, says, “Bill Gray’s deep commitment to developing diverse urban environments has positively affected thousands of Indianapolis residents. On Massachusetts Avenue in particular, his wholistic impact is evident – in the affordable housing, active retail and restaurants, art, landscaping and more, including the recently completed 69 units and 11,000 square feet of retail in the 800 block of Mass Ave. Indianapolis is a better place because of Bill and he will be greatly missed.” Nine-year Board Member Fred Hash, Vice President and Director of Business Development for Great Lakes Capital Fund, worked closely with Gray as Board President for five years. Hash added, “Bill has created a lasting legacy in Downtown Indianapolis, evidenced by the creative developments he has been part of, and even more so by the lives he’s touched and positively impacted.”

In 2012, Gray was named a “Neighborhood Visionary” by LISC, the Indianapolis office of a national organization that helps resident-led, community-based development organizations transform distressed communities and neighborhoods into healthy ones.

During his tenure with RADC, Gray has been responsible for management of all aspects of the Community Development Corporation (CDC), including management of assets, attainment of appropriate funding for major housing projects, and development of financial plans. He has established positive and stable relationships with neighborhood leaders, corporate and government entities, not-for-profit partners, and volunteers.

RADC is a Community Development Corporation founded in 1979. CDCs are catalysts for community-led neighborhood rebirth through housing revitalization, economic development, and partnerships with self-sufficiency programs. CDCs maximize public funds through alliances with financial institutions, equity investors, and individual donors. RADC’s core service area is the near eastside of Indianapolis, including the Massachusetts Avenue retail, residential, and cultural district. Committed to helping neighborhoods direct their own economic destiny, Riley Area believes long-term revitalization of urban neighborhoods is most successful when it is resident driven.

Program 3 will include an in-depth presentation of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), including the major topics listed below, and a reception/networking opportunity.

• Qualifications for NMTCs
• Allocations and Awards
• Risks and Benefits
• Case Studies
• Financing Structures
• Exit Strategy

The session will include a panel of bankers, lenders and professionals who have significant experience with the NMTC program. Following the presentation, the panel will be open for questions.

Developing Indiana Neighborhoods: Program 3

Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Presentation: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktail Reception: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Chase Near Eastside Legacy Center
Arsenal Tech High School Campus
725 N. Oriental Street Indianapolis, IN 46201

Read more about IDO at http://www.irvingtondevelopment.org/

The ED position is further explained in this job description.

Download this list of questions for candidate responses and for instructions on the submission of qualifications.

Click here to read the
summary of the 2012 legislative session.

For 2012, the IACED board of directors supported three policy priorities: land banking, updating the Indianapolis Housing Trust fund statute, and public transit. The IACED legislative team also spent considerable energy working to stop legislation this session that would have raised the property taxes for affordable housing developments using the Section 42 low income housing tax credit (LIHTC). IACED defended a variety of income tax credits which provide critical resources for community development.

IACED-member community-based development partners are non-profit community development corporations and other non-profit organizations wishing to access bank-owned REO properties for purposes of developing affordable housing, ending homelessness or advancing other local community redevelopment goals.

IACED members interested in accessing REO properties should download this RFQ and respond with a statement of qualifications describing their ability to carry out rehabilitation of REO properties or achieve other community defined redevelopment goals.

All activities that IACED members propose to perform should be described in detail.  Selection of qualified local community-based development partners will be based on information included in the submitted proposals, follow up interviews, references and other relevant sources of information.

Download the full RFQ here.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

APRIL 23, 2012

The IBJ commended Gennesaret for its work in providing free health care to the homeless and uninsured population at nine locations throughout Indianapolis.

In the article, the IBJ states that Dr. James Trippi, M.D., a cardiologist with The Care Group at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, founded the organization in 1988.   Gennesaret served 2,000 patients that year.

Now, a staff of 14 and nearly 230 volunteers—physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists and non-medical volunteers—serve over 12,000 patients each year.  The organization now offers a broader range of services as well including dental care, respite housing, vision care, social work services, medications and medical supplies, and screenings and preventive services, such as early detection for breast and cervical cancer.

In 2000, Gennesaret launched its Health Recovery Program.  This program provides transitional housing to men after major surgery or medical illness.  In the article, Rebecca Seifert, the Executive Director of Gennesaret, noted that Gennesaret is the only organization in Indiana that provides medical respite for homeless men coming from the hospital.

IACED is proud of the important role Gennesaret plays in supporting Indianapolis citizens in need!

To read the full article, click here.

The successful candidate will be well versed in the principles of comprehensive community development with a strong commitment to building a sustainable neighborhood. The new Executive Director must exhibit strong leadership skills including financial management, fund raising, staff development through mentoring and delegation, and strong board member cultivation. Dynamic communications skills and relationships in the Indianapolis community will be critical.

A new five year strategic plan for the organization is under development this fall as well as a quality of life planning process for the larger mid north neighborhood area providing an excellent road map for the new Executive Director. Reporting to a Board of 17 representing many neighborhood organizations, and supervising a staff of ten, the new Executive Director will have a strong foundation to build on and many dedicated partners who believe in the Mapleton-Fall Creek area.

Individuals interested in the position should send their resume and cover letter to EDSearch@mfcdc.org. Applications will be accepted through October 19, 2011.

Using that criteria, Indianapolis was second due to the city’s homeowner vacancy rates (5.2 percent), the rental vacancy rates (13.5 percent), and the unemployment rate (7.8 percent).  Further, the article cited the $20,000 drop in average home prices (15.3 percent), between the second quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of this year in assigning the ranking.

The report referenced an oversupply of housing, a stagnant housing market recovery and increasing foreclosures for the number of abandoned and vacant homes in Indianapolis.

On June 20, IACED and the Land Bank of Indianapolis hosted a Land Banking Symposium featuring Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, an economist in the Community Development Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.  Mr. Fitzpatrick discussed the abandoned housing dilemma in Indiana and how land banking strategies have supported community revitalization in other regions.

For Mr. Fitzpatrick’s presentation, click here.

To read the full report, click here.