Industry Items of Interest

The Ohio Housing Trust Fund Celebrates Twenty Years   It was 1991 when the Ohio legislature approved the OHTF, a flexible, cost effective funding source that serves the critical housing needs of our military veterans, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and working families.  Immediately, the trust fund went to work, creating good paying housing-related jobs, leveraging working capital to bring more federal and private dollars into the state, and targeting half of all allocations to rural counties.  Years later, a permanent, dedicated funding stream was enacted, allowing the trust fund to quickly address local needs, conditions and priorities in an increasingly troubled economy.  This brought predictability and reliability to the funding process, and fostered a long-term private investment in housing.  In all, more than a million people from every one of Ohio's 88 counties have benefited directly from OHTF programs and services. 
The OHTF also "builds" jobs.  The OHTF contributed to the construction of 2,737 home ownership and 1,610 rental units in FY 2009 creating an estimated 10,000 jobs.  Every dollar of state money Ohio invests to build or remodel homes and apartment buildings generates new economic activity and creates sorely needed employment across the state. 
For further information on OHTF visit www.development.ohio.gov and search Ohio Housing Trust Fund.
 

January is RetailSpacesCleveland Update Time  
The CNDC sponsored website, www.retailspacescleveland.com, consistently logs between 4,000 and 6,000 unique visitors monthly.  This website, designed and developed for CNDC community development corporation members, serves the CDCs by highlighting the retail opportunities in their neighborhood.  Location, in-depth demographics, assets, and features are included, along with current retail spaces available and contact information. 
January is the month dedicated for the upcoming quarterly updates to the website. Deadlines are as follows: for brand new listings by a member CDC not already included on the website, the deadline is January 14, 2011; for updating information from currently listed CDCs, the deadline is January 21, 2011. Send information and/or questions to Chris King, webmaster, at chris@creativekeys.net or phone her at (216) 991-8428.

Cleveland Collectivo Funding Available  The Cleveland Collectivo welcomes individuals, new businesses and community projects to apply for grants in the range of $500 to $5,000 in the first funding cycle of 2011.  The project must be a new initiative with a definite beginning and end and take place in the City of Cleveland or one of the inner ring suburbs.  The one page funding application must be submitted electronically and can be found at www.clevelandcolectivo.org.  The deadline is January 13, 2011 and only the first 100 applications will be reviewed.  Projects accepted will be contacted mid-February and asked to submit a more formal application.  Fund disbursement will be made in May 2011.  For further information about the Cleveland Collectivo visit the above website. 
 

Member News

Safeguard Properties Has Been Recognized by Weatherhead 100 as the fastest growing large company in Northeast Ohio.  Safeguard led in the Centurion category that includes companies with annual net sales in excess of $100 million.  The Weatherhead 100 is presented by the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. 
This is the 14th year in which Safeguard has been recognized as a Weatherhead 100 company.  It is the first time however that Safeguard has earned the top spot in the Centurion category.  The objective ranking is performed by the Weatherhead School of Management.  CNDC congratulates Safeguard for achieving this very prestigious honor.
 

Call to Artists for Year of the Rabbit Public Art Project  February 2nd begins the Year of the Rabbit on the Chinese calendar, and to celebrate,  the St. Clair Superior Community will be filled with a collection of public art pieces in honor of this year long celebration.  Local artists will apply their talent and creativity to the fiberglass rabbit sculptures to create an assortment of unique pieces of public art.  The Rabbit will be placed outside local business establishments in Cleveland, and will be auctioned off in the Fall 2011. 
To make each rabbit a unique work of art, each artist is challenged and inspired by cultural influences, their personal history, and their own interpretation of the rabbit as an object of art.  Artists will be paid an honorarium of $400 upon completion.  In addition, each artist will receive 2 tickets to the Year of the Rabbit Gala Auction Event.  The forms needed for project submission include an application form and design template along with a brief statement about your design (not to exceed one page) and can be found by visiting www.stclairsuperior.org.  The deadline for entry is January 17, 2011 and all items must be hand delivered or mailed to St. Clair Superior Development Corporation,  Attn:  Year of the Rabbit-Selection Committee, 4205 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44103.  For further information contact Becca Britton at 216-881-0644 or rbritton@stclairsuperior.org.