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Current Alerts and Events
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Legislative Directory for Cuyahoga County
This page is here to list time-sensitive policy alerts, special events and/or meetings. Please send us any information that should appear here. E-mail Mary Helen Petrus with your timely news at: maryhelen@cndc2.org. Also, be sure to check out the Discussion Board and/or post your alerts there.
FEDERAL BUDGET UPDATE Februrary, 2007 President Bush's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2008 would continue the downward trend in funding for HUD program in recent years. Total funding for HUD discretionary programs under the Administration's budget request would be $38.2 billion in 2008, $1 billion (2.8 percent) less than funding in 2006, and $4.3 billion (10.6 percent) less than funding in 2004. CDBG formula grants would be $735 million, or 19.8 percent, below estimated final funding levels in 2007. The proposed budget includes the Administration's renewed proposal to modify the formula under which CDBG funding is allocated, and proposes to eliminate several smaller community development programs, including Brownfields. The Administration's budget would cut the Section 202 and 800 supportive housing programs by a total of $270 million, or 28 percent, from 2007 funding levels. HOME formula grants, McKinney homeless assistance and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS are among programs that would receive increases in the President's budget. UPDATE ON STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND RECLAIM ABANDONED PROPERTY November, 2006 State Movement - ReBuild Ohio A year has passed since the Ohio Vacant Property Forum was convened last October, and much has been done to lay the groundwork of ReBuild Ohio. ReBuild Ohio, a consortium of government, nonprofit and civic organizations concerned about the effects of abandoned property in Ohio, was formed after the Forum to capture the interest and energy generated for state policy reform. ReBuild Ohio's mission is to promote the revitalization and reuse of vacant and abandoned property, thus enhancing the quality of life for all Ohioans. ReBuild Ohio works to advance policies and identify tools that prevent deterioration and abandonment and lead to residential, commercial and industrial property redevelopment. Below are some highlighted committee activities and accomplishments. Steering Committee - designated co-chairs Mary Helen Petrus, CNDC, and Lavea Brachman, Greater Ohio; drafted a mission statement; adopted goals and objectives for 2006-07; filled 13 out of 15 slots, with members representing geographically diverse parts of the State. Advocacy Committee - developed initial outreach and media strategies; initiated referral listing of vacant property and community development experts; drafted talking points for outreach meetings; contributed a briefing paper for gubernatorial candidates in Greater Ohio's candidates briefing book; met with several members of Northeast Ohio delegation to the Ohio General Assembly to discuss ReBuild Ohio; generated legislative ideas for Fall 2006 and explored these with partners such as County Treasurer Offices and nonprofit and civic groups. Communications Committee - wrote and reproduced (with the support of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland) a fact sheet; generated logo ideas; established a preliminary website; worked with the Advocacy Committee on developing a media strategy. Education Committee - completed a survey for local development professionals on the nature and extent of the abandoned property in their communities (survey has been posted at http://support.smartgrowthamerica.org/site/PageServer?pagename=VP_RebuildOhioSurvey); developed presentation materials for and presented to interested parties; developed ideas for case studies/best practices; initiated partnerships for educational outreach and implementation guidance for H.B. 294; identified on-going local practices and initiatives. Research Committee - developed a preliminary outline and goals for a two-part study; identified a consultant to conduct Part I (Cost Impact) of the study, and worked with the consultant to develop criteria to select communities for inclusion in the study; developed research template with consultant; created a study advisory committee; completed the research design phase of Part I and identified research scope issues; formulated neighborhood selection methodologies for Columbus and Cleveland and identified a range of neighborhoods; initiated discussions on Part II of the study (Policy Assessment) and its work and scope. Funding - confirmed grants from six funders and identified multiple other potential funders. In the next year, ReBuild Ohio plans to focus on completing Parts I and II of the study, and on formulating legislative priorities. Local Efforts Approximately one year has passed since the release of the National Vacant Property Campaign's “ Cleveland at the Crossroads” report, a study commissioned by Neighborhood Progress, Inc. (NPI). Many of InfoMail's readers will recall the ensuing series of large well-attended public meetings held with the authors of the report to review findings and recommendations in detail. Soon after the conclusion of these meetings, CNDC and NPI convened a group of key individuals from public and private entities involved with preventing, reclaiming and redeveloping abandoned properties. The overall purpose of the group - the Vacant Property Coordinating Council - is to ensure a strategic collaborative approach to the many problems rooted in and emanating from the causes and repercussions of abandoned property. The Vacant Property Coordinating Council is composed of representatives from: the City of Cleveland's Mayor's Office, Department of Building and Housing, Department of Community Development; Cleveland City Council; Cleveland Municipal Housing Court; Cuyahoga County Department of Development; Cuyahoga County Treasurers' Office; Enterprise Community Partners; First Suburbs Consortium; CNDC; and NPI. This collaboration among agencies – a first – continues with regular meetings and communication. In addition to the establishment of the Vacant Property Coordinating Council, initial funding from the Cleveland and the George Gund Foundations and Enterprise Community Partners has been raised to support many initiatives designed to implement recommendations made in the “Cleveland at the Crossroads” report, including:
Independent events of the past year have bolstered local efforts. Promising state legislation was signed into law this summer, including H.B. 294 and S.B. 185. H.B. 294 will allow faster treatment of tax foreclosures of abandoned properties through a board of revisions. S.B. 185 would stem abusive lending practices with new regulations on mortgage brokers and appraisers. However, S.B. 117, passed late 2006, would cap non-economic damages in consumer protection lawsuits at $5,000, thus seriously compromising S.B. 185's utility with respect to predatory lending (Governor Strickland vetoed S.B. 117 early January 2007, but his constitutional authority to do so is under question). The City of Cleveland has adopted a new policy of filing affidavits of fact upon condemnation with the County Recorder, a measure that may prevent flipping and mortgage fraud. The Cleveland Housing Court has agreed to start hearing foreclosure cases, which will speed the process of foreclosing on receivers' and other liens on abandoned property. Finally, the County has added permanent parcel numbers to the foreclosure data system so that filings can now be tracked by location. Although much has been accomplished in the past year, much remains to be done. This will include:
Please contact Mary Helen Petrus, maryhelen@cndc2.org, if you'd like more information about ReBuild Ohio and if you'd like to join by participating in a committee. Subscribe to the listserv by sending an empty message to rebuild.ohio-subscribe@law.csuohio.edu. For a factsheet on ReBuild Ohio, click here. ELECTIONS AND YOUR ORGANIZATION
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