PRESS RELEASE December 15, 2009

For Immediate Release Contact: Sarah McKinley Director of Operations, NACEDA 202-659-7701 or smckinley@naceda.org

NACEDA Announces Winners of
First Managing Neighborhood Change Competition

Winners Provide Innovative Models for Data Collection to Use for Revitalizing Communities

Washington, DC - December 14, 2009 - The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) announced the winners of a competition aimed at identifying effective tools for collecting data to track changes in neighborhoods around the country, resulting from foreclosure, economic downturns, and populations shifts among other factors.

This is the first in a series of five "Managing Neighborhood Change" collaborative competitions sponsored by NACEDA in partnership with Root Change, a consulting group that provides capacity building services to NGOs and change-makers worldwide.  NACEDA represents more than 3,200 community development corporations (CDCs) nationwide.

All winners demonstrated proven, cost-effective approaches to managing neighborhood change that can be replicated by other community CDCs working to create sustainable communities for low-income individuals across the country. "Through these competitions, we will develop a tool kit that community development corporations can use to promote responsible revitalization that meets the needs of lower income communities," stated NACEDA Board Member and Capacity Committee Chair Pat Spring of the Connecticut Housing Coalition. "It's an opportunity to share ideas and build partnerships, particularly with local governments and institutions."

The University of Florida's Shimberg Center for Housing Studies sponsored the first competition. "The collaborative competitions bring fresh voices to the conversation about how best to understand and respond to neighborhood housing markets," stated Ann Ray, Shimberg Center researcher and collaborating sponsor of the Managing Neighborhood Change initiative. "As a housing data provider, we're especially excited about this opportunity to learn from our colleagues in other parts of the country about new ways to collect and understand neighborhood-level data."

NACEDA launched the MNC program in 2008, with the support of MNC concept architect Allan Mallach, Senior Non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. The program is now in the pilot testing phase in 3 locations: Los Angeles, CA, the metro area of Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA.

The following organizations won the first competition, entitled "Data Collection and Compilation." View their complete submissions at the interactive MNC website.

• Hollywood Community Studio and Thai Community Development Center conducted surveys of small business owners, residents, and area workers to gauge perception of redevelopment activity and neighborhood change. They used data collection and civic engagement to ensure that all stakeholders are represented in the decision-making process, including small business owners, seniors, low-income residents who are often left out of the planning equation and do not benefit from change. They developed outstanding tools and processes that can be replicated by other communities experiencing rapid change through large-scale development or policy changes.
• Women's Community Revitalization Project launched a Public Land Listening Project to collect data and measure residents' perspective on land use in their community through an in-depth interview process. The training process that they developed for interviewers and the interview itself serve as an outstanding model for other community development corporations seeking to involve community members in the planning process. They combined data collection and community organizing to involve low-income Philadelphia residents in the decision-making process regarding future use of public land.
• Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations developed the Pocket Neighborhood Inventory System, data collection software used with a handheld computer to efficiently collect and analyze neighborhood data. The system expedites neighborhood revitalization initiatives, including identifying properties for targeted repairs, gathering ownership information on the ownership and condition of commercial properties to promote business retention, identifying vacant lots and abandoned properties to support strategic revitalization, and providing a benchmark for measuring and evaluating neighborhood change over time.

This week, NACEDA begins the second competition, which is entitled "Diagnostic Tools for Managing Neighborhood Change."

About NACEDA and the CDC Industry
Through its member network state/city/regional associations, NACEDA represents more than 3,000 community development corporations. In 2005, as an industry total (aggregate) CDCs produced: 1.3 million homes (since 1988), 774,000 new jobs and 126 million sq feet of commercial/industrial space, housing for special needs populations. Nearly 2/3 of CDCs offer homeownership counseling. Visit our newsroom for more about NACEDA and to read our press releases.