• 05 Jan 2018 1:26 PM | Deleted user

    On Wednesday, January 3, the General Assembly convened for the first day of the 2018 session.  Prosperity Indiana’s policy team continued working with legislators to introduce measures that support community development efforts in Indiana, as outlined in our 2018 State Policy Priorities below.  Additionally, we are tracking and analyzing bill filings to review measures we will advocate for or against on behalf of our members in this legislative session. 

     

    While it is a short session, our network is pushing for some ambitious priorities and we hope our members will join our advocacy efforts by attending our Statehouse Day on Tuesday, January 23. For more information and to RSVP, click here.  Stay posted to our blog as we will post our bill tracker lists and details next week.


    PROSPERITY INDIANA'S 2018 STATE POLICY PRIORITIES

     

    Prosperity Indiana works diligently to collaborate with state legislators in developing policies that respond to urgent human needs, help expand economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in communities of all sizes throughout the state. Further, our network supports inclusive communities that allow all Hoosiers prosper, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin or ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender. In 2018, our state policy advocacy will be focused on four critical areas in support of resilient families and vibrant communities.

     

    1.      Clarifying Charitable Affordable Housing Property Tax Exemption

    Enacting legislation to provide clarity and certainty around tax exemption for 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that own and operate affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families is essential to preserving and expanding quality affordable housing options, which our state currently lacks. Prosperity Indiana will work to establish a uniform, objective standard to ensure that these non-profit organizations receive property tax exemption throughout all of Indiana’s 92 counties.

     

    2.     Defending Key Programs that Spur Economic Opportunity 

    Prosperity Indiana remains committed to ensuring that incentive credit reform proposals do not adversely affect the opportunities for economic success of individuals and families.

     

    3.      developing new resources to support community development work

    In 2018, Prosperity Indiana will work to build support for sustainable funding sources for community development work. This will include promoting affordable housing production through local affordable housing local housing trust funds, working to establish new partnerships among nonprofit, public and private entities to improve economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income households, such as a community investment tax credit program, as well as identifying resources for communities to effectively combat blight and abandoned property.

     

    4.      Protecting consumers, Promoting economic stability

    Prosperity Indiana will continue active advocacy to encourage asset building for low-wealth individuals and families, such as working to curtail predatory lending products and practices that disproportionately impact low-income consumers, including payday lending, debt garnishment, and attempts to undermine the judicial foreclosure process in place in Indiana.


    Additionally, as we share our key priorities, it is important to highlight for our members key legislative and administrative priorities for the year.

    Top General Assembly Priorities from Legislative Leaders

    House Agenda:
    On Thursday, January 4, Speaker Brian Bosma has outlined the following priorities as the key areas of focus for House leadership:

    ·       supporting a funding boost for K-12 schools

    ·       strengthening Indiana’s workforce

    ·       attacking the opioid epidemic

    ·       increasing government efficiency.

    Click here to read more.

    Senate Agenda:
    On Monday, January 8, members of the Indiana Senate Republican Caucus will announce their 2018 legislative agenda. For more details on the unveiling, click here.

    Top Administrative Priorities

    On November 8, Governor Eric Holcomb released his Next Level Agenda for 2018. Click here for the agenda handout. The proposals are mirrored in some the House leadership priorities for this session and include:

    ·       Cultivating a strong and diverse economy (attracting new talent, supporting the tech sector, preparing for next generation technologies and opportunities, and encouraging sustainable regional development)

    ·       Maintaining and build the state’s infrastructure (better managing the state’s water resources, expanding Indiana’s global economic presence with a fourth port, and improving broadband access, speed and affordability)

    ·       Developing a 21st Century skilled and ready workforce (providing every Hoosier child an effective baseline education infused with skills and attributes that prepare them for life after high school, ensure students graduate from high school set on a pathway that prepares them for college, career training or a quality job, and connecting working-age adults to education and training that leads them directly to employment aligned with industry needs)


  • 05 Jan 2018 1:00 PM | Deleted user

    Prosperity Indiana is pleased to announce that we have partnered with the National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) to provide technical assistance to the City of Rushville using a US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rural Technical Assistance grant. Prosperity Indiana will work closely with Brian Sheehan, Director of Special Projects and Mayor Mike Pavey on the project to provide capacity building, leadership development, and facilitate development of an arts council & arts master plan.

    “This is a great opportunity for our community.  The opportunity to partner with experts in the field of art and leadership development to build greater capacity in our community is something I am very excited to be a part of.” – Brian Sheehan

    This technical assistance grant pairs with the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) consultancy the City of Rushville received through the IAC’s program “Open Scene”, available to those that attended their summer creative placemaking workshop. When the City of Rushville applied for an arts consultancy through the Indiana Arts Commission they dreamed big and applied for assistance with an arts master plan for their community. Lewis Ricci, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission said “It’s been really exciting to work with Rushville’s energetic and innovative leaders. This match with Prosperity Indiana will give Rushville more tools to keep building quality of place while celebrating their community’s creativity.” The city wants to build on the Stellar Communities program success and look toward arts as a means of advancing community economic development in their area.

    Prosperity Indiana Director of Planning Services, Rose Scovel, was on the consultant team for the Indiana Arts Commission and believed that what Rushville was seeking was a good potential match for the HUD Rural Technical Assistance Program that Prosperity Indiana is connected to through their partner, NALCAB. She encouraged the City of Rushville to apply for technical assistance for an arts master plan, capacity building for a new arts council, and leadership development.

    The project work began in early January and will continue through June. The project has four components that will engage residents of the Rushville community: 1) creation of an arts commission and capacity building for the arts commission; 2) leadership development workshops; 3) a resource guide for the arts council; and, 4) an arts master plan. Early in the year Prosperity Indiana will begin interviewing key stakeholders connected to the arts in Rushville and conduct focus groups to advise the development of an arts council. Once an arts council has been appointed, Prosperity Indiana will provide board training. The leadership development component will include workshops on community organizing and civic engagement, and conclude with a community resource fair. Residents are encouraged to attend these workshops, which will be held in February, March, and April.

    The process for the arts master plan will include a community survey, focus groups, a visioning workshop, working groups to develop the action plans, and a public rollout of the plan. Residents will be welcome (and encouraged) to participate in all aspects of developing the master plan.

    For this project the arts are being construed broadly, including visual arts, performing arts, writing and storytelling, and culinary arts.

    For more information about the project contact Rose Scovel, Director of Planning Services at rscovel@prosperityindiana.org or Brian Sheehan bsheehan@cityofrushville.in.gov, Director of Special Projects at the City of Rushville.


  • 04 Jan 2018 3:29 PM | Deleted user

    A message from Prosperity Indiana's newest staff member:

    "Hello, my name is Tierra Jones, and I am the AmeriCorps Program Manager with Prosperity Indiana. I recently graduated from IWU with a Masters in Organizational Leadership. I have experience in the social services field, training and leadership development, recruitment, skills development, and diversity and inclusion. I am an AmeriCorps Alum which truly excites me about the role I am in at Prosperity Indiana. As the AmeriCorps Program Manager, I will oversee AmeriCorps program activities, ensure compliance, manage AmeriCorps members and services, assist in supervision and performance evaluation and much more. I have a wonderful husband, (Jason) and two little girls, Xaniyah (7) Olivia (1)."

    We are excited to welcome Tierra to the Prosperity Indiana team! You can contact her at tjones@prosperityindiana.org.

  • 26 Dec 2017 1:00 PM | Anonymous

    On December 26, the Prosperity Indiana Board of Directors announced my departure as Executive Director. I announced my resignation to the Board of Directors on December 14, 2017 and depart March 2, 2018 to serve as Executive Director of the Community Foundation of South Jersey.

    I am excited about this new opportunity but sad to leave a great team and wonderful members making an impact everyday in Hoosiers' lives and their local communities. I am grateful for my decade of service alongside the dedicated professionals on the staff, Board of Directors and at member organizations across the state. 

    We have accomplished a lot together… stopped predatory financial legislation, created new safeguards in the law for Hoosiers in foreclosure, ensured funding for affordable housing development, created access to fair credit products, funded sustainable energy and program innovation in financial access with members, delivered high quality consulting and training to empower neighbors and practitioners, and connected the diversity of local organizations and industries that encompass the state’s community economic development field.

    Prosperity Indiana has an annually updated succession plan for senior staff. The Board has put the plan into effect. Board Vice President Nate Lichti with member IFF leads the Transition Committee. The Committee’s first meeting was December 21, 2017 and work is underway to identify a successor.

    Our Board President Steve Hoffman with member Brightpoint, said in the press release: “Prosperity Indiana’s work to empower strong member organizations, champion social justice and economic opportunity, and mobilize neighbors, coalitions, and policymakers for economic opportunity continues unabated. There is tremendous momentum with the organization following last year’s successful rebranding. The Board of Directors will work closely with the staff to continue programs and strategy until a successor is announced.”

    I hope to see each of you at the upcoming Prosperity Indiana Summit, January 23 and 24, 2018 in Indianapolis. This annual convening of members, partners, and interested professionals will explore strategies for community health, community development, and human service organizations to work collaboratively in local communities. 

  • 20 Dec 2017 3:15 PM | Deleted user

    My name is Kay Glenn, and my position with Prosperity Indiana is Membership and Administrative Coordinator. I came to Prosperity Indiana from IPS.  I was in A/P in the Food Service Dept. I have experience in customer service, data entry, finances, receptionist, payroll, A/P & A/R, just to name a few.  When I decided to leave IPS, I wanted to look for an organization that did great things to aid our community.  Some friends suggested I look in the non-profit world for a position. At Prosperity Indiana, I will help in the management of member and donor investment, as well as support the Prosperity Indiana staff with tasks that build the capacity of the organization, its members, and its partners. I will also be responsible for aiding in the annual membership campaign and annual fundraising events.

    I am married and I have three rescue pets: two dogs and one cat.  I love to cook for my family and friends.  I am a member and Vice-President of the Beech Grove Fraternal of Order of Eagles.  We are a nonprofit organization. I have helped organize and participated in many fundraising events.  I also help plan anywhere from kid's holiday parties to canned food drives for small food panties and sock drives for Wheeler Mission.

    I have a long road of learning in my future, but hope to become a valuable and respected staff member of Prosperity Indiana.

  • 18 Dec 2017 4:39 PM | Anonymous

    In 2013, Prosperity Indiana began a multi-year partnership with the Legacy Foundation of Lake County to design a program that uses a neighborhood-based collective impact approach to strengthen communities from within -- through organizing, planning and decision-making and action. 

    Recently, the Legacy Foundation announced support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to launch a new community development corporation (CDC) for Lake County, Indiana. The Legacy Foundation is seeking an Acting Director [job description] who will start up and manage a newly-formed Community Development Corporation (CDC)

    This CDC will take a creative neighborhood based approach to community engagement, planning, and place-making projects. This Community Development Corporation will be managed by and located within the Legacy Foundation during an initial incubation period until it can become an independent organization. At that point, pending on the job success, the Acting Director will transition to becoming Executive Director of an independent 501c3 CDC.

    “We appreciate the support from JPMorgan Chase for Legacy Foundation to develop and launch the Lake County CDC. We see this as an opportunity to provide much-needed community development support to area neighborhoods,” said Legacy Foundation President Carolyn Saxton.

    Through Neighborhood Spotlight and a Choice Neighborhood program, community groups were trained to engage residents and leaders, develop a community plan, and implement projects. FAITH Farms, a project of Gary, Indiana’s Emerson neighborhood, for example, turned a vacant lot into an urban garden with greenhouses and a steady group of volunteers who grow fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Gary’s Miller neighborhood leveraged the Spotlight program to secure funding for a bike-sharing program.

    After working with five northwest Indiana neighborhoods – the Emerson, Miller, and University Park East communities of Gary, Griffith, and northwest Hobart – Legacy and partners determined that a county-wide community development corporation could help deepen resident engagement and move to greater implementation in existing neighborhoods.

  • 12 Dec 2017 10:20 AM | Deleted user

    In recognition of the need to apply health outcomes research to the affordable housing and community development fields, NeighborWorks America supported the research and development of the new Success Measures Health Outcome Tools. These tools are intended to help community development practitioners design projects and partnerships that address health disparities through the integration of affordable housing, community development, and health.

    Any organization or community interested in how their work relates to health outcomes can benefit from the Success Measures Health Outcome Tools, including: housing and community development organizations, cross-sector community health initiatives, public health researchers, and health care institutions. The tools utilize primary data collected from residents, as well as from existing public data sources and program records. The tools are available in both English and Spanish.

    The Success Measures Health Outcome Tools include surveys of:

    • Individual and Community Health Status
    • Individual Health Beliefs and Attitudes
    • Individual Health Behaviors
    • Individual Factors and Influences Related to Health
    • Community Environmental Factors Related to Health
    • Community Demographics and Social Factors Related to Health
    • Availability, Quality, and Cultural Sensitivity of Health Care Services
    • Cross-Sector Collaborations and Partnerships

    Click here to read the full publication and view the tools.

    Interested in learning more about the intersection of community development and community health? Join us at the 2018 Prosperity Indiana Summit on January 24th to hear experts from around the state and the country discuss strategies, partnerships, and other tools for addressing health disparities in your community. Summit sessions will include:

    • Access to Food Choices in Food Deserts
    • Transit and Community Health
    • Active Living Workshops 101
    • Perspectives on Building Healthy Places
    • Your House is Making You Sick
    • Using Community Health Needs Assessments to Engage Nonprofit Hospitals
    • Vacant Property Legal Assistance to Stabilize Neighborhoods
    • Treating the Opioid Crisis at eh Neighborhood Level
    • Leveraging Affordable Housing Policy for Healthy Communities

    Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO of Eskenazi Health, will present the opening plenary remarks in the morning. David Erickson, Director of the Center for Community Development Finance at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, will present the lunch keynote address.

    Click here to register for the 2018 Prosperity Indiana Summit. 


  • 07 Dec 2017 4:00 PM | Anonymous

    For the last several years, it has been my pleasure to serve as the chairperson of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBI) Affordable Housing Advisory Council (AHAC). The Council recently elected new leadership and added representatives from several Prosperity Indiana member organizations. 

     The AHAC is comprised of housing and community development leaders throughout Michigan and Indiana. The Council helps the Bank meet its mission related to access to decent, stable, affordable housing and community investment.

    Vincent Tilford and Tony Lentych were recently elected as the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the  Council effective January 1, 2018. Tilford is Executive Director of the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation in Detroit, Michigan and Lentych is Executive Director of the Traverse City Housing Commission in Traverse City, Michigan. Lentych also worked in Indianapolis, Indiana for a number of years including as the Executive Director of the Indianapolis Coalition for Neighborhood Development.

    In addition, the FHLBI Board of Directors selected the following Indiana representatives to three-year terms on AHAC: 

    • Sherry Early-Aden, Vice President of Operations, Brightpoint in Fort Wayne
    • Eric Frey, II, Executive Director, Administrative Resource Association and Southern Indiana Housing CDC in Columbus 

    The AHAC is comprised of 12 community and not-for-profit leaders actively involved in providing or promoting low- and moderate-income housing and community lending in Indiana and Michigan. "The advisory council provides specialized knowledge of affordable housing and of the unique needs of our district," said Cindy L. Konich, FHLBI President and CEO. "The council's understanding and experience with affordable housing finance, community economic development, and local lending needs truly enriches our ability to meet our affordable housing mission through our member financial institutions."

  • 07 Dec 2017 1:00 PM | Anonymous

    Prosperity Indiana is excited to announce the nominees for the 2018 Prosperity Indiana Awards! We had an outstanding pool of candidates from all over the state. While only one person or program will be selected for each category, we want to take a moment to recognize and honor all who were nominated. Join us at the 2018 Prosperity Indiana Summit luncheon for our awards celebration when recipients are announced!

    Key Award for Services Program of the Year
    • 12 Steps to Financial Success, Old National Bank
    • Bankable
    • Building Better Neighborhoods, Ball State University
    • CreatINg Places, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
    • Felege Hiywot Center
    • Indy Reads Community Classrooms
    • Kids Matter Camp, Norwood Neighborhood Association
    • Miller Spotlight
    • Vincent Village

    Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award

    • Jacquelyn Dodyk, Affordable Housing Corporation of Marion
    • Mark Gould, 1st Source Bank
    • Craig Graybeal, ecoREHAB of Muncie, Inc.
    • Andrew Hoffman, NeighborLink Fort Wayne
    • Stephanie Roland, Old National Bank
    • Jennifer Sandlin, Ohio Valley Opportunities
    • Stephanie TenBarge, ECHO Housing Corporation

    John Niederman Rural Development Leadership Award

    • Dale Bliss, Advantage Housing, Inc.
    • Sharon Reed Colbert, Esther's Boutique
    • Larry Gautsche, La Casa 
    •  Natalie Westbrook, God's Grace Community Church
    Michael Carroll Community Economic Development Leadership Award
    • Pat Gamble-Moore, PNC Bank
    • Ben Joergens, Old National Bank
    • Janet Katz, Northeast Indiana Local Food Network
    • Nathan Kring, Tipton Main Street
    • Mayor Christopher McBarnes, City of Frankfort
    Congratulations on your nomination to all candidates, and thank you for your service to Indiana
  • 15 Nov 2017 9:22 AM | Deleted user

    Homeownership is the primary form of wealth for low-income and minority households. However, factors such as tight lending standards that continue to limit mortgage access for households with lower credit scores, more households feeling the burden of large amounts of student debt, and the stock of affordable housing continuing to shrink mean fewer people are able to access the wealth creation opportunities homeownership provides.

    The affordable housing advocates who gathered at Prosperity Now’s 2017 I’M HOME Conference last month believe manufactured homes could be part of the affordable housing solution.

    Manufactured homes and the people who live in them are often associated with negative perceptions perpetuated by stereotypes in popular culture. But since the enactment of the Federal Manufactured Housing and Construction Standards (also known as the HUD Code) in 1976, the prototypical low quality mobile homes with little insulation and an unstable foundations are no longer being constructed. The HUD Code established requirements for the design, performance, installation, and energy efficiency of manufactured homes, making today’s manufactured homes an attractive affordable housing option.

    Manufactured housing is the largest unsubsidized housing stock in the United States. In 2015, about 18 million Americans lived in manufactured homes, and the manufactured housing industry is adding nearly 90,000 homes to that count annually. The factory setting construction process eliminates the risk of weather delays, reduces the incidence of unexpected cost increases associated with construction, requires less construction management, and allows for faster move-in. The average sale price of a new manufactured home is $68,000 compared to the average sale price of $360,000 for site built homes. When done right, manufactured housing can provide affordable housing opportunities to make homeownership and financial stability a reality for all families.

    This year’s I’M HOME Conference focused on innovations in financing, preservation, and partnerships around affordable and manufactured housing through presentation of compelling data and powerful personal stories. Speakers included: Dr. Chris Herbert, Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University; Dr. Esther Sullivan, professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado-Denver; and Andrea Levere, President of Prosperity Now. Click here to read more about the I’M HOME Conference, and access presentations and materials distributed at the Conference here


Policy News

Prosperity Indiana
1099 N. Meridian Street, Suite 170
Indianapolis, IN 46204 
Phone // 317.222.1221 
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