National CAPACD News - July 2010

1. REGISTER NOW FOR EARLY BIRD RATES!  National CAPACD’s 11th Annual Convention to be hosted in Washington, DC – September 26 – 29, 2010.
2. National CAPACD 11th Annual Convention Next Generation Scholarships Available Now.
3. From the Hill: Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Signed into Law.
4. From the Hill: National CAPACD Participates in Housing Counseling Congressional Legislative Staff Briefing.
5. HUD and Transportation Departments Announce New Sustainable Planning Grants.
6. News from the Field: Korean Resource Center Senior Housing Project Passes Important Hurdle with Help from the National CAPACD ACTION Technical Assistance Program.
7. News from the Field: National CAPACD Hosts Queens Foreclosure Response Rescue Fair.
8. News from the Field: National CAPACD Sends Member Organizations to NeighborWorks Training Institute.

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1) REGISTER NOW FOR EARLY BIRD RATES!  National CAPACD’s 11th Annual Convention to be hosted in Washington, DC – September 26 – 29, 2010

Join us in Washington, DC for our 11th Annual Convention, “Building Community within a Multiracial Nation,” as we continue to build bridges and bring together AAPI communities, communities of color and social justice allies to strengthen neighborhoods and communities.  Attend this year’s Convention with other leaders in community development, affordable housing, health and environmental justice to highlight best practices in our networks, and to discuss how we can make the most of the emerging opportunities in the present moment together.

For more detailed information, visit our Convention webpage or click here to register now.



2) National CAPACD 11th Annual Convention Next Generation Scholarships Available Now

Scholarships through our Next Generation Leadership Program are now available for National CAPACD members to join us at our 11th Annual National CAPACD Convention, “Building Community within a Multiracial Nation."  The Next Generation Leadership Program provides support and mentorship to the next generation of community leaders and professionals.  The Program provides an opportunity for dedicated, young staff just entering the field of community development to connect with their peers and other more-seasoned leaders within the National CAPACD network.  The Convention will include workshops, luncheons and sessions specifically for Next Generation participants.

Registration fee waivers and modest travel stipends to assist member organizations and their staff who do not meet the criteria for the Next Generation Leadership Program are also available on a very limited basis.  National CAPACD staff will consider the request and make every attempt to partially alleviate any travel burden.  Special consideration may be given to workshop panelists and other volunteers.

Because of a strong interest in the Next Generation Leadership Program scholarship opportunities, we’ve extended the deadline to August 3rd.  Visit our website or download the Scholarship Application Form and apply today!

Southwest Airlines is a proud sponsor of the Next Generation Scholarship.

3) From the Hill: Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Signed into Law

On July 21, 2010, President Obama signed H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, into law.  Introduced by Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative Barney Frank, the legislation imposes tighter restrictions on banks, ensures greater oversight of the derivatives markets, and expands consumer protection rights.
Major provisions in the legislation include:
•    An extension of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act
•    $1 billion in emergency relief funds to assist unemployed homeowners
•    $1 billion allocated to help with the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program
•    A provision directing HUD to develop a program to ensure protection of current and future tenants and at-risk multifamily properties
•    The establishment of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to regulate consumer products and services



4) From the Hill: National CAPACD Participates in Housing Counseling Congressional Legislative Staff Briefing

On June 22, 2010, the Coalition of HUD Housing Counseling Intermediaries held a Congressional legislative staff briefing on housing counseling and foreclosure mitigation.  The Coalition of HUD Housing Counseling Intermediaries is a national network of HUD-approved housing counseling organizations, including National CAPACD, that provides housing counseling, education, and community reinvestment programs.  The briefing provided an opportunity for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing Counseling Intermediaries from across the country to share with legislative staffers the counseling services and foreclosure prevention options available to struggling homeowners and potential homebuyers, as well as recommendations on how Congress can better support this critical work.

Panelists highlighted the role of housing counseling intermediaries in assisting families and individuals navigate through the foreclosure prevention and home-buying process.  Colleen Hernandez, CEO for the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), noted that 1,500 housing counselors at the HOPE Hotline assist over 5,000 distressed callers a day.  With approximately 4.5 million homeowners at least 90 days delinquent on their mortgage or in foreclosure as of December 2009, housing counseling agencies are a key component in addressing the current housing crisis.  Marietta Rodriguez of NeighborWorks America pointed out that over 1,700 organizations are providing foreclosure counseling through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program (NFMC).

Despite housing counselors assisting more than 2 million homeowners last year, the demand for housing counseling has increased dramatically.  In their request to Congress, the panelists pointed out that additional resources for housing counseling services are needed.  A lack of adequate funding has already resulted in agencies cutting programs, laying off staff, cutting hours or salaries, and turning away clients in need.

Moderated by Graciela Aponte of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), other speakers included Jeanne Fekade-Sellassie of NeighborWorks America, Danielle Samalin of the Housing Partnership Network (HPN), and LaTesha Slappy of the Mission of Peace.



5) HUD and Transportation Departments Announce New Sustainable Planning Grants

On June 24, 2010, the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Transportation (DOT) issued coordinated Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) for three federal livable communities grant programs—each providing support for planning for sustainable and transit-oriented development.  The three programs are HUD’s Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grants, HUD’s Challenge Grants, and DOT’s TIGER II Planning Grants—with the latter two NOFAs combined into one announcement.  The coordination of these NOFAs is a product of the new interagency partnership between HUD, DOT, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support sustainable development.

Standing alone, the anticipated grants are relatively small (the largest will be $5 million out a total fund of $170 million for the three programs).  However, combined with other proposed programs, the grants may foster larger regional change through coordinated planning and use of existing resources.  In the future, agencies plan to link additional federal investments coordinating not only investments of HUD, DOT, and EPA but also potentially HHS, Education, and Commerce Departments.  For example, the DOT planning grant is a part of a $600 million transportation infrastructure program.  Through targeted government funding linked to local land use controls and regulations, the Administration’s vision is to locate more housing closer to transit, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and connect isolated low-income communities to better schools and jobs.

But even amongst supporters of the Administration’s agenda are concerns about the agenda’s actual viability.  The July issue of the progressive journal American Prospect argues that the “the Administration’s plans rely on nudging private growth in the right direction.  But this assumes there’s growth to drive.”  And given the overall decline in federal spending on infrastructure, the attempt to fundamentally change our sprawling urban geography “may be too, little too late.”  

Concerns also have been expressed that the redirection and channeling of federal investments and regional development into particular neighborhoods could result in greater inequities.  For example, new transit projects through existing diverse neighborhoods can inspire growth in the form of market rate “New Urbanist” housing, up-scale retail, or chain stores.  This will in turn displace and gentrify, destroying existing ethnic business districts and pushing lower income families into less accessible and economically depressed neighborhoods (now with fewer federal investments).

The NOFAs appear to at least attempt to address these issues.  In response to public comments (including those by National CAPACD), the NOFAs do require enhanced efforts to involve communities in the planning process and to attend to inequities in future development.   And while all the grants are directed to public agencies, applicants for the Regional planning grants must partner with at least one nonprofit institution that will provide more community based perspectives.   The NOFAs also favor proposals that address civil rights and environmental justice concerns and that provide language accessible outreach and education.  But how the combination of these requirements and incentives are actually implemented is subject to local interpretation and implementation—creating a need for local engagement and advocacy.

The paths for such advocacy are not mapped out by the NOFAs.  There is no clear or transparent process established for community based organizations to either shape the objectives of applications or to assure that particularly communities are supported in the grant.  

For the purposes of the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant, HUD does suggest interested communities to contact their regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) for information regarding potential applications but local organizations have already reported mixed responses to such inquiries.  Similarly, information about Challenge Grant pre-applications would need to be provided through individual local government agencies as HUD will not release that information.  Community based organizations will again need to engage with local governments to assure the process realizes its full democratic potential. 

Click here to see a summary of basic elements of the grants.

As these are new programs we would very much appreciate your feedback and stories of your experience.  Please send your accounts, comments, and questions to .



6) News from the Field: Korean Resource Center Senior Housing Project Passes Important Hurdle with Help from the National CAPACD ACTION Technical Assistance Program

The Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation (LTSC) has been working with the Korean Resource Center (KRC) on development of a 67-unit affordable senior housing project in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA.  The proposed project will have social service space (including counseling rooms, community rooms, a community-run library, a music room and a computer center) as well as office space for both KRC and the National Association of Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC). 

Since 1983, KRC has served low-income Korean immigrants and other people in need in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles.  KRC provides multiple services including social services, health access advocacy, youth programs, cultural programs, and immigration advocacy.  Growing numbers of KRC members and clients, particularly seniors, have had difficulty finding affordable housing.  Through National CAPACD’s ACTION TA program, KRC is getting direct assistance from LTSC to develop affordable senior housing in Koreatown.

In July, the project passed an important hurdle – the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) finance committee reviewed the project for a $3.4 Million potential funding commitment.  The project is set for full CRA Board approval on August 5th and, hopefully, full City Council ratification before the end of August.



7) News from the Field: National CAPACD Hosts Queens Foreclosure Response Rescue Fair

As a part of the Alliance for Stabilizing our Communities, National CAPACD and Chhaya CDC, our local Queens affiliate, is hosting a foreclosure response rescue fair at the York College in Jamaica, NY on August 7, 2010.  Through the support of Bank of America, the Center for New York City Neighborhoods and our member affiliate, Asian Americans For Equality, the rescue fair will provide an opportunity for borrowers who are either on the verge or in the midst of foreclosure to receive assistance from housing counselors, legal aids, bank servicers, and other industry experts to help them make informed decisions about the options available to them.

Representatives from Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, HSBC, Litton, Freddie Mac, and many others will be in attendance to assist borrowers.  Additionally, the rescue fair will have language capacity in Bangla, Urdu, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.

Chhaya is currently accepting pre-registrations in order to assist clients prepare the necessary documents prior to the rescue fair.  Pre-registration information can be found on Chhaya’s website at www.chhayacdc.org.

For additional information on National CAPACD’s foreclosure response network and the Alliance for Stabilizing our Communities, please contact Sherilyn Tran at (510) 452-4800 or .



8) News from the Field: National CAPACD Sends Member Organizations to NeighborWorks Training Institute

National CAPACD will be sending 15 individual staff from various National CAPACD member organizations to the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) in Philadelphia, PA from August 15-20, 2010. The 15 participants received National CAPACD scholarships to cover their tuition and lodging accommodations.  The NTI is a week-long training opportunity that will provide National CAPCD member organizations with additional support to expand their housing counseling program.

National CAPACD is collaborating with Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC), a local National CAPACD affiliate, to host a networking event during the week of the NTI training for participating member organizations.  Details of the event will be announced at a later date.

For more information on NeighborWorks training scholarships, please contact Sherilyn Tran at (510) 452-4800 or .