8:36 PM
Julio Barreto
An end of era occurred in Washington, DC July 8th when the National Neighborhood Coalition (NNC) closed its door after nearly 30 years of advocating for low income neighborhoods. In announcing its closure the organization released its final report, What’s Happening to the Neighborhood. The report reveals a series of “snapshots” on selected issues such as affordable housing, community development, community organizing and organizations, and neighborhood data and planning.
The National Neighborhood Coalition was founded in 1979 to provide a national voice for lower-income neighborhoods. Its mission was to promote socially and economically vibrant neighborhoods and strong and effective partnerships between community-based organizations and the public and private sector. NNC provided common ground for the nation’s leading advocates for lower-income neighborhoods. It created a role as a convener where disparate national and local leaders came together to discuss issues, generate the resources, public policies and solution-oriented strategies to strengthen and sustain low-income neighborhoods.
NNC was deeply involved in the creation of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), and in the creation of a smart growth tool kit. As a result of NNC’s efforts groups such as the Coalition on Human Needs and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding grew as a result of NNC’s efforts. In its prime, NNC was a great networking resource for new Washington arrivals and seasoned veterans alike. As technology improved and issues and funding for those issues became more defined, NNC’s role as a convener diminished. While the decision to shut down NNC was difficult, its board felt it was time to close its doors.
Its final report seeks to bring awareness to the conditions in neighborhoods and the efforts underway to improve them, according to the NNC Vice Chairs Jane DeMarines, Executive Director of National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations; Conrad Egan, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference; and, Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development.
Edited by Mark Rom, Associate Professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, the report is not intended to be exhaustive or definitive, according to a statement released by the vice-chairs. According to the vice-chairs, it is written by experienced activists, leaders and scholars, and all chapters offer suggestions for improving neighborhoods through policy and programmatic innovations.
Q&A with Thomas Shellabarger, Co-Chair of the National Neighborhood Coalition
Thomas Shellabarger is a Policy Advisor on Urban and Economic Issues for the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops. He monitors issues related to housing, homelessness, community development, civil rights, employment, and the federal budget. The major legislation involved in these issues are the federal budget process, housing authorization and appropriations, labor and employment, and minimum wage. He was the immediate past co-chair of the National Neighborhood Coalition.
1. How has the National Neighborhood Coalition contributed to the debate in Washington about the need to improve low income neighborhoods?
Covering 30 years of contributions, I’m afraid some will be overlooked! We were deeply involved in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) which really opened up information to neighborhoods about their access to money and other financial services. More recently, we were involved in getting neighborhoods into the conversations about ‘Smart Growth’. Getting people together who work on issues or public policy that affect people in local communities, local neighbors, just generates a lot of good ideas!
2. How would you describe the conditions of neighborhoods today compared to when NNC first opened its doors?
The current foreclosure debacle is having a devastating effect on many low-income communities. They were actually targeted with sub prime loans and mislead, in some cases fraudulently, about the terms and conditions of these contracts. But in the larger picture there is a lot more organizing, a lot more money, and a lot more attention being paid to our neighborhoods.
3. What are the challenges neighborhoods need to overcome in order to be viable entities for the people who live within their environs?
Organize, organize, and organize. Without organization, people are alone, without resources, information, or power. Together, we may not win everywhere or every time, but we can chip away and bring about change.
4. What is the significance of the report recently released by NNC?
I think it demonstrates that there are a multitude of ways to form community and we can learn from every effort of people getting together to overcome the challenges unique to each community. We can actually measure different attributes; data is actually available to measure our progress. We become sophisticated in developing community assets and relationships to other institutions. I think the report is merely a sampling of the great things that are occurring and those that can occur when we organize.
5. What do you think the future holds for low-income neighborhoods?
I hope good things; I pray marvelous things.
Interesting read
Ripple Effects from Fannie and Freddie: Mortgage Giants' Problems Could Mean Higher Loan Rates by Nancy Trejos
Treasury Takes Steps to Bolster Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac by Neil Irwin and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
American Murder Mystery by Hanna Rosin
Rebuttal to American Murder Mystery article by Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)
Governors await running-mate call by the Associated Press
The National Neighborhood Coalition was founded in 1979 to provide a national voice for lower-income neighborhoods. Its mission was to promote socially and economically vibrant neighborhoods and strong and effective partnerships between community-based organizations and the public and private sector. NNC provided common ground for the nation’s leading advocates for lower-income neighborhoods. It created a role as a convener where disparate national and local leaders came together to discuss issues, generate the resources, public policies and solution-oriented strategies to strengthen and sustain low-income neighborhoods.
NNC was deeply involved in the creation of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), and in the creation of a smart growth tool kit. As a result of NNC’s efforts groups such as the Coalition on Human Needs and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding grew as a result of NNC’s efforts. In its prime, NNC was a great networking resource for new Washington arrivals and seasoned veterans alike. As technology improved and issues and funding for those issues became more defined, NNC’s role as a convener diminished. While the decision to shut down NNC was difficult, its board felt it was time to close its doors.
Its final report seeks to bring awareness to the conditions in neighborhoods and the efforts underway to improve them, according to the NNC Vice Chairs Jane DeMarines, Executive Director of National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations; Conrad Egan, President and CEO of the National Housing Conference; and, Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development.
Edited by Mark Rom, Associate Professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, the report is not intended to be exhaustive or definitive, according to a statement released by the vice-chairs. According to the vice-chairs, it is written by experienced activists, leaders and scholars, and all chapters offer suggestions for improving neighborhoods through policy and programmatic innovations.
Q&A with Thomas Shellabarger, Co-Chair of the National Neighborhood Coalition
Thomas Shellabarger is a Policy Advisor on Urban and Economic Issues for the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops. He monitors issues related to housing, homelessness, community development, civil rights, employment, and the federal budget. The major legislation involved in these issues are the federal budget process, housing authorization and appropriations, labor and employment, and minimum wage. He was the immediate past co-chair of the National Neighborhood Coalition.
1. How has the National Neighborhood Coalition contributed to the debate in Washington about the need to improve low income neighborhoods?
Covering 30 years of contributions, I’m afraid some will be overlooked! We were deeply involved in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) which really opened up information to neighborhoods about their access to money and other financial services. More recently, we were involved in getting neighborhoods into the conversations about ‘Smart Growth’. Getting people together who work on issues or public policy that affect people in local communities, local neighbors, just generates a lot of good ideas!
2. How would you describe the conditions of neighborhoods today compared to when NNC first opened its doors?
The current foreclosure debacle is having a devastating effect on many low-income communities. They were actually targeted with sub prime loans and mislead, in some cases fraudulently, about the terms and conditions of these contracts. But in the larger picture there is a lot more organizing, a lot more money, and a lot more attention being paid to our neighborhoods.
3. What are the challenges neighborhoods need to overcome in order to be viable entities for the people who live within their environs?
Organize, organize, and organize. Without organization, people are alone, without resources, information, or power. Together, we may not win everywhere or every time, but we can chip away and bring about change.
4. What is the significance of the report recently released by NNC?
I think it demonstrates that there are a multitude of ways to form community and we can learn from every effort of people getting together to overcome the challenges unique to each community. We can actually measure different attributes; data is actually available to measure our progress. We become sophisticated in developing community assets and relationships to other institutions. I think the report is merely a sampling of the great things that are occurring and those that can occur when we organize.
5. What do you think the future holds for low-income neighborhoods?
I hope good things; I pray marvelous things.
Interesting read
Ripple Effects from Fannie and Freddie: Mortgage Giants' Problems Could Mean Higher Loan Rates by Nancy Trejos
Treasury Takes Steps to Bolster Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac by Neil Irwin and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
American Murder Mystery by Hanna Rosin
Rebuttal to American Murder Mystery article by Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)
Governors await running-mate call by the Associated Press
