Strategic Goals

PACDC Program Plan for FY 2010

July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010

PACDC recently completed development of a new strategic plan to guide our work over the next three years.  We found that our vision resonates strongly with our mission and it will continue to drive our program activities.   This document outlines our planned program work for FY 2010.

Our Program Plan

I. Policy & Advocacy

Our Goal: Through our policy and advocacy work, we create a more supportive environment for community development activities and enable our members to more effectively meet resident needs and advance neighborhood revitalization.   We will accomplish this by:

• Advancing a Vision of Neighborhood Change

We will build on the Campaign for Vibrant and Safe Neighborhoods, PACDC’s collaborative effort to develop a housing and community development policy blueprint which articulates a shared vision and goals side-by-side with real-world solutions to achieving them.  This document has guided our efforts to gain key stakeholder support, and inject important community development issues into the political dialogue.  We will continue to utilize the Campaign to advance immediate and longer-term policy reforms and resource development in Philadelphia, with a focus on institutionalizing our gains and building support within the Nutter Administration, City Council and broader public.

• Advancing an Ambitious Policy & Advocacy Agenda

We will develop and advocate for policies, increased resources, strategies and broader systems reform in the following areas: Housing Development & Preservation We will focus on the implementation and expansion of the Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund to support the development of new affordable homes, preservation of existing homes and homelessness prevention.  This will include preserving the commitment of General Fund resources to, and advocating for additional dedicated funding for, the Trust Fund.  We will also work to promote other measures that will foster equitable and sustainable development, such as preservation of the existing affordable rental housing inventory, development of mixed-income housing, foreclosure prevention and returning vacant homes to the market, appropriate property tax relief measures, and a more supportive system for Green Building. Neighborhood Economic Development We will continue our efforts to ensure flexible funding to sustain CDC neighborhood economic development work through implementation of the recommendations in our recent report to strengthen the City’s CDC Tax Credit Program.  We will also work to make neighborhood commercial corridors more attractive and viable by advancing city policy and inter-agency coordination around streetscape improvements, supporting effective implementation of LISC’s new Nonprofit Acquisition Fund to facilitate strategic property acquisition for commercial and mixed-use developments, and supporting efforts to facilitate Transit Oriented Development. Property Acquisition/Disposition & Development Systems Reform We will work to streamline the City’s vacant property acquisition and disposition system in collaboration with our partners and City agencies, with a focus on implementation of the priority items identified in our six point agenda for system reform.  We will also work to support effective use in Philadelphia of the new state Conservatorship law to put problem properties back into productive use, and updating of the City’s zoning code to increase predictability for developers, homeowners and neighborhoods in the context of sound planning. Improve Coordination & Strategic Use of Resources Promote improved working relationships between CDCs, intermediaries and City agencies to ensure improved coordination and strategic use between existing resources and programs, and with federal economic stimulus/recovery funds.

• Providing a Local Voice in Regional, Statewide & Federal Advocacy

We will continue to advocate for local, regional, statewide, and federal policies that channel public and private capital for equitable neighborhood revitalization.  We will focus our efforts on strengthening our relationships with state and federal public officials, advocating for housing and community development resources in the state and federal budget, and supporting the campaign to create a statewide Housing Trust Fund.

• Monitoring and Analyzing Key Policy Changes

In addition to the policy areas listed above, we will continue to monitor, analyze, and report to our members on key policy issues that affect the work of our local CDCs and their neighborhoods. Who will lead these efforts? Our policy and advocacy work will be led by our Policy Committee, our Policy Coordinator, our Executive Director, our Communications Director (proposed new position) and consultants. II.   Member Services Our Goal: Through our member services work we build the capacity of CDCs to better serve their communities by fostering best practices and shared learning opportunities, and documenting and publicizing CDC success and impact to educate key decision makers and the public about neighborhood revitalization issues and the important role CDCs play in that process.  We will accomplish this by:

• Facilitating new efforts aimed at ensuring CDC survivability and sustainability

Best Practices & Alternative Business Models We will facilitate training and provide reference materials on best-practices supporting the ability of less capitalized CDCs to remain in business under alternative business models and/or ensure continued delivery of services to their constituency.  PACDC will also seek to provide training and coordinate information sharing on new revenue development models for CDCs looking to diversify their income base.  Assisting us in this effort will be a range of intermediary agencies and non-profit business development resources. Expand Access to Flexible Resources We will also seek through our policy work to expand access to flexible resources for CDCs to better maintain sustainability and longevity (see Policy & Advocacy section).

• Provide increased technical assistance, tools and strategies for assessing neighborhoods as markets and managing neighborhood change.

Data Collection, Analysis & GIS Mapping We will continue to provide data collection and analysis and GIS mapping assistance to support members’ development projects, programming, and neighborhood planning, and help them make more informed decisions about their work.  This will include training and reduced fees for data collection equipment rentals and mapping services, and expanded marketing of these services. Managing Neighborhood Change We will help build CDC capacity to utilize data to analyze neighborhood markets, and identify and implement appropriate strategies to strengthen markets and manage neighborhood change to advance equitable revitalization by facilitating participation of targeted CDCs in a new national pilot initiative being led by the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations.

• Build both PACDC and member communications expertise and resources to tell the story of the CDC field and its impact on neighborhoods.

Promote the Field We will continue to advance PACDC’s communications goals by working with outside consultants to develop comprehensive strategies that promote the field while working to move forward key policy objectives.  PACDC will plan and implement a series of strategies addressing member needs, policy and advocacy goals to tell the stories of the CDC field and its impact on neighborhoods across the city. Build CDC Communications Capacity We will provide communications assessments and technical assistance to a limited number of CDCs on a pilot basis, and provide communications training to our broader CDC membership.  This work will coincide with PACDC’s on-going advocacy efforts to ensure a place at the table for our member CDCs in the advancement of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Measure CDC Impact We will expand our efforts to measure CDC impact and will publicize the results of this work to help advance our policy work.  We will also continue to use our prestigious annual Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in Community Development and our Community Development Champion Award to acknowledge the industry’s innovation and excellence. Serve as an Information Clearinghouse We will expand our role as an information clearinghouse for the community development field, and effectively promote the industry using improved technology platforms, printed materials and special events highlighting the exemplary work of the field.  We will continue to expand and enhance www.pacdc.org with the goal of seeing the new site feature a range of innovative tools and resources that showcase CDC stories and enhance our advocacy efforts on behalf of the industry, as well as serve as an information repository for local community development policy issues.  Additionally, PACDC will produce new print materials that reflect the innovation and powerful stories of the field while serving as important tools for our policy work, including our new magazine, and an annual calendar and community development resource guide. PACDC will also continue to provide trainings and shared learning opportunities on a broad range of subjects and issues important to advancing thoughtful, responsive and innovative community development. Who will lead these efforts? Our Member Services work will be led by our Member Services Committee and our Director of Programs, and supported by our Director of Communications (proposed new position), Director of Information and Technology, our Administrative Services Manager, our Executive Director, and outside consultants.