CCWBE Report

Organization:
Voice of the People in Uptown, Inc.
Reporting Period:
Jul 2024
Submitted on:
August 19, 2024
Submitted By:
Pedro Morales Jr.

Pre-Development Projects

Project Goals

What proportion of Goal 1 overall is complete at this point?

80%

What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that impacted goal 1 in the last month?

Beyond funding and related staffing challenges, we have experienced some delays in planned board meetings attaining a quorum with illness/personal business for a few officers of the Trust. In July, our University of Chicago TA Provider helped advance research for vital governance discussion, including how we might grow board and balance representation between Affordable Housing Owners, Affordable Housing Advocated, including tenant representation. This will be carried over into August/September meetings, which is (appropriately) our organizational time of year for annual evaluation/planning.

What proportion of Goal 2 overall is complete at this point?

90%

What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that you impacted goal 2 in the last month?

As one of the key benefits of participation in the new Dovie Thurman Affordable Housing Trust is the possibility of lower taxes, a big step forward was taken with the successful organization and completion of the Social Cost Tax Appeals Session. Not only were affordable housing owners in attendance, who are a primary market for Dovie Trust outreach/membership, but legislative officials and tax officials from the Assessor’s Office and Board of Review. With assessments in the City likely going up 30-50% during the course of the next year, affordable housing providers will be scrambling to pay bills and preserve affordable housing. This timing and sense of urgency was so important. You can see a short video on this (released In August at Voice’s youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLgKFuQUm8Y&t=2s

What proportion of Goal 3 overall is complete at this point?

80%

What are the barriers and opportunities for completion that you impacted goal 3 in the last month?

We have been delayed in our planned Education, Outreach & Marketing efforts by a couple sets of obstacles. First, we were anticipating that a managing director hired for the community land trust at the beginning of the fourth quarter of our contract year would be key to finalizing outreach plans for members and putting them in motion. These were anticipated for north lakefront market and south/west sides. However, the planned outreach was not only to affordable housing advocates and owners, but also public and agency officials who can learn more about the community land trust concept, especially relative to the unique targeting of benefits to low income people (0-60% AMI) and lease housing residents in particular. Second, significant delays have taken place with our lender Community Investment Corporation (CIC), which has been very slow to consider our critical “Covenants of Affordability” that join together the member-owners of the trust. In July, CIC offered only qualified support of these and related subordination agreements. This has made us consider a new challenge/opportunity if we want to identify an alternate Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to be the lead lender, but also entity that could assist with marketing, education and outreach. Voice, as fiscal agent for the Trust, has asked the COLT Federation for assistance in marketing and promotion, and new resources are in the offing. Voice did, however, advance the outreach efforts significantly via the organizing for the tax appeal training session, referenced in this report, where Voice could plug tax appeal benefits for non-profits generally, and for affordable housing that are “service-enriched and permanently affordable”, as in a community land trust.

CWB Ecosystem

Did you access Technical Assistance for your CWB project last month?

No

Have you worked with TA Provider within the Phase I CWEB grantees or outside the Phase I CWEB grantees or Both?

Both

Which TA provider(s) did you work with within the Phase I CWEB grantees?

Which TA providers did you work with OUTSIDE of the Phase I CWEB grantees?

Did someone from your organization attend the Working Group this month?

No

How would you rate the usefulness of the working group to your project last month? (on a scale of 1-5)

How would you rate the usefulness of the Working Group for building community?

What have been the two most valuable contributions of the Working Group this month?

Please share any comments about the working group meetings.

How many TOTAL housing units did you preserve or create last month? (it is okay if the answer is zero)

0

How many TOTAL CWB businesses did you develop last month? (it is okay if the answer is zero)

0

Community Engagement

Number of stakeholder meetings held related to your Pre-Development Project?

7

Number of community meetings attended last month related to your Pre-Development Project?

4

Organizational Capacity

Service / Capacity

Service Capacity

Accounting & Financial Management

5 extensive ability

Advocacy

5 extensive ability

Conflict Resolution

5 extensive ability

Cooperative Development and Operations

5 extensive ability

Education & Training

5 extensive ability

Fundraising or Raising Capital

5 extensive ability

Governance / Legal

5 extensive ability

Marketing & Communications

4

Other

5 extensive ability

Project Management

5 extensive ability

Real Estate Acquisition & Development

5 extensive ability

Relationship Building

5 extensive ability

Research

4

Other (please describe and include ranking)

What constraints or limitations with internal capacity is the organizarion experiencing related to its Pre-Development Project?

We continue to seek funding to bridge receivables from the City grant receivable, other grant/fee receivables, replacement funding for anticipated TACIT Program support (deferred for another year), and provide a revenue stream for start-up “implementation phase” support relative to recruitment and hiring of a managing director for the trust.

What opportunities, if any, did the organization take advantage of related to its Pre-Development Project?

In lieu of hiring dedicated staff to the Trust, the organization was able to hire an Americorps VISTA team member who will fill Owner Services Specialist role with the Voice Owner’s Network, the largest project for which is the Dovie Thurman Affordable Housing Trust. Although this does not cure funding or staffing challenges, our new staffer, Marshal Goldsmith, brings lived experience in homelessness, and MBA and housing community service credentials that will help expedite completion of Dovie Thurman Affodable Housing Trust Workplan.

Optional Space

Please use this space to elaborate, contextualize, or add any additional info about the details submitted in your report: