query: multi-local CDCs

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  two more responses to my multi-local CDC query, and thanks 
to Ken and Harold.  A quick response to Ken's request to learn 
more about the "stoecker" model at the end of this message.]

From: Ken Smith <smithken at proaxis.com>

First, let me say that I am not familiar with the "Stoecker" 
model of organizing and would like to learn more about it. 
Secondly, I believe that Corvallis Neighborhood Housing Services 
is operating (on a very small scale) in the manner that makes 
the basis of your question. 

Corvallis Neighborhood Housing Services (CNHS), a small CDC in 
the city of Corvallis, OR, is hoping to direct development to 
organized neighborhoods instead of building a project and then 
organizing around it. Corvallis is a small city (50,000 pop.) 
and we are the only CDC. In every day practice, we don't exactly 
do what you are asking but I believe it is more a condition of 
neighborhoods not being organized and less to do with how a CDC 
operates.

Over the last year a neighborhood community association, LCA, 
has been organizing and developing their own programs for the 
immediate neighborhood. The initial start of the association was 
due to resident organizing efforts at a newly developed CNHS 
property 4 years ago. Now the association has expanded to 
include another apartment complex not owned by CNHS.

 LCA has directed its own expansion, even though the association 
is supported (not financially) by CNHS resident services 
coordinator. LCA writes its own grants and uses resident 
volunteers to plan and direct their programs. This year they 
developed an after-school program for children and provide art 
classes for children during the summer.

CNHS owns other properties in Corvallis but the other 
neighborhoods are not as active as LCA. They are not as active 
because there has been less support in those neighborhoods to 
organize.

CNHS seems to be the only organization in town doing community 
organizing. If a neighborhood was organized enough to direct 
some programs or projects, manage the planning, CNHS would be 
willing to help implement the plans on the neighborhoods terms. 
This hasn't happened entirely yet but CNHS does hope that in the 
future, more projects would be implemented with the neighborhood 
managing the planning.

 I am not familiar with Mike Hodges's query and responses. I'm 
sure other CDCs do organizing with residents of property that 
they own. Neighborhood organizations can and do develop 
independently to direct, plan and manage their own programs 
which a CDC can implement and support. LCA and CNHS is an 
example of that partnership. Now the question is: which came 
first? In this example, it's clear that CNHS helped develop LCA. 
Does it matter in the "Stoecker" model how the partnership began?


Ken Smith
Resident Services Coordinator
Corvallis Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.
2797 NW 9th Street
Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 752-7220

***********************************

From: Harold Simon <hs at nhi.org>


Hi Randy: We ran this article along with yours in issue 87. 
Talks a bit about your query. Peter Levavi was going to write a 
follow-up article on the growth of city-wide CDCs, but didn't 
have time (job constraints). We're still hoping to get 
something. 

Hope this is helpful. And it is a good question. And it would be 
a good article - real examples of how the relationship works.

-Harold

[ed:  I have not included the article to save on bandwidth, but 
you can get it by going to: 
http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/87/citywidecdc.html ]

*****************************

[ed:  in answer to Ken's question, and apologies to all for 
being obscure and assuming, the "stoecker model" is my 
tongue-in-cheek reference to my critique of the community 
development corporation model of urban redevelopment.  It's 
discussed in my 1996 COMM-ORG Working paper available at: 
http://coserver.sa.utoledo.edu/papers.htm .]