query: HUD consolidated plan

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

[ed:  those of you who work with HUD issues may be able to help 
here.]

From: JFurman835 at aol.com

I am the leader of a local citizen's group - Utica Citizens in Action.   
We are a grassroots multi-issue organization that works on 
economic justice, housing, living wage, environmental, and 
educational issues.  The Utica Citizens in Action is made up of 
labor, clergy, activist, student, and community groups.    

The Utica Citizens in Action, an organization representing low-
income people, is requesting your technical assistance to ensure 
that our local HUD Consolidated Plan  promotes a progressive 
housing and community development agenda.  

The Utica Citizens in Action has a strong interest in ensuring that 
the local municipality promotes the participation of  low-income 
people in the CDBG and Consolidated Plan process.   What have 
other communities done to ensure ongoing public participation?  
What would be some model programs for promoting meaningful 
participation?  

We are also interested in preparing  local policy paper for the 
Consolidated Plan calling for the adoption of specific local 
progressive policies on affordable housing, codes enforcement, 
predatory lending, insurance redlining, democratic economic 
development, living wages, sustainable development, and other 
issues affecting low-income people which could be included in the 
City of Utica's Consolidated Plan.  Do you know of any model 
documents we could use?  

Our timeline is short.  Please contact me as soon as possible with 
any ideas.  

Please send me information regarding your organizing efforts on 
this issue. Would you have any of the following you could forward 
to me:  brochures, research papers, flyers, press releases, 
speeches, ordinances,  models of  consolidated plans which are 
sensitive to low-income people's needs, citizen participation plans, 
newspaper articles?  


Thank you.


Sincerely,

John Furman
President
Utica Citizens in Action
P.O. Box 411 
Utica, New York   13503-0411
(315) 829-5132
Fax: (209) 671-6584
E-mail: JFurman835 at aol.com
uticacitizenaction at mailandnews.com