RPC Review
If you’ve been waiting to see something from me on the blog, join the club. I’m having a tough time deciding what to write. First of all, I hope people are commenting on the DHCR website and will speak or at least attend the first round of public forums.
Tuesday, August 21st - Capital District Regional Open Forum
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal
38-40 State St., Hampton Plaza Ballroom, Albany, NY
NPC 10am-Noon
RPC 1pm-3pm
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Thursday, August 23rd - New York Regional Open Forum
NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal
25 Beaver Street, Rm. 510, New York, NY
NPC/RPC 10:30am-12:30pm
NPC/RPC 1:30pm-3:30pm
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Tuesday, August 28th - Syracuse Regional Forum
CNYDDSO
800 Wilbur Street, Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
NPC 10am-Noon
RPC 1pm-3pm
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Wednesday, August 29th - Buffalo Regional Forum
Holiday Inn Express Hotels and Suites - Buffalo/Galleria
Empire Room
601 Dingens Street, Buffalo, NY
NPC 10am-Noon
RPC 1pm-3pm
The task force has not seen any of the comments that have been sent in, and there have only been a couple of non-task force observers for the three meetings held to date. We’ve been working hard to try help articulate how best to grow and change the program, but we haven’t spent much time at these meetings focusing on the program itself. And when we do, it seems more of a brainstorming session then a path that will lead to agreement on how we can strengthen the program, so I am still puzzling my way through, with out much to report. I think right NOW, the task force is at the same place we, as a community, ended up a year ago last summer at the Advocates summer retreat. We agreed then that there should be clear standards for the program and a certification process for Community Development Corporations funded under the RPC program, for continued training and expertise.
It seems clear that this administration in general is looking for a very clear measurement tool that is definitive for the decision to fund or not fund groups. They understand the “housing drives economic development” argument but need an annual report or some quantification that is consistent and clear.
We have worked on a logic model type of document that represents the existing program as a way to measure resources and capacity needed to carry out programs related to community need as a first step in developing a tool to drive some data and objective measurements. But this has a long way to go and was done really quickly.
This is the work of the task force so far, but it’s only a draft
So, I am not sure how these public forums are going to work, but I do encourage you to attend at least one. There will be a draft of the report presented on Monday, Oct 1 at the RHC Conference in Buffalo, and again, it is essential that you attend this session so you can be part of this process. My concern is that there are too few opportunities to not only discuss growing and changing the program but to try to reach consensus on how to address many complex issues. At least I hope there will be a continued commitment to task force meetings after the report is drafted. NB
I may be over-simplifying this, but, on the other hand, from my perspective, there are many aspects to this issure that are blown out of proportion, too. Fund the groups who are performing and producing results. De-fund those who are not! We all know there are groups out there who, for years, have not produced to the expected standards and yet, (perhaps because of politics?), are allowed to flounder around year after year, soaking up funds that would and could be put to better use.
Let those whose “work plans” reflect expertise in a variety of areas (housing, community development, economic development, etc) do what they do best and, conversely, let those who excel in one or two particular areas, do what THEY do best……don’t compare apples & oranges.
It has been allowed to mushroom into much more complexity than is necessary; hence, the turmoil. KISS!
Very frustrating to those of you who are in the middle of the battle and also frustrating to those of us on the fringes, fighting to stay alive!