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Strategic Vision For Change |
Strategic Vision For Change
Empower New Haven, Inc. has continued its mission to facilitate or create processes and practices that provide sustainable measurable improvements in the economic status and quality of life of individuals, families and business within the Empowerment Zone.
Over the past year, Empower New Haven, Inc. has undergone several major changes with regards to administration and program development. In the last six months, Empower New Haven has addressed the issue of refocusing the organization?s energy to developing and implementing sustainable economic development programs. The organization has focused its energy into the existing economic development initiatives such as; the façade improvement program, and the commercial corridor.
In addition, Empower New Haven, Inc. has re-developed or modified 14 contracts in order to ensure the program?s success and effectiveness. After reviewing many of the contracts, Empower New Haven, Inc. wanted to ensure Empowerment Zone residents were able to receive the best possible assistance in either workforce or business development. Some of the contract modifications included changing the measurable outcome benchmarks to refocus the mission and purpose of the project.
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Community Based Partnership |
Community-Based Partnerships
The Values-Based Initiative
Empower New Haven, Inc. has continued working in collaboration with the City of New Haven Police Department, faith-based organizations, and non-profit organizations around the issue of crime prevention and violence reduction. The two major goals of the Values Based Initiative include; (1) improving the working relationships between law enforcement, service providers, and the faith community (2) building collaborations with the faith community geared toward crime and violence prevention, and the ability to improve responses in crisis situations.
Currently, Empower New Haven, Inc. along with its collaborating partners are organizing a youth summit, which will be held in October of 2003. The summit will have a hip hop theme in order to attract young individuals to the issue of crime and crime prevention. Also, the Initiative has conducted two community-based S.A.F.E. workshops in the Empowerment Zone communities, and an interfaith clergy breakfast. Also, the initiative developed the emergency response guide for the City of New Haven.
Values-Based Initiative Collaborators:
City of New Haven, Police Department
STRIVE
Interfaith Clergy Advisory Group
Stay Strong Foundation
NAACP of Greater New Haven
The Unsolicited Proposal Policy
For the past year, Empower New Haven, Inc. has received unofficial proposals, requesting dollars for programs that primarily target and assist empowerment zone residents. The overall purpose of the policy is to respond to the constant demands from individuals, groups, and organizations that provide resources services that either support zone residents obtaining employment, acquiring an increase in wages via skills enhancements support business development in the empowerment zone or expand housing /homeownership initiatives.
The policy changes the governance structure slightly; making the business and workforce development committees (which consist of community residents, non-profits, and profit organizations) advisory. The policy is a sixty day process, with initial review by staff then forwarded to the prospective committee for consideration and presentation by the soliciting entity or individual, listen to the presentation, concluding with an advisory recommendation to the Board of Directors for a vote.
The approved proposals range from assistance with pre-development funds for redevelopment of a Brownfield?s site to vocational and educational programs. The amount given to the proposals range from $10,000.00 to $1,000,000.00.
A series of informational workshops were organized in May 2003 to provide information to organizations and/or businesses about the process and the expectations of the unsolicited proposal policy.
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Economic Opportunity |
Economic Opportunity
ENH is currently looking to expand the scope of services for the business services and retention program. The business services and retention program allows empowerment zone resident or business owners of the empowerment zone to work with a consultant on various technical aspects such as a business plan to a new marketing strategy for the business. The desired goal is that the business has compiled a package for potential funding to start or expand their business, and ultimately employ empowerment zone residents.
Currently, over 254 businesses have received support and/or assessment into opening or expanding empowerment zone businesses.
Commercial Corridor
The first phase of assessment for the selected commercial corridors has been completed. Research regarding to property development, trafficking, and marketing of businesses has been finalized, and ENH is currently reviewing the possibility of conducting phase II: implementation of the recommended strategies to enhance the zone for the four selected empowerment zone commercial corridor sites.
Façade Improvement Program
Empower New Haven, Inc. is collaborating with the City of New Haven to implement façade improvements for empowerment zone businesses. The City of New Haven commits a 1:1 match to the Empower New Haven façade grant. The program is implemented by the City of New Haven?s office of economic development. Currently, nine empowerment zone businesses have received façade improvement dollars, and there are several businesses pending approval. The overall goal for the program is to have fifty new façade improvements for empowerment zone businesses.
Homeownership Initiative
Empower New Haven, Inc. has modified the Individual Development Account Initiative in order for the program to be more effective and successful. Our past goal was to assist 640 empowerment zone residents in purchasing a home in one of the six empowerment zone communities with a 1:1 match. Currently, the overall goal is to assist 320 individuals in purchasing a home in the empowerment zone with a 2:1 match up to $2,500.00. Also, ENH opened the application to include individuals who will be committed to purchasing homes in the empowerment zone to enter the program. Empower New Haven will not match the savings or allow the individual to enter into the program if: (1) they cannot make a commitment to purchase home in the zone and (2) the home they want to purchased is not in the empowerment zone. To date, over 188 individuals are enrolled in the IDA program.
Loan-to-Grant Program
The program assists individuals who are purchasing a home in the empowerment zone to receive a $5,000.00 five year forgivable loan at a rate of 20% per year. Empower New Haven has decided to implement the program directly, and not contract with the Community Loan Fund. To date, Empower New Haven has found this to be effective, and fifteen individuals have purchase homes with the help of the loan to grant program, and there are 17 applications pending.
In March, Empower New Haven organized a community celebration of our Homeownership Initiatives. The event was called HOME POWER, which describes all of our homeownership initiative. Local financial institutions organized booths for the events. Our contributing partners for the HOME POWER event included: Fannie Mae, Fleet, Citizen?s Bank, Wachovia, and People?s Bank. Also, the Mayor for the City of New Haven and Connecticut?s Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro attended and made several remarks at the event.
Brownfield?s Initiative
Originally, Empower New Haven had identified 13 brownfield?s sites, and out of those sites 6 have been selected as priority sites to re-develop. Several sites have received phase I and II assessments. Empower New Haven is working with the Regional Growth Partnership and other partners to assist in the development of the sites.
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Sustainable Community Development |
Sustainable Community Development
Private Vehicle: Transportation
Last year, Empower New Haven realized that transportation was a major barrier to acquiring and/or maintaining employment. This year, ENH has marketed and implemented the transportation strategy named Good News Garage. Currently twenty-five empowerment zone residents have received vehicles. The program provides outreach, screening, vehicle acquisition, vehicle repair, vehicle disbursement, inspection, pre-ownership training, registration, and case monitoring.
Summer Youth Employment Program
Over the last three years, Empower New Haven has committed a total of $1,040,000.00 for empowerment zone youth to receive summer employment and educational instruction. This year, 353 empowerment zone youth will receive summer employment, and 70 youth will receive year-around employment. Dollars towards transportation were committed to this year?s contract for empowerment zone residents, and organizations providing employment and/or recreational services. Due to the City?s distressed economy, Empower New Haven was the leading contributing agency for the summer youth program.
Adult Literacy Program
The purpose of this program is to assist empowerment zone residents in obtaining GED and ESL certificates, vocational services. The City of New Haven Adult Education will provide an intense program for the empowerment zone residents. The overall goal will be to assist 150 empowerment zone residents to obtain a GED or ESL and assist 30% of the empowerment zone residents in obtaining employment.
The Career Ladders Institute: Unsolicited Proposal
This project was the first unsolicited proposal that was approved by Empower New Haven, Inc. One million dollars was committed to educate 60 empowerment zone residents and assist them in attaining associate?s degrees in allied health, biotechnology, health, education, and pre-nursing. The program provides an intense curriculum that provides every student with individual attention ?counseling and monitoring by the Gateway Retention Counselor. Students, who are selected to enter into the program, must sign a commitment letter stating they will give their 100% towards academic integrity and responsibility. Students are divided into small cohorts in order to develop study groups, and to allow the staff to carefully monitor the progress of the students. Currently, the first 39 students have matriculated into the second semester of the program, and new Career Ladders Institute students were selected for the fall semester.
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Tax Incentive Utilization Plan |
Tax Incentive Plan
The Empower New Haven Tax Incentive Program aims to educate local businesses about the Federal Tax Incentives specific to empowerment zone businesses and residents. Through a targeted marketing campaigning, workshops, and contracted consultants that provide free or discounted tax assistance to small businesses, Empower New Haven hopes to strengthen empowerment zone businesses and encourage the hiring of EZ residents.
The following things are being organized:
1.) IRS representatives will be conducting informational workshops held in September 2003.
2.) Direct mailings, which include a brochure of the tax incentive, and a survey to obtain information businesses conditions was sent out to the top 100 New Haven employers. In addition, small and family businesses will be included into the direct mail campaigning.
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Other Accomplishments |
Other Accomplishments
Empower New Haven?s daily marketing strategy is designed to reach EZ residents, partners and the general public in a variety of ways. Our implementation efforts are based upon marketing tactics and strategies utilizing numerous mechanisms to reach the target audience constantly. The following actions steps illustrate our marketing initiatives:
? Weekly broadcast of our Empowered Voices cable show. A one hour show featuring our partners, promoting our special events, and notifying viewers of new program initiatives.
? A monthly newsletter, which is mailed and distributed throughout the empowerment zone communities.
? Empower New Haven was the presenting sponsor for the Jazz in the Park Series. A five mid week free concerts held in neighborhood parks where EZ information is distributed.
? Sponsored a community lecture on domestic income equality as part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas.
? Sponsored a career fair for non-college bound high school graduates in conjunction with the New Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Education, and Regional Workforce Development Board.
? Creation of the Homepower Brochures in English and Spanish
? Over thirty articles have appeared in various local newspapers.
? Empower New Haven made seven appearances this year on a local radio station?s public affairs program (94.3 FM). The show highlighted the following ENH programs: homeownership initiatives, the good news garage program, career ladders program, and summer job sponsorship.
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