By Roberta Gubbins
Legal News
"The Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) helps create vibrant communities," said Jamie Schriner-Hooper, Executive Director, speaking at a Ingham County Bar Association Luncheon Lecture recently.
CEDAM is "a membership organization that works with non-profits, developers, trade associations and individuals to help improve our State. We work with people trying to improve a specific area in their community, using community based economic development.
We support our members by encouraging:
* Quality Housing-- Establish safe, affordable housing in an accessible and desirable location; CEDAM offers funding and training for home improvements, foreclosure prevention and mitigation programs and counseling.
* Economic Vitality-- Create jobs in the community and businesses that provide the services needed by the residents
* Collaborative Planning/ Coordination-- Government, nonprofit and for-profit entities coordinate efforts and plans for the future.
* Health-- Residents have access to healthy foods, affordable health and mental health services
* Community Building--Those who work and live in the neighborhood know and help one another
* Financial Security-- Financial education teaches residents how to keep and grow their money
* Equitable Access-- All residents are able to live, work, shop, learn and play in their community.
* Safety-- Streets are designed for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers to use safely.
"As an organization," she said, "we try to bring everyone together to share best practices. We do this through trainings, focusing on development. We have a six day course that focuses on commercial development, a course on multi-family development and single family development. We have single one day workshops such as ones on green building, moving a bill through the legislature, building vibrant communities and asset building. We also provide educational materials."
"We are now focusing on foreclosure. We have 21 AmeriCorps members who are assisting people about to lose their homesor are living in neighborhoods that are deteriorating due to foreclosures. We also have a program where people are staying in the house after it has been foreclosed to maintain it until it is sold."
"We do a lot with financial literacy," she said. "We prepare tax returns or review prepared returns for free. 'Save to Win' is a program where every time a person puts $25.00 in a savings account, their names are put in a drawing to be held at the end of the year for a $100,000. Some credit unions also have monthly and quarterly drawings.
Schriner-Hooper shared pictures of the transformation of Lansing's Old Town. In 1996, the buildings were run down and dingy, by 2005, the same buildings had received a face-lift. The city helped with infrastructure, putting in sidewalks and street lights. In 1996 volunteers formed an association to make improvements. They used the Main Street approach that follows four points:
* Design--looking at the esthetics of the neighborhood, building facades, landscaping, anything that can improve the structures of the neighborhood
* Economic restructuring--find businesses for the refurbished buildings
* Promotions--looks at attracting the outside into the area--holding festivals and events to draw people into the area
* Organization--finding the resources in terms of volunteers and financial help.
This can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time. In Old Town, there are now very few vacant buildings that are waiting for the right tenants--"we want destination restaurant, a jazz club or another business that contributes to the neighborhood."
Schriner-Hooper showed examples of areas that had been refurbished with little money. Rischard Park was the example--Old Town came up with a grant for the equipment, volunteers to put the equipment together and Lansing agreed to partner with them. They put it together in one day. The children that helped will grow up being volunteers.
She encouraged the members of the group get involved. Memberships are available through the website www.cedam.info/ members.
Jamie Schriner-Hooper is a Central Michigan University graduate. She became the face of the Old Town Commercial Association, helping to improve Old Town by rehabbing old buildings, encouraging new businesses and urging community members to take responsibility for their community. She worked for the state as an organizational specialist before becoming the Executive Director of CEDAM.
Photo by me: Left to right: Val Lafferty, Ingham County Bar Association volunteer, and Jamie Schriner-Hooper, speaker and ED of CEDAM, talk to Jordan Sutton, student at Cooley Law School talk before the event begins.
Published: Thu, Feb 24, 2011
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