May/Jun 2003
Issue #129
New Rules for CDCs
Sink or Swim: A changing community is just one factor that may prompt a CDC to reexamine its tactics and mission. Sometimes it might make sense to collaborate with another CDC, the better to pool resources and personnel in pursuit of a shared goal. In another instance, merging with another CDC might be the only answer when two groups are locked in competition for dollars from the same shrinking pool of funding sources. In extreme cases of economic mismanagement, poor planning or loss of funder and community confidence, shutting the doors forever may be the only option. In this issue, we look at CDCs that have flamed out, and two that merged. John Atlas and Peter Dreier deconstruct an attack on ACORN offer their appraisal of ACORN’s accomplishments, and why it has succeeded where others have failed. Also, we hosted a roundtable on gentrification for PBS.
At Home in a Changing World
Making a Place for Community: Local Democracy in a Global Era, by Thad Williamson, David Imbroscio and Gar Alperovitz. Taylor & Francis, Inc., 2003. 412 pp. $29.95 (Hardcover). For community […]
Anatomy of a Merger
The merger of two nonprofit housing development corporations in Nashua, New Hampshire, provides an opportunity to examine one path these organizations can take to increase the odds of survival.
Can This Collaboration Be Saved?
If you’ve been part of a collaboration that really worked, you know how powerful that can be. You were part of a group that accomplished important things together. In the […]
Enraging the Right
It’s not everyday that a powerful right-wing think tank takes aim at a grassroots organization – after all, there are many groups working in the trenches on behalf of the […]
Gentrification with a Twist
It’s a familiar story, at least on the surface: A neighborhood in decline is “discovered” by people with money, who snap up beautiful but run-down houses for a song, driving […]
Fighting the Fight Again
When Paul Veneski broke into a Brooklyn firehouse and chained himself to a fire truck in May, he was following in his father’s footsteps. Almost 30 years ago, Adam Veneski […]
Shelter Shorts
Comfortably Numb Rocker Has Feelings for Homeless The glamorous lifestyle of rock stars can seem profligate, but sacrificing a $5.9 million London home for charity is still a magnanimous gesture. […]
Housing Set-Asides: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
In August 2002, Kevin Jackson, director of the Chicago Rehab Network, sent a letter out to network members and supporters to introduce a campaign to win an affordable housing set-aside […]
And the Brand Plays On
Take this true/false test: Our organization understands the value of raising the visibility of its brand among clients, constituents, policy-makers and funders. Audiences we’d like to reach clearly understand who […]
Helping Consumers Become “Swindle-Proof”
The Complete Buyer’s Guide to Manufactured Homes and Land: How to find a reputable dealer and negotiate a fair price on the best kept secret in American housing, by John […]
Saying No to “Ney”
Representative Bob Ney (R-OH) has introduced HR 833, “The Responsible Lending Act,” under the guise of protecting consumers from predatory lending. But the bill would actually exacerbate the problem by […]