People

Investigative reporter Tom Robbins of the Village Voice was credited by federal and local law enforcement officials with sparking their own investigation into Russell Harding, the former president of the New York City Housing Development Corporation. Robbins, a former editor of City Limits magazine, who has long covered housing and labor issues, found that Harding spent hundreds of thousands of agency dollars on personal travel, gifts and parties for friends. Harding was arrested in March for numerous financial crimes and two child-pornography violations. The articles can be found online at www.villagevoice.com.

James “Mac” McCreight, a senior staff attorney with Greater Boston Legal Service, was awarded the David B. Bryson Award by the Housing Justice Network. The award, named for a nationally renowned housing attorney who died in 1999, recognizes “those who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment and a venerable track record in fighting for and achieving housing justice for low-income people.”

Walk a Mile is bringing together policy makers and people receiving public assistance for one month to see how the other half lives. Policy makers will feed their families on food stamps, while the recipient is invited to speak at town hall meetings. Walk a Mile is looking for community organizations to coordinate its 2003 projects and will provide training (July 21-22 in Seattle) and assistance. Space is limited, and scholarships/grants are available. Contact Natasha Grossman, at 206-543-3027 or natasha@walkamile.org. www.walkamile.org.

The Environmental Justice Coalition seeks to develop an Environmental Justice Act to provide the framework for protecting communities with the poorest health, greatest concentration of environmental pollutants or the least economic development. The act would include mechanisms to attract sustainable development projects and provide communities with the means to participate in the environmental permitting process. For information: http://groups.msn.com/environmentaljusticecoalition or call 301-265-8185.

Common Ground Community is offering a one-year fellowship program in developing skills to end homelessness. Fellows will live in the Chelsea Residence in New York City for one year and take an active role in the community, including serving as mentors for young adult residents. Fellows will also be assigned innovative projects with educational value for their respective departments. The program begins in August. For more details, visit www.commonground.org.

The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation plans to provide larger grants to fewer organizations in its hometown and will rely on intermediary organizations to distribute funds to try to cut costs and increase efficiency, Crain’s Chicago Business reports. The change will affect more than a dozen Chicago nonprofits, but will not decrease the $25 million MacArthur gives to local groups annually.