Issue #142, July/August 2005

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Transportation and housing costs combined were 52 percent of the average family’s spending in 2003, according to Driven To Spend: Pumping Dollars Out of Our Households and Communities, a study by the Surface Transportation Policy Project and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. www.transact.org

A new guidebook from Smart Growth America, Choosing Our Community’s Future: A Citizen’s Guide to Getting the Most Out of New Development, by David Goldberg, is for people wanting to make a positive contribution to shaping the growth and development of their communities. It will help readers understand the elements of community design, the planning and site approval process for development projects and how to make sure a plan or project delivers on community and environmental benefits. www.smartgrowthamerica.org

The Chicago Rehab Network released The Affordable Housing Fact Book. It includes over 200 county and community fact sheets and map trends across the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. It is a resource for community developers, advocates, policy makers and others who want to better understand affordable housing trends in the region. 312-663-3936, www.chicagorehab.org

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition has launched two new Web sites: www.ncrc.org/global/index.htm, which focuses on economic justice issues for the international community; and www.fairlending.com, which complements NCRC’s National Anti-Predatory Lending Consumer Rescue Fund. The fairlending.com site is a resource for people who are victims of predatory loans or at risk of foreclosure.

Seedco published two reports that describe the pros and cons of making socially responsible businesses profitable. Double Bottom Line and Profiting From Purpose summarize Seedco’s experience in social enterprise through its Nonprofit Venture Network. Both provide guidance for nonprofits interested in pursuing social enterprise strategies. www.seedco.org/newtools

A new report by Woodstock Institute, There Goes the Neighborhood: The Effects of Single-Family Mortgage Foreclosures on Property Values, shows that foreclosures have a devastating impact on neighborhood property values. www.woodstockinst.org

AWARDS
Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 HUD Secretary’s Opportunity and Empowerment Award. The award recognizes excellence in planning that has led to measurable benefits in terms of increased economic, employment, education or housing choice or mobility for low- and moderate-income residents. A single award will be given for a plan, program or project that demonstrates improved quality of life for community residents. Deadline: September 12. Contact: Denny Johnson, APA, 202-872-0611.

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