NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) is a mobile university for community development and affordable housing professionals. The professionals who attend these events – for one day or a whole week, from all 50 states and beyond – are committed to making a difference in the lives of working low and moderate income families and their communities. The NTI is a five-day event held four times annually in major cities throughout the United States. At each NTI, NeighborWorks offers over 100 classes to up to 2,000 community development professionals who come from our network organizations and beyond. Courses cover the following content areas: Affordable Housing Development, Homeownership and Community Lending, Multifamily Asset Management, Management and Leadership, Community Engagement, Native American Community Development, Community Economic Development, Community And Neighborhood Revitalization, Construction and Production Management, Rural Development. Each NTI also includes a one-day symposium on a timely topic, instruction by expert practitioners and thought-leaders, free workshops on community development topics after the course day is through, and abundant peer networking opportunities. Unlike other conferences, NTIs are very much course-focused – there are no large plenary sessions and only one major reception during the week. Participants spend the majority of their time in classes of one, two, three or five days with 10-30 fellow learners.
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#a.166131Thursday December 13,
8:30AM to 2:30PMED160 Financing Community Economic Development |
CM |
12.00 |
This course provides an understanding of the vast array of tools and techniques for financing CED projects and programs, including a variety of lending and equi ... more This course provides an understanding of the vast array of tools and techniques for financing CED projects and programs, including a variety of lending and equity techniques, interest subsidies, loan guarantees, tax abatements, tax credits and special assessment districts. We will review the various types of financial intermediaries and the roles that they play. The class will explore many financing sources and provide an in-depth look at a few selected programs, including CDBG, 108, OCS, CDFI, Historic Tax Credits and New Markets Tax Credits. Case study exercises will be used and participants should bring a calculator. Instructors: Margaret Barringer Margaret Barringer is a partner at FinePoint Associates where she oversees economic development work. Over the last 28 years, Ms. Barringer has conducted economic and financial analysis, market research, training and other services for government agencies, financial institutions, real estate developers and non-profit corporations in more than 100 communities. She has consulted on a wide range of project types including commercial real estate development; downtown and business district revitalization; microenterprise and small business development; creative economy initiatives and a large array of customized research and analysis projects. For the last 16 years, she has also taught in the Graduate Program of Urban Policy and Planning at Tufts University. |
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#a.166133Monday December 10,
8:30AM to 4:00PMED210 Positioning Programs for Success: Connecting Program Design to Community Economic Impact |
CM |
12.00 |
Do you feel challenged to clearly and graphically convey what your programs are all about to your board, staff and funders? Can you demonstrate the connection b ... more Do you feel challenged to clearly and graphically convey what your programs are all about to your board, staff and funders? Can you demonstrate the connection between your organization's investments and its long term economic impact in the community? This course uses the Logic Model framework to help you plan with the end in mind. You'll improve your ability to design, market, monitor and evaluate your organization's programs using long-term, measurable outcomes. This versatile and essential tool for designing community development programs will help you to identify needed resources, actions, achievable outcomes and community impact. In this interactive course you will study the difference between inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact, and practice your hand at designing Logic Models through interactive class exercises. Instructors: Jolan Rivera Jolan C. Rivera is a community economic development practitioner based in Manchester NH. He shares his knowledge and experience in community economic development through formal classroom instruction, training of community organizations, and consulting work. His previous work experience includes teaching graduate-level courses in project design and management, principles and practice of community economic development, development economics, organizational analysis, and research and statistics at Southern New Hampshire University, and undergraduate courses in micro- and macroeconomics, public finance, foundations of the social sciences at the University of the Philippines–Baguio. He also worked with a number of national and international NGOs in the Philippines. In the United States, he has recently conducted collaborative academic and action research, participatory planning, organizational analysis and program evaluation on topics that include cooperative housing, food cooperatives, asset accumulation, responsible parenthood, and community-based crime prevention. He completed his Ph.D. in CED last May 2006. |
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#a.166116Monday December 10,
8:30AM to 4:00PMNR115 Leveraging Market Forces to Attract Investment for Neighborhood Revitalization |
CM |
12.00 |
This course is designed for practitioners, funders and policymakers who want to get more quality-of-life neighborhood impact through their revitalization effort ... more This course is designed for practitioners, funders and policymakers who want to get more quality-of-life neighborhood impact through their revitalization efforts. We’ll use the latest advances in neighborhood revitalization to define a practical approach to change that acknowledges and works with market forces to attract the social and financial investments of current and future residents of a variety of incomes. The course includes a neighborhood site visit to read investment choices, diagnose underlying problems and brainstorm market-sensitive approaches to revitalization. We will identify outcomes regarding neighborhood image, real estate market, physical conditions, social conditions and residents' management of neighborhood issues, and outline strategies to advance those outcomes. You'll take home useful tools and resources, including worksheets for target market analysis and strategy development. Instructors: Michael Schubert Michael Schubert is the principal of Community Development Strategies, a consulting firm focused on neighborhood revitalization. His expertise is in neighborhood revitalization, strategy development, organizing and marketing, and neighborhood change strategies. Prior to consulting, Schubert was commissioner of housing for the City of Chicago. He holds a BA in sociology from Loyola University of Chicago and a master’s in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
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#a.166117Monday December 10,
8:30AM to 4:00PMNR118 Working with Tenants and Small Landlords to Revitalize the Neighborhood |
CM |
12.00 |
With a national homeownership rate of nearly 65%, in the average neighborhood at least 1 in 3 residences are occupied by a renter. In fact, market and other for ... more With a national homeownership rate of nearly 65%, in the average neighborhood at least 1 in 3 residences are occupied by a renter. In fact, market and other forces can cause rental housing investment to be concentrated in certain neighborhoods more than others, sometimes creating significant market and social stresses. To successfully sustain or create a healthy neighborhood, revitalization strategies must pay close attention to rental housing. This course explores a variety of complimentary strategies to ensure a strong rental market and a well-kept rental housing stock that makes a positive contribution to neighborhood livability and aesthetic standards. Join us in exploring how to work with landlords, especially small investors, to build their capacity to successfully manage their property for a solid return on investment, to plan for and finance physical improvements, and to become management partners with their tenants. The course also examines strategies that help tenants become engaged stakeholders in the neighborhood by empowering them to partner with landlords, neighborhood organizations and public agencies, and, when necessary, to utilize enforcement mechanisms to ensure a healthy and safe housing and community environment. Instructors: John Lehner John Lehner is president of the NFR Corporation, a multifaceted organization that provides training, group facilitation, and consulting services to not-for-profit and for-profit corporations. Mr. Lehner is a licensed real estate broker and licensed mortgage broker in Indiana, with 30 years of experience in; community and neighborhood planning and redevelopment, housing and commercial development, lending and finance; collaborations and joint ventures, and organizational design and management.
Mr. Lehner is an approved consultant and instructor for the NeighborWorks Training Institute and has provided services for: the Regional Neighborhood Network, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, Freddie Mac, Indiana Housing Finance Authority, the Indiana Department of Commerce, the Indiana Association of Realtors, the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development, and a variety of not-for-profit organizations and micro businesses.
Mr. Lehner is a former city planner and neighborhood planning manager with the cities of Cleveland and Hamilton, Ohio, and the past executive director of the Fort Wayne Neighborhood Housing Partnership in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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#a.166118Monday December 10,
8:30AM to 4:00PMNR121B Measuring the Impacts of Your Revitalization Work |
CM |
24.00 |
ATTENTION: This is the same course as NR121, it is being offered at the December 2012 NTI in Washington, DC, as a 4-day (Monday-Thursday) course to include part ... more ATTENTION: This is the same course as NR121, it is being offered at the December 2012 NTI in Washington, DC, as a 4-day (Monday-Thursday) course to include participation in the measurement and evaluation symposium being held on Wednesday.
Maybe you know the neighborhood is looking better, more people are getting involved in community activities, and you have a sense that things are getting better, but how do you really know you are achieving the results you intend? Are you able to leverage your experience, to learn from your work to improve the design and implementation of your programs and strategies? This is a new, fully integrated evaluation and measurement course. You’ll learn about logic models, theories of change, participatory evaluation, and evaluation design and implementation—including assessment of your internal technical and financial capacity for evaluation. In a laboratory setting we will: define and learn to use appropriate indicators for particular goals and intervention strategies; understand and design data collection methods and tools such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, and direct observation; and learn to identify and use appropriate secondary data sources. Practical exercises will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic relationship between data collection methodologies, and data integrity and reliability. We will also explore the different data analysis and interpretation needs of different audiences. The laboratory will also provide you with the opportunity to practice interpreting and presenting results to specific audiences with particular interests. This course, NR121, is offered jointly with CB200. Instructors: Ron Dwyer-Voss Ron Dwyer-Voss is the owner and founder of Pacific Community Solutions, Inc., a training, consulting and technical assistance company focused on working with community-based initiatives, nonprofit organizations and local governments. His work focuses on asset-based community development and organizing, community engagement and mobilization, education, participatory evaluation and community health. Dwyer-Voss has been a community organizer, community development corporation director, leadership development coach and trainer, as well as an elected school board member.
Dwyer-Voss began working with the Asset-Based Community Development model while organizing on the south and west sides of Chicago. Since then he has worked with faith-based communities; African-American, Latino and Southeast Asian communities; and a mix of urban and rural communities. He also works with youth development coalitions and education-focused organizations. Dwyer-Voss is the past chairperson of the National Community Building and Organizing Initiative of NeighborWorks America, and has provided training in community building and organizing at NeighborWorks Training Institutes around the country. He has trained school board members and administrators on how to more effectively engage their communities in local schools, as well as how to mobilize their communities to advocacy. When he is not working, Dwyer-Voss loves time with his family, travel, sports, live music, and exploring the outdoors kayaking, snowboarding, hiking, and fishing on whatever boat is available.
He began working with the Asset-Based Community Development model while organizing on the south and west sides of Chicago. Since then he has worked with faith-based communities; African-American, Latino and Southeast Asian communities; and a mix of urban and rural communities. He also works with youth development coalitions and education-focused organizations. Dwyer-Voss is the past chairperson of the National Community Building and Organizing Initiative of NeighborWorks America, and has provided training in community building and organizing at NeighborWorks Training Institutes around the country. He has trained school board members and administrators on how to more effectively engage their communities in local schools, as well as how to mobilize their communities to advocacy. When he is not working Ron loves time with his family, travel, sports, live music, and exploring the outdoors kayaking, snowboarding, hiking, and fishing on whatever boat is available. |
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#a.166119Wednesday December 12,
8:30AM to 4:00PMNR124 Reading a Neighborhood: What a Walk Around the Block Can Tell You |
CM |
6.00 |
Learn how to quickly analyze what’s going on in a neighborhood during a block walk. What can the housing stock and businesses tell you? The people on the street ... more Learn how to quickly analyze what’s going on in a neighborhood during a block walk. What can the housing stock and businesses tell you? The people on the street and the streetscape itself? Hone your observation skills and take home a system to analyze what you see and how your assumptions can color your observations. This course includes a site visit where participants take part in a block walk, perform an analysis and discuss their findings in terms of neighborhood revitalization. Participants will come away with a practical how-to guide for conducting a block walk in their own communities. Instructors: Susan Harden Susan has a broad background in community development and planning. With RBF's Urban Design Studio, she leads a team of talented group of planners and urban designers. Susan has a particular focus on community-based planning processes, developing innovative public participation programs for a myriad of project types, including downtown and neighborhood revitalization, comprehensive planning, mobility plans, and urban design projects. Before joining RBF's Urban Design Studio, Susan volunteered with the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa and with the AmeriCorps National Service Program in Kansas City. Additionally, she led several neighborhood-based planning projects for a Kansas City-based not-for-profit environmental organization involved in local sustainable development, transportation, and environmental justice. Susan has also worked with the State of Arizona as a community planning specialist, providing technical planning support and assistance to Arizona's rural and tribal communities.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Architectural Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Environmental Planning from Arizona State University. She is a registered planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a LEED Accredited Professional, and a Certified Main Street Manager (CMSM) through the National Main Street Center, She has a Professional Certificate in Neighborhood Revitalization through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NeighborWorks America) and a Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement from Fielding Graduate University. Most recently, she received an accreditation from the Congress for the New Urbanism, CNU-A.
Susan is the co-author of an APA Planners Advisory Service Report entitled Placemaking On A Budget and has presented at numerous conferences, including the American Planning Association National Conference, National Town Meeting on Main Street, New Partners for Smart Growth, Neighborhoods USA, and Arizona Governor's Rural Development Conference. She is currently on the faculty of University California Irvine where she teaches a graduate planning studio class and also serves as faculty of the CalState Fullerton University Extension Education program and the NeighborWorks® Training Institute. Susan serves on the board of H.O.M.E.S., Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing for people with mental illness. She also currently serves on the Equity and Affordability Technical Advisory Committee for ICLEI's STAR Community Index, a performance-based sustainability management system. Her passion has always been and continues to be to directly involve communities in protecting and improving their physical, natural, and social environments.
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#a.166120Thursday December 13,
8:30AM to 2:30PMNR200 Building the Effective Revitalization Organization |
CM |
12.00 |
You know what “went wrong” and also “what works” in your neighborhood, you even have a plan for how to make it better, but it seems you can’t get going. This co ... more You know what “went wrong” and also “what works” in your neighborhood, you even have a plan for how to make it better, but it seems you can’t get going. This course looks beyond neighborhood revitalization strategies to focus on the community development organization’s culture, structure, programs and resources as critical factors for effective implementation. Participant teams will learn how to deal with common pitfalls that can derail even the best revitalization plan. Using real-life case studies participants will design strategies and a resource development game plan to manage practical issues, such as staff skills and supporting organizational culture necessary for successful revitalization. Instructors: Charolette John-Gomez Charolette John-Gomez is a Team Member for Select Milwaukee, Inc., located in Milwaukee, WI. |
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#a.166121Thursday December 13,
8:30AM to 2:30PMNR261 Strategies for More Livable Neighborhoods |
CM |
12.00 |
Revitalization efforts are often challenged by neighborhood areas that are stagnant, lifeless shells of an earlier, more vital time. How do you transform these ... more Revitalization efforts are often challenged by neighborhood areas that are stagnant, lifeless shells of an earlier, more vital time. How do you transform these deteriorated, often unsafe spaces into vibrant and people-friendly neighborhood streetscapes, yards and gathering places? This course is a guide to engaging stakeholders and using innovative methods to create neighborhoods that are magnets for people to live, work and socialize. Bring your "place-making" challenges to this course and through a site visit, hands-on activities and place-making tools and techniques, learn how to create people-friendly, livable environments. Instructors: Al Zelinka Al Zelinka is the Community Development Director for the City of Riverside, CA. Prior to coming to Riverside on July 2012, Al served as Community Development Director for the City of Fullerton, CA, for four years where he oversaw the Planning and Development Services Division, Building and Code Enforcement Division, and Housing and Neighborhood Services Division.
In Fullerton Al was highly successful leading efforts to improve and revitalize neighborhoods, commercial districts and downtowns by working with community members in highly engaging, outcome-focused processes. His work earned him and the department awards from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, California Strategic Growth Council, Southern California Association of Governments, Urban Land Institute Orange County/Inland Empire, Orange County Section of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association Award, and the California Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Before joining local government, Al was vice president with RBF Consulting and served as principal of RBF Consulting's URBAN DESIGN STUDIO. For the past 20 years, Al's practice has upheld his original planning and urban design career objective: to "make a difference" in communities and the profession. He is a registered planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners, a Certified Main Street Manager and a Fellow of the Institute for Urban Design, and is certified in Community Economic Development and as a Certified Green Building Professional.
Al has practiced planning conducted training, delivered presentations or training in more than 28 states. He authored many publications including a co-authored book for the American Planning Association entitled SafeScape: Creating Safer, More Livable Communities Through Planning and Design (March 2001), and an APA Planners Advisory Service Report entitled Placemaking On a Budget (December 2005). Al received the Kenneth Jones Excellence in Training Award from the NeighborWorks Training Institute in May 2007 for being an "innovator, mentor and collaborator." He holds a BS in Public Planning from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University. |
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#a.166122Thursday December 13,
8:30AM to 2:30PMNR270 Walkability and Bikeability for Healthy, Vibrant Neighborhoods |
CM |
12.00 |
In 1969, 42% of US school children walked to school, while 15% were driven. By 2001, 50% of US school children were being driven by their parents to school, wh ... more In 1969, 42% of US school children walked to school, while 15% were driven. By 2001, 50% of US school children were being driven by their parents to school, while only 16% walked. This interactive course examines how our communities came to be less pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, and how we can improve the built environment to support walking and biking, while also helping children and community members increase their daily exercise. Participants will gain an understanding of the “Five Es” and several fun, low-cost strategies through which walking and biking can be encouraged. We will also learn how to use assessment tools like Active School Neighborhood, Walkability and Bikeability checklists to rank infrastructure conditions, identify needed resources to positively alter those conditions, and make their communities safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The class includes a walking tour of a neighborhood, bring comfortable shoes. Instructors: Susan Harden Susan has a broad background in community development and planning. With RBF's Urban Design Studio, she leads a team of talented group of planners and urban designers. Susan has a particular focus on community-based planning processes, developing innovative public participation programs for a myriad of project types, including downtown and neighborhood revitalization, comprehensive planning, mobility plans, and urban design projects. Before joining RBF's Urban Design Studio, Susan volunteered with the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa and with the AmeriCorps National Service Program in Kansas City. Additionally, she led several neighborhood-based planning projects for a Kansas City-based not-for-profit environmental organization involved in local sustainable development, transportation, and environmental justice. Susan has also worked with the State of Arizona as a community planning specialist, providing technical planning support and assistance to Arizona's rural and tribal communities.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Architectural Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Environmental Planning from Arizona State University. She is a registered planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a LEED Accredited Professional, and a Certified Main Street Manager (CMSM) through the National Main Street Center, She has a Professional Certificate in Neighborhood Revitalization through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NeighborWorks America) and a Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement from Fielding Graduate University. Most recently, she received an accreditation from the Congress for the New Urbanism, CNU-A.
Susan is the co-author of an APA Planners Advisory Service Report entitled Placemaking On A Budget and has presented at numerous conferences, including the American Planning Association National Conference, National Town Meeting on Main Street, New Partners for Smart Growth, Neighborhoods USA, and Arizona Governor's Rural Development Conference. She is currently on the faculty of University California Irvine where she teaches a graduate planning studio class and also serves as faculty of the CalState Fullerton University Extension Education program and the NeighborWorks® Training Institute. Susan serves on the board of H.O.M.E.S., Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing for people with mental illness. She also currently serves on the Equity and Affordability Technical Advisory Committee for ICLEI's STAR Community Index, a performance-based sustainability management system. Her passion has always been and continues to be to directly involve communities in protecting and improving their physical, natural, and social environments. |
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#a.166123Wednesday December 12,
8:30AM to 4:00PMNR369 Lending and Rehab Strategies for Maximum Neighborhood Impact |
CM |
6.00 |
This one-day course focuses on how residential lending and rehab services can be effective strategy components in a neighborhood revitalization effort. Designed ... more This one-day course focuses on how residential lending and rehab services can be effective strategy components in a neighborhood revitalization effort. Designed for practitioners, funders, lenders, and policy makers who want to better align lending and rehab with neighborhood revitalization outcomes, the course looks at both purchase and home improvement lending, and draws on the experience of participants and work in the field to show how loan products can be structured to support revitalization activities and strengthen local housing markets. Participants will also learn about setting standards for maintenance and home improvement that result in images of pride and stability in the neighborhood. The course will address how these standards can be reinforced with customers and how obstacles to standard-setting can be overcome.
Instructors: Michael Schubert Michael Schubert is the principal of Community Development Strategies, a consulting firm focused on neighborhood revitalization. His expertise is in neighborhood revitalization, strategy development, organizing and marketing, and neighborhood change strategies. Prior to consulting, Schubert was commissioner of housing for the City of Chicago. He holds a BA in sociology from Loyola University of Chicago and a master’s in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
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