Ohio Fair Lending Conference Series May 6, 2015
OHIO FAIR LENDING/VITAL COMMUNITIES COALITION
Join us in 2015 as we expand our Fair Lending and Vital Communities Conference to
add a series of highly interactive community conversations focused on the
challenges and opportunities we are facing as a county.
Last year at our fall conference, a panel of public officials and community
development experts put forward an agenda for change for the first 100 days of the
new county administration. This year, we are taking it further by engaging the
community in an ongoing series of dialogs on topics essential to the health and
vitality of our region. As we continue to take a pulse on emerging topics and
important trends, we will monitor our progress toward a more vital and sustainable
future. The series will culminate in a full day conference next fall that will explore
these community concerns in detail and propose tangible ideas for moving the
region forward over the next decade and beyond.
There are many positive and exciting changes happening in Cuyahoga County.
However, sobering statistics on population decline, anemic housing values and
disinvestment, growing countywide delinquent property tax balances, increasing
poverty, and housing insecurity threaten to undermine our progress. Breaking
down silos and bringing people together to collaborate and innovate is the way
forward. We look forward to having you join the conversation.
More Details
Kick-off Forum: Wednesday May 6th from 4-6pm; Cleveland State University
Mike DeWine and Jim Rokakis Forum: 1st week of June, date TBA
1st Brown-Bag Lunch: Housing Policy- Wednesday June 17th
2nd Brown-Bag Lunch: The State Budget- Wednesday August 19th
3rd Brown-Bag Lunch: Open Data- Wednesday mid-September, date TBA
Fair Lending Conference: Late Fall, date TBA
Post-Conference Forum: Early Winter
THEME: CORE CUYAHOGA – WHAT’S NEXT? WHERE WILL THE COUNTY BE IN 10 YEARS?
A New Conference Format
The newly formatted Ohio Fair Lending/Vital Communities series will monitor Cuyahoga County’s progress on priority housing and community development issues.
Participants in the small event programs outlined below will identify emerging issues and how they can best be addressed in a timely manner. The conference series will provide a venue for gathering information and ideas to be incorporated in a major fall conference.
The series will consist of 2 two-hour forum programs, 3 lunchtime ‘brown-bag’ programs and a full-day conference in the fall 2015. All events will be hosted at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Known as the place "where the community gathers to discuss challenges, create opportunities, and celebrate accomplishments," the Levin College Forum Program is a catalyst for thoughtful public debate, innovative thinking, new ideas, and timely action addressing critical issues that impact Northeast Ohio.
All programs will be free and open to the public.
Series Kick-Off Forum, 4:00-6:00 p.m., May 6th at CSU
The series Kick-Off Forum, to be scheduled for the week of May 11, will introduce the series to the community and review outcomes and lessons from the Fall 2014 conference.
Charles Bromley, Director, Ohio Fair Lending/Vital Communities Coalition, will provide an overview and brief summary of fall conference recommendations sent to County Executive Armond Budish. This forum is designed to be interactive, with facilitated round-table discussions.
Facilitators & Discussion Issues:
- Housing Policy – What can the County do? Where does the County have leverage?
Sally Martin, Housing Manager, City of South Euclid
- Tax Foreclosures/Tax delinquencies – VAPAC Recommendations to Cuyahoga County
- Open data
- Ohio Budget - Impact of the State of Ohio budget on Cuyahoga County
Forum: May 29, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Approaches to Vacant and Abandoned Properties
Speakers: Michael DeWine, Ohio Attorney General; Jim Rokakis, Director, Thriving Communities Institute
Brown-bag Lunch Programs: June, late August/early September, October, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Brown-bag lunch programs will explore issues discussed at the Kick-Off Forum in greater depth.
• June – Tax Delinquencies - “Foreclosing on our Future”
• August/September – Impact of the State budget on Cuyahoga County
• October - Open Data – What it means and what form it could take
Ohio Fair Lending/Vital Communities Conference, late October or early November, 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Conference Planning Committee is currently seeking a keynote speaker to address a major housing/community development issue facing Cuyahoga County.
• Morning sessions: Where are we in recovery?
• Afternoon sessions: Focus on key issues – where we need to go in 2016
End of Series Forum, late November/early December, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
What came out of the conference? Wrap up and recommendations.
Recommendations will be printed and distributed widely.
This final Forum will also collect feedback and propose ideas for the 2016 series.
Ohio Fair Lending/Vital Communities Coalition
The Ohio Fair Lending Coalition, a group of researchers, consumer advocates, academics, and legal experts, was formed in 1989 to analyze and provide a sharp focus on disparate lending in Cuyahoga County, as well as in the State of Ohio. Since 2005, when
foreclosures first became an explosive issue, housing has also been a major conference topic. Reflecting this change, the coalition changed its name to the Fair Lending and Vital Communities Coalition. The Coalition’s annual conferences, which marked their 25th Anniversary in 2014, draw an audience of elected officials, community development professionals and academics. Over the years, conference keynote speakers have included Ralph Nader, John Relman, Steve Dane, David Huey, Federal Reserve Governor Edward M. Gramlich, Dr. Nancy Denton, Pat McCoy, Kathleen Engel, and Congressman Louis Stokes.
Charles H. Bromley, founder and director of the Ohio Fair Lending Coalition, has had a career in advocacy and research work, developing innovative programs to overcome historic patterns of racial and lending discrimination. As Executive Director of National Neighbors, he was a member of the national coalition that saw the enactment of the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments and the Amendment of the 1975 Home Mortgage Act in 1989. Recognition for his achievements include the Liberty Bell Award from the Cleveland Bar Association, The Ohio Civil Rights Commission Award, The Governor’s Award, Greater Community Shares Social Justice Award, and the Outstanding Graduate Award from the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Charles Bromley is a Presidential Fellow of the SAGES program at Case Western Reserve University and adjunct faculty at the Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. In addition to his work in Civil Rights, Mr. Bromley founded Greater Cleveland Community Shares, which led to the development of social justice funds in Columbus, Toledo, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
2015 Conference Planning Committee members: Sally Martin, Housing Manager, City of South Euclid; Keith Benjamin, Director of Community Services, City of South Euclid; Frank Ford, Senior Policy Advisor, Thriving Communities Institute; Mark Wiseman, Director, NHS Consumer Law Center; Ben Faller, Executive Director, Home Repair Resource Center; Paul Bellamy, Consultant; Peggy Kearsey, Cleveland Housing Committee; April Urban, Research Assistant, CWRU Poverty Center; Larry Bresler, Executive Director, Organize Ohio; Kathryn Hexter, Director, Center for Planning and Development,, CSU Levin College of Urban Affairs; Molly Schnoke, Project Coordinator, Center for Civic Education
CSU Center for Civic Education, Levin College of Urban Affairs
The Center for Civic Education positions the College as a leader in state-of-the-art civic education and engagement programs. Through public forums, applied research and outreach services, the Center explores key issues and challenges facing Northeast Ohio. The Levin College Forum is the Center's signature program. The Center's public policy research and program evaluation activities focus on affordable housing, sustainable development and planning.
The cornerstone of the Center is the Forum Program, which was established in 2000 based on the premise that an informed and engaged citizenry is critical for the future economic growth and prosperity of the region. The Forum acts as a place where the university and the community can come together in public forums and dialogue in order to learn about key issues facing Northeast Ohio. Forum programs also serve as an ongoing resource for classes and students. The Forum was recognized by Northern Ohio Live magazine as “a springboard for economic and social progress throughout the region” and was the recipient of the national 2003 CivicMindTM award.
The Forum has built an impressive record of engaging the community and advancing public dialogue on environmental, planning and economic development decisions that shape the Northeast Ohio region. Since 2000, more than 14,000 people have attended more than 125 forum events ranging from brown bag lunches to multi-day conferences. Forum programs have examined issues related to regional economic development; affordable housing; nonprofit partnerships and collaborations; energy and the environment; planning, design, and development; sustainable communities; globalization; elections; and celebrating Cleveland.
Kathryn Wertheim Hexter is the founding director of the Center for Civic Education and the Levin College Forum program. She joined the Levin College of Urban Affairs in 1986. A planner and public policy analyst, Ms. Hexter has over 25 years of experience managing and directing projects and evaluating programs in the areas of housing policy, neighborhood development, low-income energy assistance, city and regional planning and civic engagement. She has worked extensively with federal, state and local governmental, philanthropic and nonprofit organizations. She directs the evaluation of the Cuyahoga County Foreclosure Initiative. From 1998-2006, she directed the evaluation of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland’s Affordable Housing Initiative and conducted related research about the supply of affordable housing in Cuyahoga County. Prior to joining Cleveland State, Ms. Hexter served in government and community affairs positions at East Ohio Gas Company and as a planner with a local consulting firm. She is co-editor of the book The New American City Faces Its Regional Future, A Cleveland Perspective, Ohio University Press, 2000 and co-author of Public Utilities and the Poor: Rights and Responsibilities, Praeger Publishers, 1985. She has written numerous articles including, most recently, "The Role of the University in City Planning: A Case Study of Cleveland's Lakefront Redevelopment," forthcoming in the Journal of Ekistics. Ms. Hexter holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University.