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Housing
& Community « Blueprint Communities »
...in Pennsylvania
Launched in 2005 by FHLBank Pittsburgh and 17 funding
and program partners, Blueprint Communities helps community
leaders plan for and carry out effective and comprehensive
community revitalization efforts. Governor Rendell announced
the 22 urban and rural Pennsylvania communities
participating in the initiative’s inaugural year
at a Banner Day kickoff ceremony held August 9, 2005,
at the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg.
Funding Partners
- Rural LISC
- Sovereign Bank
- PNC Bank, NA
- FHLBank Pittsburgh
Program Partners
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Governor's Office
of Housing and Community Revitalization
- Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development
- Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
- Philadelphia Neighborhood Development Collaborative
- Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
- The University of Pittsburgh - Graduate School of
Public and International Affairs
- U.S.D.A. Rural Development
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
- The Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Benefits for Participating Communities
Those participating in Blueprint Communities received
5 days of intensive training that was complimented by
additional assistance. Each Blueprint Community team
received:
- Four days of leadership and community development
training, including instruction by the Heartland
Center for Leadership Development, materials,
meals and lodging
- A one-day capacity and technical training session
for representatives from housing development organizations
and other team members
- A community profile, a 10+ page report of key demographic
indicators and trends
- Instruction by high-quality, nationally known trainers
who have tailored a program and accompanying materials
- A public relations/communication Tool Kit, which
included an 18-foot street banner, posters and a booklet
entitled Back Home with Blueprint Communities –
Ideas for Informing, Inspiring and Involving Your
Community
- A Web site dedicated to the initiative, www.blueprintcommunities.com
- Ongoing technical
assistance during and after the training sessions.
Further, because the training is recognized by the
state's major housing and community development funders
(program partners), communities may gain access to additional
funding from state and federal resources to implement
their plans once training in Blueprint Communities is
complete. FHLBank will target its housing and community
development resources, affordable housing grants and
loans to small businesses to participants in the Blueprint
Communities initiative.
Focus
The community revitalization training provided the
educational component necessary for communities to begin
developing long-term, comprehensive community plans.
Focusing on such fundamentals as leadership, capacity,
goal-setting and strategic planning, the revitalization
training provided the necessary base for communities
to begin growth.
Outcomes
By training completion, communities had developed a
vision, a draft community plan, a process to measure
outcomes and a timeline to move their process forward.
Blueprint Communities are now working to build capacity,
momentum and trust among community stakeholders, as
well as provide the basis for developing and implementing
practical, achievable strategies in participating communities.
FHLBank has contracted with Mary Ohmer and Associates
to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness
of the Blueprint Communities Initiative. Ohmer and Associates
is tracking the progress of each Blueprint Communities
participant for one year following completion of the
training.
Selection Process
FHLBank, aided by program partners and an advisory
group, used a Request for Proposal process to select
communities for participation. One of the first steps
in the selection process for the community revitalization
training was the analysis of the community and the preparedness
of the stakeholders. The community had to be at a point
where it would derive benefit from the training and
have an opportunity to sustain a comprehensive development
approach.
Technical Assistance Network
A unique feature of Blueprint Communities is a network
of universities and colleges with community development
curriculums throughout Pennsylvania. This network is
available to provide technical assistance to 22 participating
Blueprint Communities, and it currently includes:
- University of Pittsburgh GSPIA
Nonprofit Clinic
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Pennsylvania State University
- LaSalle University
- Temple University
- Slippery Rock University
The network will be expanded to include additional
universities and colleges, as well as private consulting
firms. Access to the network, which includes faculty
and student involvement, provides teams with support
throughout the training process and for one to two years
after the training (depending on funding). The Nonprofit
Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School
of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) has organized
the network, and serves as the primary point of contact
with the participating communities. The Nonprofit Clinic,
which is covered under the University of Pittsburgh'
s 501(c)(3) status, matches the assistance needs of
a community with the appropriate resource within the
network. Refer to the attached brochure and operating
procedures for additional information about the Technical
Assistance Network.
Questions
For more information on Blueprint Communities, contact
Laura Kemp-Rye at 304-291-5485 or via e-mail to blueprint@fhlb-pgh.com.
You may also visit the Blueprint Communities dedicated
Web site at www.blueprintcommunities.com
or call FHLBank's Community Investment Department at
1-800-288-3400.
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Resources
Go to the dedicated web
site.
Related Documents
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