Entrepreneurial Training in Williamsburg March 2016
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Suzette's Letter December 14, 2015
LEARNING
Economic Impact of Local and Regional Food Systems Webinar — Monday, December 14th, 1:30 - 2:30 PM EST
In October 2015 the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems convened a special one-day invitational workshop focused on the economic impacts of local and regional food systems. More than 60 people from 25 different organizations attended this one-day workshop. Because there was so much interest in the workshop, the Center for Regional Food Systems is working with partners at Colorado State University to offer a condensed version of the training in a special webinar. Registration is required, so please follow this link to pre-register and learn more about this event.
CDFA Webinar: Financing Green Energy on Brownfields
January 14, 2:00 - 3:30pm EST
Join CDFA, US EPA, and experienced brownfield communities as we discuss the potential behind using brownfields as sites for renewable energy generation, the unique financing tools available for these projects, and the potential benefits for impacted communities and energy developers.
HUD Releases New Webcasts for the AFFH Training Series
HUD releases two webcasts for the affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) training series: AFFH Community Participation Requirements for Consolidated Plan Program Participants Webcast; and AFFH Community Participation Requirements for Public Housing Agencies Webcast. View the AFFH Community Participation Requirements for Consolidated Plan Program Participants Webcast. View the AFFH Community Participation Requirements for Public Housing Agencies Webcast.
IRS Helps Tribes Use TED Bond Volume Cap
The IRS issued a notice that will make it easier for Indian tribal governments to use tribal economic development bond volume cap for draw-down loans.
PUBLICATIONS
A new https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/SNAP_report_final_nonembargo.pdf">report released today from the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) finds that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is highly effective at reducing food insecurity—the government’s measure for whether households lack the resources for consistent and dependable access to food. The report highlights a growing body of research that finds that children who receive food assistance see improvements in health and academic performance and that these benefits are mirrored by long-run improvements in health, educational attainment, and economic self-sufficiency. The report also features new research that shows benefit levels are often inadequate to sustain families through the end of the month—resulting in high-cost consequences, such as a 27 percent increase in the rate of hospital admissions due to low blood sugar for low-income adults between the first and last week of the month, as well as diminished performance on standardized tests among school age children.
In 2014, 99 percent of U.S. farms were family farms, where the principal operator and his or her relatives owned the majority of the business. Most were small family farms, having less than $350,000 in annual gross cash farm income (GCFI)—which includes commodity cash receipts, other farm-related income (such as receipts from custom work or production contract fees), and government payments. In 2014, these small family farms accounted for 90 percent of all U.S. farms, 46 percent of the land operated by farms, and 22 percent of agricultural production. Large-scale family farms—with $1 million or more in annual GCFI—accounted for about 3 percent of all farms, but had a disproportionately large share of the value of production (47 percent). This chart is found in America’s Diverse Family Farms: 2015 Edition, released December 2015.
SSTI: New Survey Finds Bipartisan Support for Innovation Initiative Designed to Bolster U.S. Economy
Overwhelming majorities of voters across the nation and in key swing states support a comprehensive initiative designed to parlay the United States’ strong research base into greater economic prosperity and a higher quality of life for all. These findings come from a new survey conducted for the Innovation Advocacy Council, an initiative of SSTI, by the bipartisan team of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and TargetPoint Consulting. Read more...
Academics Weigh the Benefits of Bank, VC Financing for Startups
Bank or venture capital (VC) financing? This is one of the toughest questions that aspiring entrepreneurs and small firms must answer. A recent academic study contends that VC financing may be the superior financing structure for early stage capital. However, several other studies contend that both bank and VC financing can help create and grow successful startups. For potential entrepreneurs, each provides strengths and weaknesses that are highlighted in the studies. Read more...
Suzette's Letter, December 4, 2015
PUBLICATIONS
Millennials, Baby Boomers Key to Multifamily Housing Recovery
Jordan Rappaport, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, discusses his recently published article about the recovery of multifamily home construction and the factors behind the change. The article, Millennials, Baby Boomers, and Rebounding Multifamily Home Construction, is available here
Speak Your Piece: Program Deepens ‘Shallow' Rural Economies
New Market Tax Credits are reinventing rural communities through public-private partnerships that attract new investment capital, support new enterprises, and diversify economies. According to the Daily Yonder, the New Markets Tax Credits program is supporting every industry sector of the economy, from healthcare and hotels to manufacturing and agriculture.
Best Practices in Rural Economic Development
Across the globe, the proliferation of innovation-led economic development is typically viewed in an urban context. Despite cities receiving the bulk of the attention, researchers have begun to focus on how to leverage best practices in rural economic development. Just as is the case in nearly all economic development scenarios, practitioners and policymakers working in rural areas benefit from a better understanding of local strengths and opportunities, according to new research from the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Read more...
Update to NMTC Certification, Compliance, and Monitoring FAQs
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) has provided an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for NMTC compliance on its website. This document supersedes the December 2014 and October 2015 publications of the FAQ document by adding, revising, or updating select questions from these earlier editions. Updated guidance includes:
- Clarifying guidance on the use of QLICI proceeds to repay incurred costs associated with monetized assets owned or controlled by a QALICB or an Affiliate of a QALICB;
- Clarifying guidance on monitoring compliance with the unrelated entity requirement in Section 3.2(d) of the allocation agreement as it applies to the CY2015 NMTC Application;
- Restrictions on the use of QLICI proceeds to directly or indirectly reimburse expenditures incurred by a QALICB or Project Sponsor as it applies to the CY2015 NMTC Application;
- Defining activities that “support health related services” as it relates to QLICIs in federally designated medically underserved areas;
- Monitoring “Innovative Investments” for the purpose of meeting Section 3.2(l) of the allocation agreement;
- Updated links to resources relating to Areas of Higher Distress;
- Revision to the definition of Real Estate QALICB versus Non-Real Estate QALICB for purposes of the allocation agreement.
EVENTS
Enroll Now! CDFA Online Brownfields Project Marketplace
February 2-4, 1:00 - 5:00pm EST
CDFA is excited to offer the Brownfields Project Marketplace as an opportunity for communities to receive free technical assistance related to the redevelopment and financing of brownfield projects. Join us online February 2-4 to consult with financing professionals and brownfield project experts who can help identify potential resources for your brownfield project.
CDFA Brownfields Financing Webinar: Financing Green Energy on Brownfields
January 14, 2:00 - 3:30pm EST
Join CDFA, US EPA, and experienced brownfield communities as we discuss the potential behind using brownfields as sites for renewable energy generation, the unique financing tools available for these projects, and the potential benefits for impacted communities and energy developers.
BroadbandUSA Webinar: Rural Broadband and Digital Inclusion Planning - Part 1: Gathering Information
December 10, 2015, 1:30-3PM EST
Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7867503046359460354
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) BroadbandUSA team invites you to a webinar on broadband and digital inclusion planning in rural areas. This is the first in a series of webinars about rural planning - future topics will include building partnerships, marketing and outreach, broadband adoption and digital literacy training programs. This webinar will cover how to gather information to best inform your broadband and digital inclusion plan, including asset inventory, survey data, community input and other planning resources. The speakers will share their rural planning experiences, including a range of local, regional, and state planning efforts.
Combining Revitalization and Community Safety Webinar
Given the connection between vacant and blight properties and crime in residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors, it’s vital for law enforcement to be involved in creating redevelopment strategies – but what should those partnerships look like? Representatives from Dayton, Ohio and Austin, Texas will discuss how building strong alliances between community and law enforcements leaders has led to the revitalization of residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors in their own communities. From residential rehabilitation to multifamily and small commercial redevelopment, these communities have leveraged Department of Justice Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation grants to build a collaborative strategy across community groups, developers, and local police departments.
Date and Time: December 7, 2015, 3:30 PM EST
Sponsor: LISC
Call-In Number: 866-740-1260
Access Code:4559883
Log-In: ReadyTalk Login
OAK 2016 Conference for those in Agriculture
Organic Association of Kentucky announces speakers and program for annual conference March 4-5, 2016
Earth-friendly seminars, vendor fair and more open to farmers and consumers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 1, 2015) - - - Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) will hold its fifth annual conference focusing on organic farming and living March 4-5, 2016. For the first time, programming for the event also targets consumers with local and national speakers spotlighting a variety of topics including growing blueberry bushes, winter gardening with low tunnels, making mead, fermenting foods for added shelf-life and flavor, creating monarch waystations and more. In addition to seminars, attendees can learn about organic products and their makers at the vendor fair and enjoy farm-fresh fare for lunch and dinner. Jeff Moyer, executive director of Rodale Institute, a nonprofit organization pioneering organic agriculture advocacy for more than 60 years, is the keynote speaker along with Wisconsin certified organic beef grazing farmer Jim Munsch. The weekend’s festivities will be held at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre, 395 Paroquet Springs Dr., in Shepherdsville. Registration cost is $150 for the entire conference with a $25 early discount before Feb. 1. Single day and meal ticket options and special rates for OAK members and students are also available. For more information, visit oak-ky.org.
