initiative news
The Initiative Hits the Road...
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2nd Annual Vision for Conservation in NC
March 13-14
Raleigh, NC
Hosted by several major conservation trust funds, the conference featured an inspirational keynote address by Charles Jordan, Chairman of the Conservation Fund, on the need for diversity within the conservation movement. Jordan, excited about the recent collaboration between the conservation and CED networks in NC, emphasized the importance of creating urban parks and green space for city residents with limited transportation options.
Photo (left to right): Monica McCann, Abdul Rasheed, Mikki Sager, Charles Jordan and Ebonie Alexander. |
Initiative Day at the General Assembly
April 10
Raleigh, NC
Initiative staff and supporters gathered in downtown Raleigh on April 10th for the first ever Initiative Day at the General Assembly. The day was spent informing legislators about the community economic development work that our grantees and partners are engaged in across the state. And to further paint a picture of successful CED, we handed out the Initiative's 2007 Report to the People, hot off the press. The Initiative is constantly striving to increase our visibility at the General Assembly amid changing leadership, so be on the lookout for Initiative Day '08!
Photo: Initiative President, Ebonie Alexander, shares with an interested passersby in front of the Initiative display at the Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh. |
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The State of Fair and Affordable Home Ownership 2007
April 24
Winston-Salem, NC
Abdul Rasheed, founder and CEO of the Initiative, delivered the keynote address at the Housing Professionals Summit, held in Winston-Salem on April 24th. During his talk, which he dubbed ‘A Place Called Home,’ Abdul urged his listeners to put all excuses aside and take immediate action toward combating the affordable housing problem. “Whatever you’re doing, you have to do more,” Rasheed said. “The problem isn’t getting smaller. It’s getting bigger.” He emphasized that although affordable housing numbers may be hard to justify in the short-run, a longer-term analysis will undoubtedly lead to a different conclusion. “The poor will always be with us,” Abdul pointed out. And at the end of the day, our legacy will be defined, not by “the tall buildings we build or the millions we as a nation hoard,” but by how we treat the least among us.
Photo: Abdul’s speech followed a panel discussion featuring Chris Estes, ED of the NC Housing Coalition, and Wanda Allen-Abraha, Director of Winston’s HR dept. |
Land for Tomorrow Lobby Day
April 25
Raleigh, NC
On April 25th, the General Assembly was bustling with supporters of Land for Tomorrow, a diverse partnership seeking to set aside $1 billion for land preservation over the next 5 years. To learn more about Land for Tomorrow, please visit: www.landfortomorrow.org
Photo (left to right): Kate Dixon, Rep. Lucy Allen and Elizabeth Ouzts announce the release of Environment NC’s report, Losing Our Natural Heritage, which projects that NC will lose 2 million acres of forest and farmland over the next 20 years. |
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2007 Community Land Trust (CLT) Conference
April 26-27
Chapel Hill, NC
The Initiative was proud to support our grantee, Durham Community Land Trust, as a sponsor of the 2007 CLT Conference, co-hosted by Orange Community Housing and Land Trust. If you would like to learn more about the CLT model, educational resources are available on the website of Burlington Associates, a presenter at the conference: www.burlingtonassociates.com/resources
Photo: The Mayor of Durham, Bill Bell, was a welcome guest in Tar Heel country as he delivered opening remarks at the CLT Conference. |
2007 Affordable Housing Conference
May 8-9
Winston-Salem, NC
Over 300 people attended this two-day conference, hosted by the NC Housing Coalition and the Community Investment Corporation of NC. Among the wide range of issues that were addressed, a spotlight was placed on the current campaign for a National Housing Trust Fund, which would provide dedicated, ongoing support for the creation and preservation of low-income housing across the country. For more information, please visit: www.nlihc.org
Photo: Workshops and speakers covered topics from the national affordable housing industry to housing counseling in North Carolina. |
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11th Annual Grassroots Convening
May 17-18
Brown Summit, NC
At this event hosted by the Conservation Fund’s Resourceful Communities Program, Louise Mack, ED of Prosperity Unlimited, and Ebonie Alexander participated in a panel on conservation-based affordable housing, which merges the goals of affordable housing and land conservation to create high-quality neighborhoods that preserve open space and save money on development.
Photo: Louise Mack displays a conservation-based affordable housing site plan developed through a grant from the CWMTF. |
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