At a budget town hall last night hosted by the County Executive, members of the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton presented 500 signatures from Montgomery County residents and small businesses calling for a written agreement to protect the livelihoods of small business owners, renters, daylaborers, and patients in Wheaton during and after redevelopment in return for the public subsidy.

To watch a Telemundo clip in Spanish on the Coalition’s presence at the town hall, click here.

A few months ago, I walked into the Emanuel Christian Library to talk to Wheaton small business owner Jose Gonzalez. For years, Jose has sold a variety of Christian books, compact discs, and DVDs in the Wheaton Triangle.

I asked Jose for his take on the small business community in Wheaton and the prospects for its survival given developer B.F. Saul’s plans to redevelop the Triangle, which include new offices, a hotel, and high-rise apartments.

“It’s because of all of us small business owners that Wheaton shines,” Jose said.

At first, I assumed B.F. Saul and Montgomery County shared Jose’s point of view. The new Wheaton Sector Plan, a planning document outlining the area’s future, champions Wheaton as a shopping destination with ethnic restaurants and “unique local small business offerings.” In its project bid, B.F. Saul argues that small businesses like the Showcase Aquarium and The Little Bitts Shop must be preserved. The County’s goals reference eclectic small businesses as one of Wheaton’s strengths and a basis for attracting new businesses and residents.

Yet inexplicably, as B.F. Saul and Montgomery County race to finalize the redevelopment agreement in the next few months, I still have no idea what their commitment is to help small businesses and the broader community shine in a revitalized Wheaton. Adding insult to injury, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett today proposed to support the Wheaton Redevelopment Program and B.F. Saul with more than $40 million dollars of public taxpayer money to realize the project and defray its costs.

I recognize the challenges of balancing the financial realities of redevelopment planning in a down economy with accommodating the needs and concerns of a community that has fallen on hard times. Yet, somewhere along the way, consequential discussions about fairness and shared prosperity became eclipsed by B.F. Saul’s vision that has framed legitimate concerns regarding the negative impacts of its project as of secondary importance.

Small business owners and Montgomery County families deserve to know how their livelihoods will be protected before a public subsidy is approved for the project and before a final redevelopment agreement is signed. More than 400 County residents and small businesses have joined the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton, calling for important investments including a fund to help small businesses survive years of construction, a plan to relocate and enhance community services set for displacement in the Mid-County Regional Services Center, and local job sourcing of new employment opportunities related to the redevelopment.

We need your help to make the Wheaton redevelopment project a model of equitable development in the DC region – now more than ever. Join the customers of Wheaton’s beloved small businesses who have signed our petition for community benefits. If you live in Montgomery County, sign our new online Change.org petition to join our cause.

Now the owner of Riverside Lounge is going through Act II of the same squeeze play.

The area around Sanchez’s relocated business in downtown Wheaton is undergoing changes that include more mixed-use development with new offices, housing and retail.

“There is not much parking for my customers,” Sanchez said. “It’s a very slow economy. I might have to sell because of the new offices and houses causing rents to increase.”

To read the full article, which references LEDC’s ongoing work with the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton, click here.

Over the last eight months, Montgomery County public officials and project developer B.F. Saul have been working to negotiate key details of a General Development Agreement to redevelop Wheaton, Maryland. The Wheaton Coalition is a collection of nonprofit organizations, small business owners, and residents that seek to ensure that the existing Wheaton community is able to benefit from the area’s proposed redevelopment.

Minutes ago, the Montgomery County Council voted in favor of Wheaton’s new Sector Plan, a guideline planning document that promotes high-density growth in Wheaton. The B.F. Saul project intends to transform the area’s Central Business District, and LEDC has joined the Coalition to preserve Wheaton’s diversity, small businesses, and affordability in the midst of future transit-oriented development.

Visit astrongerwheaton.org to learn more about the Coalition and sign our petition asking for community benefits as part of a final redevelopment agreement to preserve Wheaton’s strengths. You can also connect with the Coalition through Twitter at @strongerwheaton.

Three managers have been removed in recent months and five new ones will be brought in to help overhaul the department, which oversees federally funded affordable-housing construction in the District. Developers will be required to have a documented track record, adequate financial backing and the ability to finish construction within two years.

“This is something that should be a no-brainer,” said John E. Hall, who was named agency director by Mayor Vincent Gray (D) earlier this year. “But it was all about, ‘OK — we have this money, let’s spend it.’ ”

To read the full article, click here.

Now, residents say, the community has the potential to become a version of downtown Bethesda, with new mixed-use developments built around easy access to Metro. But residents don’t want to lose Wheaton’s focus on family-owned small businesses.

Small retail strips with bakeries, international markets and rotisserie chicken restaurants now line the crossroads of Georgia Avenue and University Boulevard.

To read the full feature article on Wheaton’s proposed redevelopment that came out Thanksgiving Day, click here.

Among the supporters of Small Business Saturday is the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) based in Washington D.C. Emily Coronado is LEDC’s Director of Small Business Development.

“Small Business Saturday is a great way to help draw attention from the consumer perspective to local businesses,” Coronado said. “A lot of Latino-owned local businesses could use an uptick in customers and sales to build momentum.”

To listen to the full audio clip, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Manny Hidalgo, Executive Director
Ash Kosiewicz, Communications and Advocacy Director
202-422-1707; (202) 425-1303
mhidalgo@ledcmetro.org; akosiewicz@ledcmetro.org

WASHINGTON – The Meyer Foundation, a leading funder of nonprofits serving the Washington, DC region, has just awarded one of three 2011 Exponent Awards – which recognize outstanding nonprofit executive directors – to LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo.

“I’m extremely grateful to the Meyer Foundation for recognizing how hard we at LEDC have worked to fulfill our mission in the region,” Hidalgo said. “It’s been an honor to lead this organization during a time when our services have been needed most.  We wouldn’t have been able to rise to the occasion without our awesome staff and supportive board.  For me, personally, I couldn’t have done it without my loving family, especially my wife Ellisa.”

The Meyer Foundation created the Exponent Awards in 2006 to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of some of the DC region’s most talented, visionary, and effective nonprofit executives—and to provide funds to sustain and further develop their leadership and their organizations. Recipients’ organizations receive a grant of $100,000 over two years to support leadership development.

Each year, the Foundation solicits nominations through an open process, although nominees must lead an organization that receives Meyer Foundation funding and meet other eligibility criteria. In selecting the recipients, the Foundation considered each nominee’s success at increasing the impact of the organization’s work, instituting sound management, and serving as a collaborative community leader.

The Foundation also awarded Exponent awards to Lecester Johnson, Executive Director of Academy of Hope and Amy Nakamoto, Executive Director of DC Scores.

“Despite the challenging economy, each of these leaders has exhibited creativity and perseverance in expanding the reach and impact of their organization’s work,” says Meyer Foundation President and CEO Julie Rogers. “We are honored to recognize three visionary and talented leaders who are working to address some of our region’s most urgent and compelling needs.”

The Meyer Foundation has a long history of supporting and investing in nonprofit leaders. Earlier this year, the Foundation released Daring to Lead 2011, a national study of more than 3,000 nonprofit executive directors in 12 cities across the country. Two out of three respondents said they were likely to leave their jobs within five years, citing the challenges of fundraising, weak boards of directors, and unsustainable financial models as factors that contribute to burnout and turnover.

Daring to Lead 2011 is the third national survey of executive directors Meyer has conducted, in partnership with CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, since 2001. Meyer created the Exponent Award in 2006 as a response to Daring to Lead 2006, which reported even higher rates of burnout and projected turnover.

For more information about the Exponent Award and profiles of previous recipients, visit http://www.meyerfoundation.org/exponent.

# # #

About the Latino Economic Development Corporation
Working families deserve to live in affordable homes and own successful small businesses – but too many are unable to turn these dreams into a reality. The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is a community-based nonprofit that equips Latinos and other DC-area residents with the skills and financial tools to create a better future for their families and communities. Participants in our programs learn how to buy and stay in their homes, take control of the decisions affecting their apartment buildings, and start or expand small businesses. To learn more, visit http://www.ledcmetro.org.

A full biography of LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo can be found at http://ledcmetro.org/staff#manny.

About the Meyer Foundation
The Meyer Foundation identifies and invests in visionary leaders and effective community-based nonprofit organizations that are working to create lasting improvements in the lives of low-income people in the Washington, DC metropolitan region, and works to strengthen the region’s nonprofit sector as a vital and respected partner in meeting community needs.

Contact: Susana Flores, CASA de Maryland
(240) 706-2624; sflores@casamd.org
www.casademaryland.org
David Roskin, Citi Community Development
(212) 559-4767; david.roskin@citi.com
www.citicommunitydevelopment.org

CASA de Maryland and Citi Lead Pilot Initiative to Make Naturalization Costs More Manageable While Building Credit and Seeding Savings Accounts

Langley Park, MD (November 1, 2011) – Today, Citi Community Development and CASA de Maryland (CASA) launched an innovative microloan program for legal permanent residents (LPRs) seeking to become naturalized citizens.  CASA will collaborate with two community development financial institutions (CDFI’s) — the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and the Ethiopian Community Development Council Enterprise Development Group (EDG) — to launch and test the innovative citizenship microloan program that will lower the financial barriers to naturalization while simultaneously building an individual’s credit and financial literacy.

The loan program is the latest addition to a set of naturalization services available through Citizenship Maryland, a wrap-around comprehensive effort led by CASA and participated in by partner AmeriCorps volunteer host organizations that seek to support the hundreds of thousands of eligible legal permanent residents in Maryland become citizens.

“Our state and our nation have a great deal to gain by embracing new Americans and supporting their efforts to contribute to our society and economy,” said Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, whose parents immigrated to America to start new lives and achieve their dreams. “Decreasing the financial burden for immigrants who wish to become naturalized citizens will help them improve their families’ lives and enrich their communities. It is exciting that this innovative program is being piloted right here in Maryland.”

CASA’s research has shown that one of the primary barriers to completing the naturalization process is the $680 naturalization fee and the inability for a low-income person to pay that cost over time,  while also paying for supportive services such as English language or citizenship preparation classes.  Reinforcing the research is the fact that when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) last raised fees for naturalization in July 2007, applications for naturalization decreased by 67% in the 12 months following the fee increase.

“I want to congratulate CASA de Maryland, Citi Community Development, and all of their partners for their work in launching this important project,” said Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8). “This program will provide access to credit to an underserved population, provide a pathway towards citizenship, and help many of our fellow Marylanders begin their new lives on more solid financial ground.”

The new program will see CASA, together with LEDC and EDG as servicers, offering six-month microloans for $680 — the cost of applying for citizenship.  A typical applicant will pay a $25 application fee and, if approved, will a receive loan with an interest rate of 8.5-9%. The New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland AmeriCorps, CASA, LEDC and EDG will monitor each borrower throughout their repayment period to both track and report timely payments to the credit bureaus.  When the final on-time payment is made, the initial $25 application fee will be deposited into the borrower’s bank account to encourage the individual to continue saving after the loan has been repaid.  CASA and its partners will then follow up with borrowers regularly up to six months after repayment to determine whether they have been granted U.S. citizenship and continued to use their savings accounts.  In addition, the organization will provide financial literacy training for borrowers, assistance establishing a bank account if necessary, and assistance preparing for the naturalization exam.

“This program exemplifies Citi’s longtime commitment to expanding financial inclusion and ensuring that the communities we serve have the tools and access they need,” said Sheldon Caplis, South Atlantic Regional Director for Citi Community Development.  “We will be assisting many emerging Americans in developing not only a new national identity, but a new financial identity as well.”

The microloans will be serviced by LEDC and EDG.  In addition to CASA, citizenship applicants will receive citizenship-related counseling and services at the African Leadership Empowerment Council (Prince George’s County), FIRN (Howard County), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) (Montgomery County), the Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity (Montgomery County), the Learning Institute for Enrichment & Discovery (L.I.F.E & Discovery of Frederick), Linking All So Others Succeed (LASOS of Harford County), and the Baltimore City Community College.

“Our country’s aspiring citizens face numerous barriers to achieving their dream of citizenship and this microloan program helps ease one of those obstacles,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland.  “Hundreds of thousands of immigrants in Maryland contribute every day to our state; becoming a citizen finalizes a long pathway of full integration.”

Evidence shows that there is a significant economic advantage to becoming a fully naturalized citizen.  A 2006 Urban Institute study found that, in the D.C. region, the household earnings of naturalized citizens were nearly double those of unauthorized immigrants and 15% higher than those of LPRs.  Yet despite the economic incentive to naturalize, only 12% of Maryland’s 120,000 eligible LPRs naturalized in 2009, and the number of LPRs naturalizing has increased by only about 1% annually over the past five years.

“Our Microloan program has always been committed to creating a better future for immigrant families in Maryland and the greater Washington region,” said LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo. “We are proud to be part of this new initiative and we recognize the importance of establishing good credit as a key step on the path toward economic advancement and financial independence.”

“Loans to cover the cost of applying for U.S. citizenship has been a major unfilled need,” said Kevin Kelley, Managing Director of ECDC Enterprise Development Group.  “The cost of the applications has gone up considerably in recent years and has become a real barrier for people wishing to become citizens.   Not having citizenship has real economic implications, as it prevents people from obtaining some types of jobs, for which citizenship is required.  This is a particular problem under the current economic circumstances, where finding jobs is already very difficult.”

A pilot of the program is expected to serve 125 to move to full citizenship.  The launch will be supported by a media campaign funded by Citi Community Development and will include PSAs, social media, and more.  In addition to Citi’s lead gift, the loan program is also supported by a series of other donors, including the Raza Development Fund (RDF), the Annie E. Casey Foundation, National Council of La Raza, HSBC, and Bank of America.  For further information about the project, go to www.citizenshipmaryland.org.

#  #  #
About CASA de Maryland
CASA started in 1985 in a church basement in response to the urgent needs of newly arrived Central American refugees.  From that beginning, it has become a multi-cultural membership organization providing services and taking action with thousands of members across the state.  Today, CASA occupies a rare space as a truly grassroots organization that directly addresses human needs and influences the regional and national debate on immigrants and public policy.  CASA’s mission is to create a more just society by building power and improving the quality of life in low-income immigrant communities. In 2010, CASA served more than 20,000 low-income individuals and secured 19,000 job placements; opened 1,702 bank accounts; filed 424 tax returns; graduated 723 ESOL students; and worked with 240 legal permanent residents to file their citizenship applications.  For more information, visit www.casademaryland.org.

About Latino Economic Development Corporation
Working families deserve to live in affordable homes and own successful small businesses – but too many are unable to turn these dreams into a reality. The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) equips Latinos and other DC-area residents with the skills and financial tools to create a better future for their families and communities. Participants in our programs learn how to buy and stay in their homes, take control of the decisions affecting their apartment buildings, and start or expand small businesses. To learn more, visit www.ledcmetro.org.

About Ethiopian Community Development Council Enterprise Development Group
ECDC Enterprise Development Group (EDG) is a non-profit organization, with offices in Arlington and Takoma Park, that serves low- and moderate-income residents of the Washington, DC-Baltimore metropolitan area, by providing access to loan capital for small businesses and a variety of other programs that help people build assets and achieve economic independence. EDG is certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution. To learn more, visit www.entdevgroup.org.

About Citi Community Development
Citi Community Development (CCD) is leading Citi’s commitment to achieve economic empowerment and growth for underserved individuals, families and communities by expanding access to financial products and services, and building sustainable business solutions and innovative partnerships.  Our focus areas include:  commercial and philanthropic funding; innovative financial products and services; and collaborations with institutions that expand access to financial products and services for low-income and underserved communities. For more information, visit www.citicommunitydevelopment.com.

This week she is awaiting approval of a loan for $680, which she plans to use to pay the application fees charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Pacas, 42, is among the first to apply for a new microloan designed to help legal permanent residents cover their naturalization costs.

To read more about LEDC’s participation in CASA de Maryland’s new pilot microloan initiative, click here.