Rebuilding the Village

© WDB Resultants, LLC Empowerment Network

Rebuilding the Village


% Unemployed

Source: Census and American Community Survey 2006 to 2008, 3 Year Summary


Median Household Income



% of Children Under 5 in Poverty



% Own their Home



Current State of African-Americans

Current AA Current Omaha• Poverty 40% 15%

– % of AA Children

• Graduation Rate 50% 95%

• Employment 80% 95%

• Home Ownership 38% 70%


African-American Empowerment Network formed…Sept. 2006

• Pastors• Business Owners and Corporate Senior Managers• Community Representatives• Neighborhood Leaders• Elected and Appointed Officials• Entrepreneurs and Investors• Educators• Other non-profit Executives in…

– Social Services– Health– Healthy Families– Crime Prevention– Legal– Cultural Arts– Accounting and others Professionals


The Question that we asked in 2006…

How do we Accelerate the Progress of African-Americans, North Omaha and Close Current Gaps?

We have made significant progress…working as individuals and unlinked organizations.

What would happen if we worked together? Collectively…What could we accomplish?


What if…We Created A New Vision of the Future

AN EMPOWERED VILLAGE…

1. African-Americans, North Omaha and the Greater Omaha Areas are measurably successful and prosperous in all areas… Spiritually, Mentally, Physically, Socially, Politically and Economically

2. North Omaha, Omaha and the State of Nebraska are recognized as models for empowering African-Americans and all citizens.

Great homes. Great churches. Great schools. Great businesses. Great organizations.


8 Months of Listening, Planning…

• Research, Information Gathering, Testing

– Leaders, Community Advocates, Grassroots– Summits, Forums, Meetings

• Large Summits – 120 to 300• Small Summits – Avg. 40 to 50• Targeted and One-on-One Outreach

– Teen Summits, Neighborhood Summits, Neighborhood Leaders– Barber Shops, Parades, Events, etc.

– Over 1,000 leaders and concerned citizens participated– Over 300 organizations– Over 140 pages of issues, notes, best practices from

around the country, recommendations and strategies


Empower Omaha!Rise Up & Rebuild the Village!

Do your Part...Live the Covenant!

Launched April 2007

Developed by the African-American Empowerment Network

EE


VALUES & GOAL

Values– Faith, Unity, Love, Respect, Family, Community, EMPOWERMENT

Principles– Positive, Proactive, Partnership, Purpose, Potential & Possibilities

Goal– To transform Omaha into a Model City for all of its Citizens


Empowerment Covenant

1. Live our Faith (Put it to Work!)2. Prepare our Children (Education and Youth Development)3. Strengthen our Families (Healthy Families & Extended Families)4. Embrace our Culture (Cultural Arts, History, Events & Venues)5. Build our Wealth (Employment, Invest, Quality of Life)6. Protect our Health (Health – Physical and Mental)7. Raise our Vote (Voting/Political Engagement)8. Own our Homes (Home Ownership)9. Clean our Neighborhoods (Environment)10. Love our Neighbor! Stop the Hate! (Crime Prevention &

Neighborhoods)11. Stand for Justice (Civil Rights & Justice)12. Enhance our Communications (Media & Communications)13. Cross the Divide (Digital & Technology)


Objectives

• Develop and Implement – Covenant – Individual and Leadership– Strategic Plan – Short-term and Long-term

• Empower– African-Americans– North Omaha– Greater Omaha Area


We have made progress…

Since 2006…Stronger Collaborations…• Empowerment Network building partnerships• Pastors and Churches working together• Organizations and Agencies are working together• Business executives and educational leaders are working

together• Elected Officials are working together

Major Partnerships• Sherwood Foundation• City of Omaha• Omaha Community Foundation• North Omaha Development Project• Building Bright Futures• Bright Futures Foundation• City Transformation Roundtable – Pastors & Community Leaders


African-Americans in Nebraska/OmahaWe have made some progress…

Since 2006…Building a stronger foundation…

• Formed stronger networks and relationships– African-American– North Omaha

• Developed strategies, action plans, and budgets• Developed city-wide partnerships – Empower Omaha!• Launched new communication vehicles• Participated in collaborative strategies• Launched successful projects, events and initiatives• Created summer jobs and assisted with full-time jobs• Supported African-American businesses• Supported African-American cultural events and venues• Raised millions of dollars in commitments


The Village StrategyRebuilding the Village…Block by Block

PILOTCommunity Transformation

Targeted Approach to a Geographic Area


Rebuilding the VillageNeighborhood Village Strategy

13 COVENANTS APPLIED to A TARGET AREA» Faith» Education» Economics» Violence Prevention» Health» Healthy Families» Housing» Neighborhoods» Arts and Culture» Justice» Voting» Media» Technology


Target Area - North Omaha

North Omaha Target AreaCensus Tracts - 11, 12, 51, 52, 53

22,914

14,10512,473 11,497

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

1970 1980 1990 2000

36th Street (W) to 16th Street (E); Cuming (S) to Bedford/Maple (N)


SalemWalgreens

Charles Drew

OHA

FreedomChurch

Miami Heights Assoc.

Franklin School

CompassMinistries

Wesley House Leadership

Urban LeagueAbide

Kennedy School

Empowerment Network Neighborhood Strategy

“Village” 2

North Omaha Dev. ProjectArea B


“Village” 1

JC Wade Villa (seniors)Salem Village (seniors)

Park Apartments

OEDCSTAR

FHAS

NCDCNew Housing New Housing

Love’s Jazz

Hig

hla

nd

er

Ass

oci

atio

n

Retail Dvlpmnt

Cultural & Entertainment

Boys & GirlsBlackburn

Morning Star

Hope Skate

Pilgrim

Mt. Moriah

OSBN

Greater St. Paul

Kellom School and Educare

Conestoga School

Lothrop School

Jesuit Middle

King School

Rebuilding the Village – Initial Map

Prospect HillCemetery


Village 1 – Initial Area of Focus


Rebuilding the Village Neighborhood Strategy: 30+ Partners

2 Years of Research, Summits, Planning, Partnership Development, and Implementation

• Churches/Para-Church– Salem– Freedom Assembly– Pilgrim– Mt. Moriah, Joy of Life– Abide Network and Compass

Ministries– Hope Skate– Turning Point– City-wide Churches

• Major Social Organizations– Charles Drew– Urban League– OHA– Family Housing Advisory

Services – Center for Holistic

Development

• Housing & Development Groups

– Omaha Economic Development Corporation

– New Community Development Corporation

– City Planning Department – North Omaha Development

Project– Holy Name Housing– Omaha Housing Authority– Salem Housing

Development Corp./Salem Community Development Corp.

– Habitat for Humanity– Omaha Healthy Kids


Rebuilding the Village Neighborhood Strategy: 30+ Partners

2 Years of Research, Summits, Planning, Partnership Development, and Implementation

• Schools and Early Childhood– Omaha Public Schools– Howard Kennedy– Druid Hill– Franklin – Blackburn– Kellom/Educare– Simple Simon– Church/Childhood Centers

• Partners– Neighborhood Center– UNO– Metro Community College

• Funding Partners – Sherwood Foundation– Foundations– NIFA– City of Omaha– Corporate– State

• Community Youth Groups– Wesley House Leadership

Academy– Compass Ministries– Salem– Freedom

• Neighborhood Associations– Highlander /Prospect– Miami Heights – Montclair– OIC– Conestoga– Long School

• Violence Prevention– Impact One! Community

Connection– Weed & Seed– Omaha Police Department



• Neighborhood Strategy• Prayer Walks in Hot Spots (Reduce Violence)• Block Parties/Outreach in Hot Spots and Targeted Areas• Neighborhood Clean-up Efforts (Network and Step Out)• Employment Programs

– Summer 2008 – 150+ Youth/Young Adults– Summer 2009 – 700 Youth/Young Adults

• Violence Intervention Program– School, Street, Emergency, Home, Hospitals– Employability, Job Placement, Support Services

• Voting Initiatives– 12,000 New Voters in North Omaha

• Omaha Violence and Prevention Collaboration• Housing and Neighborhood Development



• Neighborhood Strategy – Early Results

• Pleasant View Housing Project has been demolished• Omaha Violence and Prevention Collaboration Launched

– What was once one of the most violent areas in the city– No homicides, violence has dropped dramatically

• Employment Programs – Hired over 100 youth/young adults during the summer

• Voting Initiatives– Increase in voter registration and participation

• Housing and Neighborhood Development – Preparing to rehab and build new homes

» 25 Homes in 2010• New Development Partnerships formed

– Targeted Redevelopment Efforts in Village


Community – Year 1

ORGANIZATIONS & EFFORTS


Community – Year 2 - Connecting



Community – Year 3 - Alignment


Aligned and Working to Improve the Community


Empower North Omaha!Rebuilding the Village…Block by Block

Comprehensive Neighborhood and Community Development Strategy


Empower North OmahaRebuilding the Village Strategy

• Comprehensive and Coordinated Plan

• Holistic Collaboration– Community and Church Engagement– Education & Youth Development– Jobs, Careers, and Business Development– Housing & Neighborhood Development– Violence Intervention and Prevention– Health and Healthy Families– Arts, Culture, History, and Entertainment


Empower North Omaha Rebuild the Village…Block by Block

THE VILLAGE ZONETargeted Development Action Plan

Next Steps…Moving Forward


Empower North Omaha Village Areas

West East

Empower North Omaha Village AreasThe Village Zone – Village West and Village East

36th Street(WEST)

Pratt Street (NORTH)

16th Street(EAST)

Cuming Street (SOUTH)

1 2


SalemWalgreens

Charles Drew

FreedomChurch

Franklin School

CompassMinistries

Wesley House Leadership

Urban LeagueAbide

Kennedy School


“Village” WEST (1) Expanded

JC Wade Villa (seniors)Salem Village (seniors)

Park Apartments

OEDCSTAR

FHAS

NCDC

New Housing

Love’s Jazz

Hig

hlan

der

Ass

ocia

tion

Retail Dvlpmnt

Boys & GirlsBlackburn

Morning Star

Hope Skate

Pilgrim

Mt. Moriah

OSBN

Greater St. Paul

Kellom School and Educare

Conestoga

Lothrop School

Jesuit Middle

King School

OHA Property 30th & Parker

Initial Target Area

Malcolm X Park (North of Adams)

Cultural, Entertainment, & Business District

Miami Heights

Miami Heights

36th Street(WEST)

Pratt Street (NORTH)

The Village ZoneTargeted Development Action Plan

an initiative of the Empowerment Networkpartnership w ABC, NIFA, City of Omaha, NODP, OHA

Long School

New Housing

ConestogaPlace

STAR 16th Street(EAST)

Prospect HillCemetery

Cuming Street (SOUTH)


“Village” EAST (2) Expanded

North Omaha Dev. ProjectArea B


Rebuilding the VillageGreen! North Omaha

• Initial Housing & Neighborhood Strategy

– Housing and Commercial Development• Help Develop a Plan for Implementation• Involve all stakeholders• Housing Collaboration

– Partner with Non-profits and For-profit Companies» Non-profit Developers» For-profit Developers» City» NODP» OHA» Neighborhood Associations» Churches…


Rebuilding the VillageGreen! North Omaha

• Initial Neighborhood and Housing Strategy

– Home Ownership• Prevent Foreclosures• Homebuyer Education• Consumer Finance – EITC, IDA’s

– Housing Development• Land Purchases• Purchase Foreclosures• Demolition (City)• Rehab• Energy Efficiency• New Homes


Rebuilding the Village: North OmahaTargeted Development Action Plan - Partners

• Alliance Building Communities (ABC)• Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA)• Empowerment Network• North Omaha Development Project• City of Omaha• Omaha Housing Authority• Village Neighborhood Associations• Private Foundations• Consultants

– H3 Studio

– Schemmer & Associates

Documents

Rebuilding the Village