Community and Economic Development

The Coalition’s Community and Economic Development department brings capital to communities by building bridges between low- and moderate- income areas and mainstream financial institutions. The goals of the department include:

Bring capital to underserved communities to ensure the stability, growth and vitality of the region.
Enable low- and moderate-income individuals to become more economically empowered through better, personal financial management.
Help residents, businesses and institutions in low- and moderate- income areas to protect and build their assets.
Develop strategies to address community and economic development concerns in the region.

CED Committee

The Urban Affairs Coalition’s Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee is composed of 30-35 mid- to upper-level representatives of banks, community development organizations, bank regulatory agencies, housing counseling services, intermediary institutions and government agencies with a common interest in community reinvestment and development in low- and moderate-income communities in the five-county Philadelphia area.

The CED Committee provides a forum for discussing current issues and strategies, forging multi-sector partnerships that address those issues and providing oversight and guidance to the Coalition in its role as coordinator of the implementation of those strategies.

The CED Committee meets quarterly and is co-chaired by William Smith, Senior Vice-President of Community Investment, Citizens Bank, and Rick Sauer, Executive Director, Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations. The lead UAC staff person to the Committee is Don Kelly, CED Director.

FAN Clubs

Financial Education Workshops

UAC Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide

UAC Foreclosure Prevention Task Force

PHIL-Plus and Mini-PHIL Loan Home Improvement Loans

Philadelphia Home Buy Now

CED Activities

FAN Clubs

Financial Education Workshops

UAC Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide

UAC Foreclosure Prevention Task Force

PHIL-Plus and Mini-PHIL Loan Home Improvement Loans

Financial Advancement Network (FAN) Clubs

Financial Advancement Network (FAN) Clubs are groups of 5-20 people who commit to meeting together on a regular basis to improve their money management habits, get their financial situations under control and go after their financial goals. The common bond may be place of employment, school, church or temple, an association or a social service agency. Each FAN Club consists of six sessions, conducted by an expert in topics such as saving for tuition, paying down debts, improving your credit score or implementing a balanced budget. FAN Clubs encourage members to speak up about their progress in reaching personal financial goals.

Once a group commits to hosting a FAN Club at a particular site, GPUAC trains the club hosts to start the club and recruit members. UAC continues to work closely with both the host and the club leaders (President and Vice President) to help make individual clubs a success. For more information contact Shante Antrom-Gowans, Program Manager, 215-851-1740 or sgowans@uac.org. Read more

Financial Education Workshops

Financial education workshops are scheduled throughout the Greater Philadelphia area to prepare individuals with the knowledge to make sound financial decisions. The coordination and operation of these workshops exist because of the partnership between the volunteer financial educators, the Coalition’s workshop organizer, and various host agencies. Each workshop lasts one hour and consists of a trainer conducting a presentation of the financial education material, answering follow-up questions on the material and conducting a post-survey. For more information on the program or for scheduling contact Maurie Smith, AmeriCorps VISTA, at 215-851-1854 or msmith2@uac.org.

Financial education for seniors

Special financial education program for senior citizens to help them to avoid financial fraud and scams. For information on financial literacy workshops contact Maurie Smith, AmeriCorps VISTA, at 215-851-1854 or msmith2@uac.org.

Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide

The UAC Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide, Summer/Fall 2009 Edition, is designed to help professionals assist their clients in navigating the mortgage foreclosure process. The Guide provides up-to-date information relevant to the Philadelphia five-county region. The CED Department also offers speakers to community organizations, church groups and senior citizens centers on the topic of how family and friends can help others save their homes from foreclosure. To arrange for foreclosure prevention workshops or to receive a hard copy of the Resource Guide, e-mail Rachel Moore, Project Manager, at rmoore@uac.org

Download a copy.

UAC Foreclosure Prevention Task Force

In the spring of 2007, the CED Committee convened the interagency, multi-sector Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to respond to the foreclosure crisis in Philadelphia. Members include representatives from various banking institutions, a public interest attorney and housing advocates from nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia. The goals of the Task Force are to: (1) articulate a vision of what an effective foreclosure prevention system would be; (2) build consensus around recommendations to lenders, government and nonprofits that would reduce the number of foreclosures through preventive and remedial strategies; and (3) implement those strategies that are within the power of the CED Committee to do. Since the formation of this group, the CED Department and the Task Force have coordinated various activities such as organizing conferences at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and implementing a city-wide mortgage foreclosure rescue scam alert campaign, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and NeighborWorks America.

PHIL-Plus and Mini-PHIL Loan Home Improvement Loans

Anti-predatory lending by coordinating a bank loan program for Philadelphia homeowners with less-than-perfect credit. The PHIL-Plus and Mini-PHIL Loan can be used for home repairs and paying off debts including past due utility bills. CED partners with three banks and 30 non-profit housing counseling agencies to provide the loans. To go through the program applicants undergo a free one-time counseling session and then are referred to the bank of their choice. For more information go to the website www.ForMyPhillyHome.org.

Home Improvement Workshops

UAC works with community organizations to provide home improvement workshops where topics such as avoiding scams, weatherization and choosing a contractor are covered. Contact Rachel Moore (215-851-1847 or rmoore@uac.org) or Maurie Smith (215-851-1854 or msmith2@uac.org) if you would like more information about the community workshops or referral to a neighborhood housing counseling agency.

For more information on CED contact

Don Kelly

Director

Community and Economic Development

Urban Affairs Coalition

Phone 215-851-1738

Email dkelly@uac.org