Rationale: Given the current transiency among neighborhood residents, aging housing stock, high apartment vacancies, foreclosure rates and economic crisis, how can WESCDC use its resources and community connections to minimize the negative impact of declining economic investment, and play a leadership role in stabilizing and sustaining our neighborhoods going forward?  Housing market volatility and associated funding shifts have made us reconsider our traditional model of real estate development focused on new construction real estate development. An understanding of these shifting needs and resources will drive our planning to a large degree to ensure responsiveness and the development of housing to meet the specific needs of the neighborhoods we serve. WESCDC has weathered many changes in the past, positioning the organization for the future. The organization is committed to responding to housing needs, pursuant upon available resources.

Goal:  To further stabilize the neighborhoods served through affordable housing and homeownership opportunities

Objectives:

¨       Develop strategies focusing on residential and business rehabilitation programming including a continuation of the NRSA program, as available

¨       Address the need for safe and affordable rental housing opportunities through a menu of rehabilitation of distressed foreclosed and /or abandoned properties, the provision of rental housing and homeownership development

o        This menu will be developed through the examination of three (3) housing proposals, grounded in the fiscal and physical opportunities that exist within the organization and the neighborhoods served.  These proposals may include projects to create supported housing, elder housing, larger affordable rental project, scattered site projects and homeownership opportunities including rehabilitated projects and new construction.

o        Quarterly examination of available housing data

¨       Continue the provision of homeownership counseling including outreach to first time homebuyers as an outlet to market homes in the CDC’s portfolio

Intended Impacts:  From 2011-2013 the following will occur:  

¨       Engage 150 people in housing counseling to increase homeownership and collaborate with foreclosure resources

¨       Improve housing conditions by rehabilitating 2 businesses and 3 homes in the service area

Rationale:  WESCDC is committed to foster community ‘ownership’ in the neighborhoods served. Given the area’s challenges with mobility, diversity, disconnection and neighborhood infrastructure such as sidewalks, crime and traffic, WESCDC will play a central role in gathering the community and providing strategies to help empower the community.

Goal:  To provide resources and connections to help empower residents to make positive changes

Objectives:

¨       Be a resource to neighborhood residents as an information clearinghouse with efforts such as community dinners, forums, socials, fairs, farmer’s markets, newsletters, etc., and to utilize dialogue in these efforts to keep the CDC informed and apprised of neighborhood concerns and interests. Facilitate the offering of trainings to neighborhood residents on mediation, racism/discrimination and advocacy in partnership with area organizations.

¨       Engage neighborhood residents more actively in volunteer opportunities with the CDC directly, with Civic Engagement activities such as voting, and with the area Crime Watch groups to address infrastructure concerns effectively; through the use of committees, the CDC will also help build resident leadership skills preparing members to join a more diverse Board of Directors

¨        Collaborate to host Community Meetings and Gatherings in comprehensive partnerships with area churches and faith communities, parks, farmer’s markets, etc., to increase resident awareness of resources and engagement particularly with immigrant residents

¨       .Act as a catalyst in community issues relevant to the neighborhoods served such as health or development (CSX) concerns; this could include opportunities for neighborhood walks and dialogues with elected officials

¨       Involve service recipients in an ongoing evaluation of program effectiveness and responsiveness.

Intended Impacts: From 2011-2013 the following will occur:

¨       There will be a network of 500 individuals engaged in Community Outreach activities and efforts

¨       WECDC will plan and execute 20 activities and efforts annually to engage the community

Rationale: Though extensive review of neighborhood data we know that the children living in our neighborhoods are challenged by a lack of educational achievement, child abuse or neglect, gang activity, English as a second a language. WESCDC will work with neighborhood youth to positively impact their lives. Additionally WESCDC will assess the needs of neighborhood youth periodically to ensure responsiveness.

Goal:  To increase awareness of, participation in and support of WESCDC Youth programs

Objectives:

¨       Collaborate with city and neighborhood youth development resources such as the WPD Gang Unit, Park Spirit/Green Hill Park, Wheels to Water, Audubon Society, area colleges/college students, YouthNet and other afterschool and summer programs.

¨       Explore the possibility of a specific partnership with 1-2 neighborhood schools

¨       Explore existing ESL and other academic tutoring programs held in neighborhood locations

¨       Continue and strengthen current youth development partnerships with Worcester Art Museum, Seven Hills Charter Public School, the Marie Anne Center, St. Bernhard’s Church, etc.

Intended Impacts: From 2011-2013 the following will occur:

¨       There will be a network of 120 youth engaged in Youth Programming activities and efforts

¨       The WESCDC will be engaged in 10 youth partnerships

¨       WECDC will plan and execute 15 activities and efforts annually to engage youth

Rationale:  In reviewing the increasing needs of the neighborhoods we serve as well as the city’s economic status, it is clear that economic challenges are impacting residents in myriad ways.  WESCDC will address these challenges in a comprehensive and collaborative fashion.

Goal: To expand access to employment and training resources for neighborhood residents

Objectives:     

¨       To facilitate the offering of trainings to neighborhood businesses for small business survival   in partnership with area organizations and to neighborhood residents including ESL, Job training (Medical/NRSA), financial fitness

¨       To collaborate with neighborhood resources in the provision of these trainings (Belmont Baptist Church for ESL) and explore additional partnerships with groups such as Workforce Central and/or a job placement company; these partnership needs and resources will be assessed on an annual basis and be pursuant to budget allowance.

¨       To provide ongoing information to all neighborhood constituencies about job fairs, advocacy, etc. 

Intended Impacts:  From 2011-2013 the following will occur:

¨       There will be a network of 30 residents engaged in trainings and job place initiatives

¨       There will be a network of 5 businesses engaged in trainings

¨       The WESCDC will be engaged in 10 employment or training partnerships

¨       WECDC will plan and execute 25 activities and efforts annually to support employment and training

Goal:   To build the capacity of the organization as well as that of the individual and collective groups of board and staff members in response to emerging organizational and community needs

Objectives:

¨       Develop the WESCDC Board of Directors by developing recruitment strategies which will enable a more diverse board; strategies could include committee development and the recruitment of volunteers

¨       Develop WESCDC Staff Training opportunities relative to Diversity and Cultural Competence by sending a staff member who will then return to train others or by bringing a trainer directly to both board and staff members

¨       Explore organizational collaborations with WPI as a neighbor in the Lower Lincoln Street area, Worcester Technical High School, UMass Medical School and other colleges and municipal groups to assess for connections and avoid duplication of efforts

¨       Create Marketing strategies such as newsletter expansion, the production of an Annual Report, utilization of the Report on Community Findings/Needs or Corporate Office Footprint, Local Channel 13, and other strategies to promote ESCDC’s work more effectively; explore social media marketing opportunities such as Facebook

¨       Explore fund development opportunities such as Fund raising from area large businesses, development of a Friends of East Side and engage in advocacy efforts for federal, state and city funding; examine the use of unrestricted funds for development efforts.

¨       Develop and implement agency-wide outcomes and measurement policies and practices; measurement strategies will be included in the organization’s Board of Director’s calendar to ensure benchmarking.

¨       Develop a written asset management plan with the Real Estate committee that includes long and short-term strategies for the use of CDC-owned properties.

Intended Impacts: From 2011-2013 the following will occur:

¨       WESCDC will offer 1 Board Training session

¨       WESCDC will develop 3 committees (two new and one existing) with diverse members who are not yet on the board but could be recruited in the future

¨       WESCSC will develop 5 annual Marketing Strategies to be utilized in conjunction with Partnership Building and Community Outreach

¨       WESCDC’s Finance Committee will identify 1 new source of funding to engage before the close of this plan

¨       WESCDC will institute agency-wide outcomes and report measurements on these outcomes annually

¨       WESCDC will investigate and pursue all viable opportunities that serve the organization’s mission for the use and development of its properties.

Recommendations drawn from the Community Needs Assessment

Prioritizing Needs: Board, Community & Partner needs are not completely aligned; resources must also dictate priorities

Organizational Needs:

·         Funding: examine diversification of funding support & mechanisms to manage funding compliance

·         Board Development: to strengthen meetings, procedures, roles, etc; assess & develop policies & procedures (as the board maintains governance function); outline board functions; ensure training & procedures for quality improvement

·         Collaboration:

·         With neighboring CDC’s for strategizing (HR, Accounting, Management, board-to-board)

·         With churches-WESCDC’s neighborhood are very rich in faith communities (Belmont St. Baptist Church houses a Brazilian church & numerous educational & social service programs that could use support “would like to provide language translation dictionaries and computers” but are also willing to partner with the CDC “what can the church do for the CDC?  How can we work together and help them and the neighborhoods out more?”). Advancing these partnerships could help to meet the neighborhood needs for youth programming and community connections.

Organizational & Community Needs:

WESCDC Awareness & Accessibility: Combing efforts for community outreach, opportunities for input & response to community needs should include:

·        More communication about services and the CDC’s work – this can happen in collaborations as well as directly & can be coupled with activities and events connecting the community

·        Efforts should be directed to Partners as well

·        Suggestions from Community Members included:

o       Adding a satellite office with staff on Lincoln St., if goes well add one on Shrewsbury St (guess they didn’t know you were already there)

o       Develop a welcoming package to families moving into the neighborhood.  The package should include resource last of agencies and programs available to the whole family, information on how to get involved, Crime Watch information, some incentive, seeds for community garden, etc.

o       Using technology, i.e. a blog, discussion board on website, Facebook

o       Hosting community meetings that are engaging, even offering sign up for committee or volunteer work

o       Making the CDC office handicapped accessible

Community Needs:

1.      Safety: Addressing this issue is closely related to Community Connectedness and Housing; addressing it in this coupled manner will provide greater & more efficient results.

a.      Abandoned properties breed safety concerns – coupling efforts with housing rehab work will be effective & efficient

b.      Unengaged youth find trouble – coupling efforts with youth programming will bear positive outcomes

·         Crime Watch activities should be supported providing opportunities for city officials and residents to identify & solve problems together – also opportunities for increased police presence & community connectedness. Disconnected neighbors do not look out for each other. Some community members were unaware of Crime Watches in their neighborhoods.

2.      Connecting the Community: Bringing the community together for activities, dialogue & action (intergroup, to address racism) will address multiple community needs. Strategies could include:

a.      Helping the churches connect with residents, helping people to get involved in neighborhood change & political processes as well

b.      Creating more affordable rentals can decrease transiency

c.      Creating more volunteer opportunities (for youth & adults) can only benefit the organization & the neighborhood

d.      Suggestions from Community Members include:

o        More of these gatherings to get the community involved in good changes in the neighborhoods

o        A Community Center where planned activities can be made

o        Trips to places such as Six Flags

o        Block Party to get people to know their neighbors

o        Farmers Market again to involve the community

o        Earth Day neighborhood party with a cleanup, a party atmosphere with work, music and food

o        More community dinners

o        Maximize church facilities

o        Spring fair with open market, craft show, etc.

Continued community engagement will be critical– people were very grateful for their engagement at the 2 community meetings, “If they started doing this years ago I would have stayed living in the neighborhood instead of moving out of the old neighborhood” however this requires that the CDC be responsive to their needs. A first step could include sharing this report, followed by committee development & further communication & events. 

3.      Housing: Efforts to address abandoned/vacant property needing rehab & resale as well as to address overdevelopment given market needs will be keys to responsiveness & turning problem properties into affordable housing.

a.      Aging stock & slumlords can be addressed in conjunction with Crime Watch efforts

b.      Tenant transiency, lack of affordable rentals & homelessness are bound together

c.      Homeownership assistance was identified as the lowest priority in this area

4.      Neighborhood Infrastructure: Efforts should be coupled with Crime Watch work & volunteer engagement to maximize relationships between the City & residents as well as build citizen advocacy skills

a.      Areas include street repair, lack of crosswalk use/dim crosswalks, speeding/traffic, sidewalk repair, lighting & noise

5.       Youth Programming: Efforts to develop & implement affordable summer & afterschool programs, teen programs & jobs (especially for young men) & keeping youth engaged to avoid gangs can be done in collaboration with churches & other partners & can be coupled with safety needs. 

a.      Community Member suggestions include:

                                                               i.      Continued Basketball  with better gym supervision

                                                             ii.       Neighborhood youth art center

                                                            iii.      Increase hours & volunteers for Mary Anne Center

                                                           iv.      Collaboration with area colleges to work on some programs to help the youth maybe a mentoring program to keep them motivated and off the streets

Lesser areas of need identified as employment/training & neighborhood cleanliness should be examined in light of organizational resources necessary for priorities.

Future Recommendations

WESCDC has developed a strategic plan which can help to guide the work of the agency in both the short-term (within the next year) and long-term (over the next few years).  Through the hard work and involvement of staff, volunteers and Board members, it provides an assessment of the agency currently and identifies issues to be addressed.  It is important that this plan be viewed as the first step in an ongoing process that will help to guide the agency’s development and growth over the next few years. 

Following are more specific recommendations regarding the various components of the strategic planning process, in the order they arose.  These are only recommendations and suggestions for further development and application of the planning efforts already begun by WESCDC.

An in-depth analysis of the new 2010 Census data (once available by zip code and Census Tract) should occur – including focus on demographics of the neighborhoods as well as housing issues.  These statistics are important to ensuring that existing programs and services are based on actual community needs and are planned in response to current situations and in anticipation of future trends. 

In summation, WESCDC has completed a comprehensive long-term strategic plan, which will serve as a necessary tool for organizational growth and development. The development of this plan was driven by an engaged process, actively including many groups of stakeholders, resulting in ownership and leadership development as additional outcomes to the plan itself. 

Concrete recommendations have been made and short-term tasks related to strategic issues identified.  WESCDC has used this process to position itself for greater organizational health and stronger neighborhoods. This plan relies on continued reassessment and measurement to continue agency planning in order to ensure adaptive change and consequently, the success of WESCDC in its actualization of its identified mission.

WESCDC

Strategic Plan 2011-2013

Appendix

The Process - Overview

WESCDC initiated its preliminary strategic planning process in December 2010. CommunityBuild was contracted to develop and implement an inclusive strategic planning process.  The first step in this process was to assess community needs engaging stakeholders from multiple sectors from neighborhoods they serve. The data was collected, organized and analyzed for themes and recommendations and presented for discussion and to inform planning at a Board and Staff Retreat in May, 2011

In January of 2011 the first of two Community Meetings was held at St. Bernhard’s Church, focusing on the Lincoln Street neighborhood. In April, 2011, the second Community Meeting was held at Belmont Baptist Church, focusing on the Bell Hill/Shrewsbury Street neighborhood. Small focus groups were conducted at each of the two community meetings. Flyers for the April Community Meeting were translated into Spanish and Vietnamese with targeted outreach and bilingual focus groups at the event. All focus groups were facilitated and a scribe recorded participant conversation for each group. In addition, participants were asked to complete a demographics form anonymously. Additionally in March, 2011 a focus group was conducted with Board and Staff members and a web-based Partner Survey was sent to WESCDC Partners including business owners in the neighborhoods served. Due to limited response, a follow up email requesting information was sent by the WESCDC Executive Director.

Simultaneously CommunityBuild conducted a compilation of all secondary data relevant to the neighborhoods served and compile a Data Profile. Data analysis took place in two phases; quantitative data was tabulated and analyzed; qualitative data was analyzed to examine data for saturation.  Consultants compiled quantitative data, and results were coded and grouped into themes by the team using a modified Concept Mapping Technique (Trochim as cited in Witkin & Altschuld, 1995), whereby themes were identified as repetitive and/or striking and then grouped into thematic categories.  These categories were then used to develop findings and inform recommendations. All data analysis engaged multiple members of the team to provide inter-rater reliability.

In May 2011, a full-day retreat was held which involved both staff and board members.  All previously developed plan components were reviewed and prioritized.  Then, strategic issues were identified and objectives identified for each line of business as well as larger organizational development areas. In June, 2011, the board reviewed a draft Strategic Plan and made edits accordingly.

The WESCDC planning process has been dynamic and comprehensive, involving the Board of Directors and staff of the agency as well as individual and group meetings with residents and businesses in the neighborhoods served by WESCDC.  The plan presented here represents the culmination of this entire effort.