CDC year starts out right, with hope
By D.J. Smith \ Staff Writer \ djsmith@nlrtimes.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:54 AM CDT
The first 60 days as director of the Argenta Community Development Corp. (CDC) has been productive, Brad Williams said, if not a “whirlwind transition.”
“I think it’s a testament to the great work the folks previous to my coming here have done,” Williams said. “Because I’ve been really welcomed into meetings and invited to meetings which would have taken me months to figure out were going on.”
Having a job “in my own backyard” where he can do what he feels strongly about, help make a difference in people’s lives and continue the legacy of the CDC’s founders is why Williams said he took the position.
“I’m certainly pleased with Brad and I’ve had nothing but positive responses from the board members and external stakeholders,” said CDC Board of Directors President Kelly Conley Tuesday.
Williams came to the CDC from Munro and Co. in Hot Springs after five years as director of special projects and community affairs. His duties as head of marketing, strategic planning and contract negotiations, among others, will work toward taking the CDC into its next 15 years, said Williams.
“Argenta is evolving on its own now,” he said “But it’s all about the future of the city.”
The expansion into other neighborhoods to continue using the CDC’s expertise in making a difference is what excites the staff and board now, Williams said. The recent construction and sale of two green, or energy efficient, buildings in the Holt neighborhood is an example of the work beyond Argenta’s borders the CDC is pursuing.
Those 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom homes are priced at $96,500, but qualified buyers are able to receive up to a $20,000 subsidy. Down payment assistance is also available for some from the federal Housing and Urban Development program run by the North Little Rock Community Development Department, Williams added.
The CDC has plans to build four to six more green homes in Holt, Williams said, as close as possible to those completed, so as to establish a solid footprint of improvement there. Like happened Argenta, once change starts in a neighborhood it creates a momentum for other people to buy lower cost but sound houses to renovate themselves, he said.
But without the “critical mass” of new and renovated buildings in an area that’s seen better times, the trend for people to invest in and revitalize a blighted neighborhood rarely continues, Williams said.
To that end, an important item in the CDC toolbox is its affiliation with the national organization Neighborworks America, he said. This organization was created as a nonprofit by Congress in 1978 and now helps more than 240 CDC-type groups around the country share in technical assistance, training and financial support.
Williams and two CDC employees — general projects manager Brain Cox and resource development manager Shanta Nunn-Baro — attended the Feb. 25-29 Neighborworks America conference in Atlanta, Ga. Most of the cost for the conference was paid for by Neighborworks America, Williams said, and the lectures attended and networking with other city organizations will be invaluable in keeping abreast of new ideas and grants.
Neighborworks America also awarded the CDC a $90,000 grant two weeks ago, with $65,000 of it allowed for operational costs. The remaining $25,000 is to be used for project development funds to purchase empty lots or buildings, said Williams.
“This gives us access to funds so we can go in and take that first step,” said Williams. “[This] allows us to then secure a construction loan to be able to do what we need on the house and hopefully turn around and sell it [to] somebody in need of a good home.”
Williams said the current nationwide problem with the home loan industry has local banks “appropriately gun-shy,” which adds to the difficulty of helping lower-income people qualify for home loans.
“That’s just a reality we’re going to face,” Williams said. “What I’m hoping what we can do is increase our outreach to some of the loan officers at the banks that have been partners with us.”
This outreach will include reinforcing the CDC’s home buyer education program, which counsels clients in understanding household budgeting and the importance of preventive home maintenance and helps those clients qualify for subsidies, he said.
Last year, 315 people went through the program and 65 of them became homeowners, Williams said — a number he hopes will increase in 2008.
“I appreciate the attention and the welcome I’ve received so far, but I haven’t done anything yet,” said Williams. “There’s a strong foundation here, a strong legacy. After my tenure is all said and done, I just want to be able to say I’ve taken it to another place, a better place.”
