Your neighborhood may be eligible to receive funding through the City's Neighborhood Matching Grants Program. Grants up to $25,000 are awarded to eligible neighborhoods organizations and business associations for certain projects.  The next application deadline is Monday, June 16, 2008. To apply, a representative from the organization must attend a pre-application workshop.  [Posted - March 25, 2008]

 

Neighborhood Development is celebrating a banner year with its HouseCharlotte program, which helps moderate to low-income Charlotteans become homeowners.  From July 1 to December 31, 2007, 289 HouseCharlotte loans have been approved.  Of those loans, 189 were families at or below 80% of median income ($51,520), 11 were to families at or below 60% ($38,640), and five were to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers through the Police Officer Home Purchase Incentive Program.  The houses were purchased in 43 of the 87 target neighborhoods.

Media Invited to Ride Along on April 22 Litter Sting
The media are invited to ride along with police officers as they "sting" litterbugs and other lawbreakers.  Meet in Conference Room 1-C of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's main headquarters at 8:45 am.  Officers will return riders at any time during the sting.  The litter sting is a sponsorship between Keep Charlotte Beautiful and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Keep Charlotte Beautiful Teams Up For Winterfield Cleanup
On Saturday, April 19, Keep Charlotte Beautiful will team up with volunteers and residents for a Neighborhood Cleanup at Winterfield.  The event will include a neighborhood cleanup of yard waste and litter.  Volunteers will work throughout the neighborhood to pick up trash from the streets and empty lots.  Learn more about Keep Charlotte Beautiful.  [Posted April 17, 2008]

Vision Charlotte Hosts Spring Fling
Vision Charlotte is partnering with the Wingate neighborhood to host the annual Spring Fling Festival on Saturday, April 19.  The community festival will be held at the Wingate Resource Center / Park located at 2701 Mayfair Avenue from 11 am - 2pm.  Participants will receive information from vendors, including college and trade providers, health and wellness experts and career experts.  The festival will also include a cookout, raffle prizes, music and fun activities for children.  Media Release  [Posted - March 25, 2008]

Neighborhood Award Winners Announced
The 2008 Neighborhood Award winners were announced at the annual Neighborhood Symposium on Saturday, March 8.  The awards recognize the hard work and accomplishments of neighborhood organizations and residents who strive to improve their neighborhoods and the lives of the people who live in them.  Click here for the list of winners.  [Posted - March 12, 2008]

Sign Sweep Planned for March 15
Code Enforcement officials will conduct a city-wide sign sweep on Saturday, March 15.   Illegal signs will be removed.  Violators will be identified for follow-up citation.  Previous sign sweeps have resulted in the removal of more than 1,500 illegally posted signs during each sweep. [Posted - March 5, 2008]

13th Annual Neighborhood Symposium
The 13th Annual Neighborhood Symposium is March 8, 2008 at the Charlotte Convention Center.  This year's theme is Developing Leaders for Stronger Neighborhoods.  Registration is available online or by calling 704-336-2061. 

2008 Neighborhood Awards
Has your neighborhood sponsored a community crime watch, neighborhood festival or developed a partnership with local government or other organizations and neighboring communities.  If so, your neighborhood may be eligible for a 2008 Neighborhood Award.  Nominations are due by 5 pm on Thursday, February 7.  Award will be presented at the 13th Annual Neighborhood Symposium on March 8. 

Attend Neighborhood Matching Grant Pre-Application Workshop
Your neighborhood may be eligible to receive funding through the City's Neighborhood Matching Grants Program. Grants up to $25,000 are awarded to eligible neighborhoods organizations and business associations for certain projects.  The next application deadline is Monday, March 17, 2008. To apply, a representative from the organization must attend a pre-application workshop.

Neighborhood Grants Available to Protect Tree Canopy
At its October 8 meeting, City Council approved several measures to combat the infestation of the cankerworm throughout the City of Charlotte.  In addition to tree banding and aerial spraying, Council also approved $50,000 to fund cankerworm banding in qualifying neighborhoods through the City's Neighborhood Matching Grants Program.  Grants up to $3,000 are awarded to neighborhood-based organizations to band trees this fall.  Organizations interested in receiving funding should attend a pre-application workshop. 

Code Enforcement's Training Team Receives State Award
Neighborhood Development's Code Enforcement Division received the 2007 North Carolina Association of Housing Code Officials highest award for program excellence.  The 2007 award highlighted the accomplishments of the Code Enforcement Division Training Program and its training team members.  The recognition highlights the cross-training complexities and challenges faced by Charlotte in nuisance abatement, housing enforcement and zoning. 

City Council's Housing & Neighborhood Development Committee discuss Housing Charlotte 2007 implementation
City Council's Housing & Neighborhood Development Committee (H&ND) will meet in October to discuss implementation of the Housing Charlotte 2007 initiative.  The H&ND Committee will be asked to approve the Housing Charlotte 2007 Planning Committee's recommendations for:
a. Affordable housing solutions for further study,
b. Proposed structure and process for developing the solutions,
c. Membership for the Implementation Committee, and
d. City staff resources to coordinate, staff, research and prepare reports.

Housing Charlotte 2007 named finalist for 3CMA Savvy Award
3CMA (City-County Communications and Marketing Association) has selected Housing Charlotte 2007 as a finalist in the Savvy Awards competition in the category of Special Events.  More than 780 entries were received in this year's competition.  Winners will be announced at the organization's annual conference in Kansas City on October 25. 

3CMA's mission is "connecting local government innovators to achieve the highest ideals of public service through the power of communications and marketing."  For more information, visit http://www.3cma.org/.

Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board
The Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board held its annual elections and elected new officers for the positions of chair and vice-chair.  Bobby Drakeford, The Drakeford Company, was elected chair and Tylee Kessler, Charlotte Housing Authority, was elected vice-chair.  The Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board is appointed by City Council to oversee operations and develop policies for the administration of the Housing Trust Fund.

Register for Community University
Searching for ways to strengthen your neighborhood?  Register for Community University - a training program with classes and course topics designed to increase the knowledge and skills of neighborhood organizations.  Winter 2008 classes are now available.