“A NRSA is a community neighborhood strategy that will designate a geographical area for the purpose of concentrating resources and undertaking activities that will make communities sustainable through provision of decent affordable housing and increased economic opportunities.”
NRSA Plan :
 Developed by the locality (CDBG office submits)
 Approved by HUD Office
 Results in the NRSA designation
 Allows locality greater flexibility in applying CDBG regulations
 Intended to encourage targeted effort to revitalize a neighborhood
 Wisconsin NRSA’s: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Sheboygan,
Kenosha

Successful NRSA’s:
1.
Obtain commitment to neighborhood building.
2.
Make neighborhoods attractive for investments, thereby creating a market for profits.
3.
Generate neighborhood participation to ensure that the benefits of economic activity are reinvested in the neighborhood for long-term community development.
4.
Support the use of neighborhood intermediaries (CDCs, CDFIs, CHDOs, and religious institutions) to bridge gaps between local government, the business community, community groups, and residents.
5.
Foster the growth of resident-based initiatives to identify and address their housing, economic and human services needs. (1)
(1) Notice CPD-96-01:CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization Strategies

• Focuses efforts in a targeted neighborhood
• Brings attention to issues and opportunities
• Increases neighborhood consciousness
• Surfaces assets
• Generates enthusiasm
• Moves city officials out to the street
• Invites investment – public, private, community

Substantially increased flexibility in the use of
CDBG funds in a targeted neighborhood.
1.
HUD accepts the LMI Area Benefit – making it easier to implement job creation, job retention and economic development projects.
2.
Housing units are aggregated and treated as a single structure as long as 51%+ are occupied by LMI households.
3.
Public service activities, including employment services, are exempt from the public service cap.
Greater competitiveness for local, state, and federal grants. Existence of a plan very attractive to funders.

• Singling out a neighborhood for ‘special treatment’ can be seen as unfair.
• NRSA may be seen as giving political benefit to one alderperson.
• Process can raise expectations and demands of residents and stakeholders beyond what is possible.
• Residents/stakeholders will want the NRSA to fix a lot of things – NRSA’s emphasis is economic development and employment.

1. NRSA Boundaries – contiguous area
2. Demographic Criteria – 51%+ LMI
3. Consultation with stakeholders
4. Assessment of economic conditions and opportunities
5. Economic Empowerment Strategy: meaningful jobs and substantial revitalization
6. Performance Measures

HUD requirements :
Contiguous area
Population meets the 51% LMI standard
Primarily residential
Considerations :
Natural/historic boundaries
Political boundaries
Data availability – compatibility with census tract/block group boundaries

• LMI = Household income below 80% of the Area
Median Income
(Milwaukee County Median Income = $42,012; LMI =
$33,610)
• 2000 Census , STF (Summary Tape File) 3
• 2010 Census not applicable – no income data
• American Community Survey (ACS) data – not accepted at this point
• 2013 ACS modification will provide new income data
• HUD official: A NRSA could be approved even if 2000 census doesn’t indicate 51% LMI if there is documentation of the neighborhood going significantly downhill since 2000. Other data can augment: eligibility for free/reduced price lunch, survey data, other sources. (Don’t try, though, unless it’s pretty close.)

Area
Appleton
Beloit
Eau Claire
Fond du Lac
Green Bay
Janesville
Kenosha
La Crosse
Oshkosh
Madison
Milwaukee
Racine
Sheboygan
Wausau
Low/Moderate Income
Population
67,710
34,229
56,873
39,600
99,686
58,368
87,733
46,782
55,358
194,727
58,0522
79,963
49,587
37,112
Low/Moderate # Low/Moderate %
25,709 38.0%
18,216
24,318
53.2%
42.8%
16,084
48,851
21,763
40,930
40.6%
49.0%
37.3%
46.7%
24,791
27,391
92,128
360,321
53.0%
49.5%
47.3%
62.1%
42,228
22,672
17,508
52.8%
45.7%
47.2%

NRSA #1 Stakeholder Committee Organizations Represented
Mayor Juan Perez
Bill Klein, Principal
Sue Nennig, Principal
John Rogers
Officer Todd Priebe
Paulette Enders, Director
Chad Pelishek, Economic Dev. Manager
Alderpersons: Bouck, Kittelson, Ryan, Montemayor,
& Meyer
Chuck Adams, Assistant City Attorney
William Bittner, Director
Bill Balke, City Engineer
Jennifer Sampson, Coordinator
Ann Wondergem, Director
Chasong Yang, Executive Director
Wendy Schmitz, Senior Ctr. Supervisor
Joe Rupnik, Social Services Director
Lucio Fuentez, Executive Director
Jerry Doyle, Member
Gary Dulmes, President
Jim Johnston, Owner
Jean McMurry, Consultant
Joanne Weiland, Planning & Allocations
City of Sheboygan
Jefferson School
Urban Middle School
Sheboygan Co. Chamber of Commerce
Sheboygan Police Department
Department of Planning & Development
Department of Planning & Development
Sheboygan Common Council,
Districts 2,3,4,8, & 7
City Attorney’s Office
Department of Public Works
Department of Planning & Development
Gateway Community Organization
Sheboygan Co. Health & Human Services
Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
Sheboygan Senior Center
Sheboygan Salvation Army
Partners for Community Development
Fountain Park United Methodist Church
Sheboygan Development Corporation
Johnston Bakery
Aurora Health Care
Sheboygan & Plymouth Area United Way

NRSA Stakeholder Committee
– By invitation only – appointment by mayor
– No more than 30 people
– Blend of government, agency, business, resident
– No formal structure
Three Stakeholder Committee meetings
1.
NRSA Kick-Off and identification of assets and challenges
2.
Review of data and development of goals and objectives
3.
Review and adoption of NRSA Plan
4. Meetings are agenda-driven, facilitated, task-oriented, interactive, interesting, and meaningful.

• Stakeholder identification of neighborhood
strengths and challenges (SWOT process)
• Analysis of housing and economic conditions:
– Housing composition, condition, home ownership
(census, city building inspection, land use)
– Barriers to home ownership and housing quality
– Business development/employment opportunities
– Employment status of residents
– Barriers to fulltime employment at family-supporting wage
• Community Survey

• Convenience sample: door to door/street
• Volunteers working in teams
• Same-day survey training
• HQ – TA, supplies, bilingual dispatch
• Data entry
• Analysis – additional documentation for employment and economic revitalization needs
• Critical partners – sponsoring organizations in the neighborhood, volunteers, and university

Public Safety and Neighborhood Issues
In the area within a few blocks or streets of your home, how safe do you feel alone on the streets?

Public Safety and Neighborhood Issues
Top 10 Neighborhood Problems

Employment and Education
Top 10 Employment Problems

Goals
1. Significantly improve the quality of housing through enhanced code enforcement and investment in housing maintenance and rehab.
Objectives
1: Enhance building inspection, increased loan program use, new program of forgivable loans for residential improvements, landlord education
2. Improve the economic wellbeing of the neighborhood by encouraging business development that will generate jobs for residents.
2: ED loan program to expand businesses, hire from the neighborhood initiative, access to job resources, entrepreneur education
3. Improve the quality of life in the neighborhood through efforts to improve public safety and increase community involvement.
3: Neighborhood association, public safety, youth assets initiative, sector approach to generate visible results
4. Continue to invest in city infrastructure within the NRSA.
4: Upgrade streets, sidewalks, lighting, support pedestrian/bicycle paths, schools as community centers

Performance Measures
NRSA Goal
1.
1.
1.
1.
Significantly improve the quality of housing through enhanced code enforcement and investment in housing maintenance and rehabilitation.
Improve the economic wellbeing of the neighborhood by encouraging business development that will generate jobs for residents.
Improve the quality of life in the neighborhood through efforts to improve public safety and increase community involvement.
Continue to invest in City infrastructure within the NRSA.
1 Year Outcome

Increase in the number of code violations that are successfully remediated by up to
10% over 2008 level

Establishment of the residential façade/yard forgivable loan program and
 completion of a minimum of 5 loans in the Year 1 NRSA sector
Increase in utilization of the Owneroccupied Loan Program and the Rental



Rehab Loan Program by 3 additional loans
One information meeting conducted for
NRSA landlords regarding code enforcement and improvement resources
2 new business start-ups and/or expansions completed resulting in a minimum of 5 new jobs
Completion of 1 entrepreneur education



 workshop, potentially focusing on homebased child care
1 neighborhood employment opportunities/resources fair conducted
Viable Gateway Neighborhood
Association established as evidenced by 2 successful community events or projects involving a minimum of 40 residents
Measurable improvement in residents’ sense of public safety as measured by community outreach and/or neighborhood survey over 2008 level
Continuation and enhancement of support for CDBG-funded public services


Completion of street, sidewalk, street lighting, or park improvements in one targeted NRSA sector
Completion of a project to enhance pedestrian and/or bicycle access to the central business district
5 Year Outcome

Improved housing quality as evidenced by code violation data, observation, and resident survey

45 residential façade/yard forgivable loans made and improvements completed

15 additional loans made using the
Owner-occupied Loan Program and the

Rental Rehab Loan Program and improvements completed
Annual informational meetings and/or other informational outreach efforts conducted with NRSA landlords






10 new business start-ups and/or expansions completed resulting in a minimum of 25 new jobs
5 neighborhood employment events and/or outreach activities conducted
Sustainable Gateway Neighborhood
Association
Improved quality of life as measured by neighborhood resident survey
Completion of improvements in each of the five NRSA sectors
Completion of 5 projects to enhance pedestrian and/or bicycle access to the central business district

• Approval by Stakeholder Committee, Common
Council, and Mayor
• Submitted to HUD as part of Consolidated
Plan
• Or as an amendment to the Consolidated Plan
• HUD review, approval, issuance of designation
• Annual reporting, 3 year renewal, plan modification as necessary

Interview with Michael Martin, Senior CPD Rep,
Wisconsin HUD Office:
– Neighborhood eligibility – contiguous area with
51% LMI
– Proper stakeholder involvement
– “A plan that will lead you someplace.”
– Logical connection between the plan, implementation and benchmarks
– Measurable benchmarks
Michael Martin, Sr. CPD Rep, WI HUD Office, 414-935-6639, michael.e.martin@hud.gov

1. Talk to your CDBG office and elected officials.
2. Determine whether NRSA targeting would benefit a lowincome, challenged neighborhood.
3. Obtain support of chief elected official.
4. Discuss the process with your HUD representative.
5. Consult with core partners: city/county/community organization/business association/university.
6. Designate coordinator.
7. Develop planning process budget and timeline.