The Neighborhood Improvement Project

1
The Neighborhood Improvement Project

• A Multi-Pronged Project for the Foreclosure
  Economic Crises

2
Overview of Wildcat

• Founded in 1972
• Mission
• Launched the first transitional employment
  program in the country
• Bicycle messenger service for non-profits
• Worked with re-entry population
• Full portfolio of workforce development
  programming for adults and youth

3
Transitional Employment

• Key components include
• Low supervisor to worker ratio
• Graduated stress in workplace behaviors
• Teaching basic work skills
• Targets those with
• Limited work histories
• Multiple barriers to employment.
• Funding
• Service contracts with public and private
  entities
• Grants for supported work and subsidized work
• Grant diversion
• Wildcats goal is always to connect transitional
  work projects with civic needs

4
Grant Diversion

• The mechanics of grant diversion

5
Genesis of the Neighborhood Improvement Project

• Challenge
• In August 2008, Herb Sturz organized a tour of
  South Jamaica, Queens for a number of housing
  organizations and Wildcat
• Challenged all of us to help South Jamaica and
  similar neighborhoods
• Advocacy
• Lobbied city agencies to provide funded
  programming
• Lobbied foundations for funding
• Response
• Wildcat developed a proposal based on workforce
  development
• The Rockefeller Foundation, the Open Society
  Institute and Citi Foundation responded with
  funding
• The NYC Human Resources Administration issued an
  RFP for a pilot neighborhood intervention program
  in South Jamaica

6
Structure of the Neighborhood Improvement Project

• A 40 square block area in the ground zero area of
  South Jamaica, Queens was chosen
• 60 workers per year (30 workers in 6 month
  cohorts) provide services
• 26 weeks in program
• 20 paid hours per week of routinized sanitation
  services and special project work
• 15 unpaid hours per week of classroom training
  and career development
• 2 supervisors provide intensive support and field
  training
• Coordination with the Departments of Parks,
  Transportation and Sanitation NYPD the local
  community board and local and state elected
  officials

7
Fieldwork

• Street Maintenance
• Landscaping and Beautification
• Remediation of Eyesores
• Community Outreach
• Property Maintenance

8
Private Property

• Foreclosed properties
• Extensive unsuccessful attempts to identify
  mortgage holders
• Remediate trash and other obvious external issues
  in pronounced cases
• Occupied properties
• Developing a waiver process to address liability
  issues.
• Long range goal is to do small repairs and
  painting for low income homeowners

9
Before and After Photos
10
Before and After Photos
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Before and After Photos
12
Before and After Photos
13
Expansion of the Project

• Citywide
• Selection of new neighborhoods
• Scale. Each year
• 240 workers will now be employed
• 160 square blocks will now be remediated

14
Funding of the Project
15
Expected Outcomes

• Transitional Employment
• 240 program participants
• 180 participants complete the program and
  training
• 144 participants achieve 30-days of private
  sector employment post program
• 120 participants achieve 90-days of private
  sector employment post program
• 48 participants achieve 180-days of private
  sector employment post program

16
Expected Outcomes

• Neighborhood Impact
• Evaluation to be conducted
• The evaluation may assess
• Attitudinal changes
• Neighborhood stabilization
• Community measures