Try to imagine Pittsburgh without its eclectic assortment
of neighborhoods. Would there be a sense of community?
Would we experience a unique flavor in the different geographical
areas? Would existing housing stock be diverse and interesting,
or would a street in Bloomfield look just like a street
in the South Side? Would neighborhood pride be prevalent,
or would we simply be residents of one big Pittsburgh
region?
At PPND,
we believe the diversity, variation and pride that exists
in neighborhoods sets Pittsburgh apart from other parts
of the country. It's our mission to invest our time
and money into tolerant, mixed-income communities of
choice.
Many
Pittsburgh neighborhoods have rapidly deteriorated since
the steel industry collapse of the late 1970s and early
1980s. Some neighborhoods had begun to decline even
before then. Consequently, a lack of investment in what
were once robust neighborhoods has led to a variety
of socioeconomic problems. An overabundance of vacant
and abandoned properties create health and safety issues,
not to mention unproductive properties that fail to
contribute to state, city and other local government
tax roles. Low- to moderate-income people continue to
fight the battle of making ends meet and often struggle
to maintain quality of life in neighborhoods overrun
with drug abuse and crime.
Not
all is bleak, however, and many of our city’s
distressed communities have begun to rebuild. Grassroots
organizations such as community development corporations
(CDCs) function as “in the trenches” neighborhood
groups that serve as a catalyst for neighborhood change
and development. These organizations have grown tremendously
over the years, maturing to the point that they operate
with great efficiency, producing incredible results
in their respective neighborhoods. Others CDCs are still
developing, and some start-up organizations are just
being formed.
One
of our biggest challenges is to align private and public
investments in order to expand the economic vitality
of our neighborhoods. PPND is collaborating with many
public, private and nonprofit entities and fast becoming
a leader for spearheading initiatives. Our organization
is heavily focused on making business development infrastructure
investments in CDCs. A rigorous points-based assessment
policy is utilized by PPND, leading to cash infusions
in neighborhood organizations that have the staff capacity,
expertise and vision to make positive change happen.
PPND
researches and stays abreast of industry-best practices,
serving as the communicator and facilitator of organizational
change. Enhancing operating systems and practices while
utilizing a strategic financial planning approach gives
the community development field a systematic and thoughtful
business approach as to how revitalization efforts are
transacted. As such, PPND targets cash investments as
well as technical assistance in these areas which strengthen
organizational infrastructure.
Policy
advocacy is another crucial element if positive change
of scale is to occur. PPND continues to make the connections
necessary to get people talking, engaged in issues and
moving on setting agendas and action plans. As a leader
and advocate of Pittsburgh’s community development
efforts, PPND targets significant resources in this
area.
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