In yet another milestone in its efforts to promote a coordinated economic development and housing revitalization strategy in the southern suburbs, the Executive Committee of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) recently released this Request for Proposals for an organization to manage its new Community Development Fund.
After successfully competing for a Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—a big stamp of approval for taking a multi-town, collaborative approach to sustainable development—SSMMA convened a panel of experts to advise its membership, comprised of south suburban cities and villages, on how best to structure these limited resources. The result is this RFP, which has a Feb. 17, 2012, deadline. Please note: With reference to the timetable provided on page 6 of the RFP, a Proposers’ Meeting planned for Jan. 17, 2012, will not be conducted. All questions regarding the RFP should be submitted via email to Reggie Greenwood, Director of Economic Development, SSMMA, at reggie.greenwood@ssmma.org by Jan. 24.
At a Nov. 7, 2011, forum, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago released a special edition of its Profitwise magazine, Suburban Housing Collaboratives: a Case for Interjurisdictional Collaboration. The SSMMA's work, which MPC has been supporting from square one, was the last and largest of the four case studies featured. The publication details how and why municipal leaders are working across borders to advance a common vision, and how Cook County, Illinois and national policymakers and funders have begun to encourage and reward this approach. The next critical step to sustaining and scaling up this whole effort is to attract the level of private sector engagement this Community Development Fund is designed to generate.
The Metropolitan Planning Council encourages qualified organizations to respond to this important RFP.