Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM)

As we approach the holiday season, we can’t help but reflect on our successes this year and the growing impact of our network of community champions. We are thankful and grateful to our members who continually push the needle forward to invest in and empower communities around Michigan. The CEDAM office is closed tomorrow (11/28) and Friday (11/29). As we spend time with our family and friends over this long weekend, we hope you have the opportunity to do the same.

Rural Partners of Michigan requests proposals (RFP) for the 2025 Small Town & Rural Development Conference June 9-11 at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, MI. This conference inspires and equips community leaders and practitioners with strategies to strengthen and build a prosperous and equitable rural Michigan. They are seeking speakers and presenters for 60-minute breakout sessions. Speakers and presenters can be professionals from across the state, country, or world who wish to bring their expertise and passion to the premier conference for rural community and economic development in Michigan. This is an opportunity to showcase topics critical to rural communities and economic development in a way that engages the audience, facilitates discussion of new ideas, and moves ideas into action! Interested presenters should submit their proposal by the end of the day on Wednesday, December 18. Learn more about topics and submission requirements on the RFP: https://ow.ly/AXss50UcW0k

Congratulations to CEDAM member Avalon Housing for completing their newest affordable housing development in Ann Arbor! The Grove at Veridian offers units with up to four bedrooms, and 20 units will be available for individuals or families with income lower than 60 percent of the area median income. They are now accepting applications through December 17!?https://lnkd.in/gfSNP8Hi

November is Native American Heritage Month. Michigan has 12 federally recognized tribes and is home to more than 240,000 Native Americans, which presents an opportunity to learn more very close to home. As you gather to spend time with your loved ones, we encourage you to learn, experience, and recognize the traditions, languages, and contributions of indigenous peoples. This could be attending a Native American Heritage Event or visiting a Native American Cultural site near your community, reading a book by a Native American author, listening to a Native American author talk about their book, or finding new ways to better educate yourself and your family about Native American history and culture.

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) recognized CEDAM AmeriCorps alum Breezy Marcus as the Michigan’s AmeriCorps Alum of the Month for November 2024. Breezy Marcus served during the 2023-24 cohort in the City of Eaton Rapids. From mentoring and coaching youth to supporting local businesses and beautifying the city, Breezy's dedication to community is not only felt through the relationships she strengthened but also visible in the local parks and businesses in the City of Eaton Rapids. The Alum Spotlight was established by MCSC to recognize former AmeriCorps members who continue to promote a spirit of service through their current endeavors. Breezy is featured on the MCSC website for the month of November and received a certificate. Congratulations, Breezy! https://ow.ly/Ex9350UaWJw

The MI Healthy Climate (MHC) Corps had an exciting week last week! The inaugural MHC Corps cohort officially ended and the new cohort started with a joint end-of-the-year celebration and new member orientation. More than a third of the members from the inaugural cohort are now employed at their former host site or another organization as a result of their service. Additionally, six members from the inaugural cohort will continue their service at their host site as members of the second cohort. During the celebration orientation, members of the first cohort presented their service experiences and accomplishments to the new cohort. Additionally, Representative Rachel Hood and Senator Sam Singh spoke with both cohorts about the importance of their service and what progress often and can look like. The new cohort took a trip to Blandford Nature Center for a day of learning. What a way to celebrate the end of one term and start a new one! The MHC Corps is an equity-centered Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy program in partnership with the Michigan Community Service Commission focused on advancing and reaching Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan goals, building capacity across the state, and helping guide federal and state resources and support. CEDAM serves as the operating partner. Find out more: https://ow.ly/vwkG50UaUmA

CEDAM’s Director of Communications & Training Emily Reyst attended the Detroit Homeownership Summit: Pathways & Policies hosted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Equitable Family & Community Well-Being last week. From hearing how CEDAM members like MiSide preserve affordable rental housing while creating homeownership opportunities to discussing the very real challenges developers face right now, we’re thankful to everyone who came together to host a day filled with rich, forward-thinking conversations. It was great to run into so many familiar faces, including Trina Shanks, Amin Irving, Tom Woodman, Anna Shires, Sherita Smith, former CEDAM AmeriCorps member Alexandra Makohn, former Boot Camp participant Lakesha Hancock (pictured with Emily here), and many more!

The 2024-25 CEDAM AmeriCorps service year is off to a productive start. During their in-person quarterly training last week, our AmeriCorps Members enjoyed sharing their service activities such as food pantry development in Union Pier and online tutoring for students in Detroit. During the training, CEDAM’s executive director, Luke Forrest, and director of economic inclusion, Madeleine March-Meenagh, spoke about CEDAM's programs and answered members' questions. We thank MSU Federal Credit Union for generously hosting us.

The Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) is hosting a webinar to introduce the first Michigan Zoning Atlas! A Zoning Atlas is a tool to help small and new developers navigate zoning codes across many municipalities. This tool can also provide data for housing advocates to help influence housing policy and support municipal planners and officials in removing barriers to new housing development. The Michigan Zoning Atlas was developed as part of a pilot program. In the pilot phase of the project, every jurisdiction in Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties was mapped, followed by an analysis of which housing types are permitted and where. The long-term goal is a map all of Michigan. This webinar will discuss the success of the pilot program, findings about the tri-county area in Grand Rapids, and demonstrate how the Atlas offers new access to zoning information. Join them tomorrow, November 14 at 3pm. Register here: https://ow.ly/tpCy50U3Lup

Time is running out to apply to be a Community Development Fellow! Fellows are placed in host communities engaged with, or certified in, the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Program for 15 months to expand their organizational capacity. The host communities for the 2025-26 cohort are: Allegan Battle Creek Brooklyn Calumet Cass City Cassopolis Detroit Elk Rapids Roscommon Saginaw In their full-time positions, fellows work on a variety of projects within their host community to increase local collaboration and remove barriers to development. Fellows receive an annual salary with a benefits package and will have access to numerous professional development opportunities, including webinars, trainings, and conferences across the state. If you’re interested in learning the ins and outs of local government, becoming a community champion, and sharpening your professional skills, we encourage you to apply! The deadline to apply is November 18 at 11:59pm. The cohort term starts January 22. https://ow.ly/EWQa50U3LrY