Posted by:
Steve Dubb
National Vacant Properties Campaign seeks director for New Orleans effort
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) seeks a full-time Director to establish and manage local operations for the National Vacant Properties Campaign (NVPC) in New Orleans for a period of at least two years. He or she will report directly to the LISC Senior Vice President of the Gulf Region Rebuilding Initiative. The New Orleans Vacant Properties Initiative Director will be able to draw from the expertise of NVPC’s extensive national network of practitioners, and will help document and share nationally the innovations and successful strategies that are implemented in New Orleans.
The role of the New Orleans Director will be two-fold: 1) To facilitate communication and collaboration among local leaders and community stakeholders involved with land use, and foster problem solving through peer-to-peer learning and sharing of model practices that can benefit New Orleans; and 2) To help implement land acquisition, management, and disposition improvements.
The primary responsibilities of the position include the following:
1. Manage the operations and programs of the New Orleans office of the National Vacant Properties Campaign.
2. Foster communication and collaborative problem solving about vacant property reclamation among the local leaders and community stakeholders.
3. Coordinate peer-to-peer information exchange.
4. Facilitate technical assistance to local partners to make property acquisition/disposition improvements.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation, headquartered in New York City. LISC provides financial and technical assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) in over thirty urban and rural programs nationwide.
In 2003, LISC partnered with Smart Growth America, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and a group of funders to create the National Vacant Properties Campaign. NVPC exists to provide individuals, advocates, agencies, developers, nonprofits, and others with information resources, tools, and assistance to support vacant property revitalization efforts.
Reclaiming vacant properties is a key component of achieving sustainable communities. There were more than 20,000 vacant properties in New Orleans prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Today, there are over 100,000. To date, LISC and its affiliate, the National Equity Fund, have committed over $170 million in grants, loans, and equity financing in the Gulf Region, primarily directed to nonprofit organizations, which is being used to finance 3,100 units of new, renovated or rebuilt homes and more than 100,000 square feet of commercial and community facilities.
Candidates interested in applying should have at least five to seven years of relevant experience, including work in at least two of the following fields: housing, community development, smart growth, urban planning, brownfields redevelopment, and public policy. Click here for a complete job description.