Community Economic Development Dissertations
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The mission of the Community Economic Development program is to build better practices and policies that serve low-income and marginalized communities around the globe. Community economic development gives people control over their economic futures by developing leadership in the poorest communities and eliminating the apathy that can result from generations of poverty and neglect.
The dissertation collection is focused on original research and skills to shape policy at local, regional, national or international levels. Students specialized in one concentration in Community Economic Development (theory, policy, or management).
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Browsing Community Economic Development Dissertations by Author "Hotchkiss, Charles"
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Item Getting efficient as a means to create change: How the Community Impact Framework by Heritage United Way creates efficiencies in local organizations(Southern New Hampshire University, 2010-06-15) Nemon, Melissa L.; Rivera, Jolan; Hotchkiss, Charles; Freiberger, James J.Social service organizations are critical players and partners in community dynamics. However, until recently their effect on the community was mostly assumed. In an effort to determine how social service organizations impact the community, United Ways have begun implementing an outcomes-measurement framework and using it to determine funding. Known as Community Impact, this methodology includes a logic model design that intends for partner agencies to clearly identify outcomes their programs intend to affect in the greater community. While this paradigm shift is affecting system wide community structures, what has not been clear to this point is the effect community impact – and more specifically, the outcomes measurement training – has had on local agencies and their organizational structure and behavior. This study examined the partner agencies of Heritage United Way. A survey was conducted to determine the highest adopters of Community Impact and then an organizational assessment was done on eight of the highest adopters, as well as two local municipal government departments that also adopted Community Impact – to determine if any efficiencies had been gained since adopting the paradigm. Results determined that small agencies tended to adopt Community Impact more readily than other agency typologies. Additionally, organizational assessment results demonstrate that large agencies regardless of affiliation perceived the highest rate of efficiency in sustainability while small agencies perceived efficiency in mission, vision, values; small nationally affiliated agencies perceived efficiency in structure; and small government departments perceived efficiency in partnerships. The organizational survey instrument adapted and implemented for this study could prove to be a useful tool for future analysis of organizations and the efficiencies experienced when adopting new frameworks. (Author Abstract)Item Improving tenants' lives through affordable rental housing : quality-of-life impacts of five capitals by developer and location(Southern New Hampshire University, 2010) Koenig, Richard; Camayd-Freixas, Yoel; Hotchkiss, Charles; Karush, GeraldAffordable housing is asked to address a broad spectrum of physical and social needs and to achieve goals ranging from shelter to family improvement. The U.S. spends millions of dollars annually developing, financing, and operating affordable rental housing for low income households. However, there is no policy for what government-subsidized housing should accomplish for residents and little understanding of potential tenant outcomes. The lack of a comprehensive theory of affordable housing means that policies are made, funds spent, and units developed without goals anchored on sound theory. What then should be expected as the return on affordable housing investments, particularly given the discontinuity between its basic physical goal (decent shelter) and expanded social expectations (self-sufficiency)? Should only direct standard-of-living impacts (safety net outcomes like better and cheaper housing) be expected or should a deeper set of quality-of-life outcomes be expected? The study explores whether quality-of-life improves for tenants who move to affordable rental housing. It offers a framework for measuring quality-of-life changes based on five capitals: financial, physical, social, human, and personal. The study is grounded in theories of affordable housing: place-based, personal life, and professionals' experiences. To answer the research questions, a survey was conducted with tenants at four affordable developments in the Chicago suburbs, all privately-owned rental housing financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and H O M E programs. Two nonprofit and two for-profit developments were selected based on area desirability. A quality-of-life index was created comprised of the five capital indices which included subjective and objective questions. The study found that quality-of-life improved for tenants overall compared to their previous housing. However, not all comparison groups or capitals improved equally or as predicted. Physical, Social and Personal Capital increased while Human Capital had no change and Financial Capital actually decreased. The five capital indices were very effective at providing insight into why differences existed within and between groups.Item Microfinance as a tool for financial services reconstruction in post-conflict communities : a study of post-conflict microfinance in the Democratic Republic of Congo(Southern New Hampshire University, 2011) Matabisi, Lukumu Nicodeme; Rielly, Catherine; Ashe, Jeffrey; Hotchkiss, Charles; Clamp, ChristinaSince its inception in the 1970s, modern microfinance has emerged as a strategy to reduce vulnerability of the poor and promote microenterprise. This dissertation proposes that microfinance plays an additional role as a tool for reconstructing financial services in post-conflict communities. During major conflicts, the provision of financial services is usually disrupted; and financial institutions are often targets of lootings by militia or military of factions in conflicts; resulting in weak, insolvent, and non-operational financial services sectors when post-conflict reconstruction begins. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s financial services system was greatly disrupted by years of conflicts that ended in 2003. In the post-conflict DRC, the provision of financial services has shown some improvement, and an important share of this improvement can be attributed to microfinance. The central question becomes whether microfinance is an effective tool for post-conflict reconstruction of financial services. Using financial data from the DRC and surveys; this study, first, performed a trend analysis of outreach (employment, clientele, loans, savings/deposits) and financial performance (assets, profitability, efficiency, risk) of financial institutions using a microfinance approach; and second, compared the level of outreach and financial performance by financial institutions using a microfinance approach to those using a traditional financial approach; and third, compared the reconstruction level (business development, education, assets acquisition, and standard of living) of microfinance clients to the level of non-clients of financial institutions. This study found that, in post-conflict communities, microfinance - as a mode of financial services provision is active, agile, and is a better tool than traditional financial services in terms of outreach and some aspects of financial performance, at least in the early interim phases of reconstruction. When compared to non-clients, this study found that clients of microfinance institutions experienced greater business development, acquired more assets, saved more, and enjoyed a higher standard of living. All these reconstruction variables performed significant differences. The only non-significant difference between clients and non-clients was found in the area of education. Microfinance should therefore be considered as a tool for post-conflict reconstruction of financial services and be emphasized as an intervention in the early stages of reconstruction of financial services. (Author abstract)Item Where do we go from here? Community participation and empowerment in the empowerment zone : Atlanta, 1994-2002(Southern New Hampshire University, 2009) Jackson, Deborah A.; Hotchkiss, Charles; Karush, Gerald; Reilly, CatherineThe concepts of community participation and community empowerment have been the focus of several federal programs, such as the Empowerment Zone (EZ), that were designed to alleviate some of the causes of poverty found in urban areas. This research examines what impact those concepts had on conditions within targeted communities from the perspective of community representatives whose voice is not often heard. The study analyzes the impact the EZ program had on strengthening the community’s ability to take control of and/or influence decisions affecting its quality of life. The research proposes a conceptual framework of community participation as empowerment and demonstrates the need for a more holistic approach to comprehensive planning initiatives. The framework identifies the factors that are needed to make participation meaningful or effective – exercise of power; access to resources; and identification of results or benefits for the community. This dissertation uses a case study research design and qualitative data collection methods to examine four neighborhoods of the Atlanta Empowerment Zone (AEZ) that were also part of the Model Cities Program in the 1970’s. Although there was strong emphasis on the importance of community participation and community empowerment as key components of the strategy, no clear definition or guidance was provided as to how the participation requirement would be implemented. Likewise, it was unclear what was intended by empowerment. The research findings show the community representatives encountered significant barriers to their participation in the decision-making processes. Among these were the absolute control exercised by the mayor’s office thwarting community recommendations; and the lack of adequate resources to support independent actions by the community. The research identifies that the real issue is about power: Who has power? How can a more equitable distribution of power be attained? The overall findings also demonstrate that even where the factor of race is not an overt driving force, the institutionalization of the historic effects of racism, which is directly tied to the conditions of persistent poverty and the lack of power, must be addressed; or there will be no significant change in the conditions of communities affected by poverty. (Author abstract)