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Innovation

The 10,000-Hour Challenge

Introduction | Take the Challenge | Featured Innovations | Browse Innovations | FAQs

Innovation All-Stars:

Innovation All-Stars are community development groups, organizations or individuals who—on their own—have dedicated 1,000 or more hours to innovation in community development.

Company/Organization Name: Pennyroyal Mental Health Center, (http://www.pennyroyalcenter.org)

Contact: Bill Kerley, bkerley@pennyroyalcenter.org

Focus: housing, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development

Hours contributed: 10000

Description of innovation:

Pennyroyal Mental Health Center began providing housing for persons with special needs through new construction more than a decade ago. Since 2000, 76 units have been provided for the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled or persons suffering from dual diagnosis in rural Western Kentucky; 50 additional units are under construction to serve homeless veterans. The Veterans Center will open later in 2011. Once residents move into Pennyroyal’s various housing developments, case managers provide ongoing support to allow persons with disabilities to live independently. The housing options include transitional & permanent housing, based on the individual needs of the client. Since 2007, all of Pennyroyal’s developments have included green innovations & energy star appliances including light fixtures, windows, programmable thermostats, 10% of the building materials harvested, extracted recovered or manufactured within 500 miles, faucets & showerheads with low flow rate, carpet that meets the Carpet & Rug Institute Green Label Plus program & day-lighting in the units, achieved through solar tubes. Special needs residents are often on a fixed income due to their disabilities. Green construction helps contain the cost of utilities which can be a major impact on the disabled. Pennyroyal adds value because it is a mental health care provider & a developer. A person cannot pull himself up by his bootstraps if he has no boots to begin with. Dual diagnosis is the combination of mental illness & substance abuse & cannot be overcome if only the substance abuse is addressed. Dual diagnosis is far more prevalent than most people realize. The first step in treatment must be a safe housing situation where people can focus on recovery. As a result of this mission Pennyroyal has taken on development in extremely rural areas where new construction is rare. The team at Pennyroyal intends to continue to develop housing for people with special needs; it estimates that 7000 hours have been devoted to date & anticipates the overall hours it will spend in these developments will exceed 10000. Pennyroyal Mental Health Center will continue to educate everyone it encounters that all people have value regardless of external appearance. Pennyroyal commits to continue to provide the most innovative, green, new construction housing in risky rural areas where for-profit developers are unlikely to work.

Company/Organization Name: Resources for Residents and Communities of Georgia, Inc., (http://rrc.reynoldstown.org)

Contact: Ashani O'Mard, ashani_omard@yahoo.com

Focus: housing, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development,housing, asset development, comprehensive community development

Hours contributed: 1500

Description of innovation:

In 2009, Resources for Residents and Communities of Georgia (RRC) and New World Home, LLC launched a unique partnership focused on affordable homeownership solutions for working families. The Essential Housing Collection features high-quality, LEED-certifiable modular homes offering vast reductions in material waste, energy and water usage, thus lowering a homeowner’s operating costs. The homes also provide production time efficiencies, with a typical certificate of occupancy issued within 100 days of the commencement of production. This key timesaver enables prospective homebuyers a chance to obtain financing approval before commencement of construction while mitigating the risks associated with the speculative building process. Essential Housing’s first home was placed in fall of 2010 on a foreclosed lot donated by JPMorgan Chase’s REO Gifting/Discounted Properties Program. Through RRC’s HomeOwnership Center (HOC), a participant received personalized counseling on the purchasing process, foreclosure prevention, and home maintenance, and purchased the home. While several HOC clients have successfully purchased homes that are affordable at their income limits, many struggle with the burden of hefty utility bills. Essential Housing’s model is a community innovation because it bridges the gap between affordable and environmentally sustainable housing. It will not only preserve our environment but will also better serve RRC’s clientele, allowing them cost savings over the life cycle of their home while improving their quality of life. Qualified HOC participants now have a chance to obtain homebuyer education and down payment assistance to purchase affordable, newly constructed homes and benefit from savings of over $70,000 in utility payments and product durability over the course of a 30-year mortgage. Essential Homes will feature first-class amenities including Energy Star appliances; high efficiency HVAC system; low flow shower heads and faucets; dual flush toilets; low VOC painting; and recycled carpeting. The exterior of the homes will include Energy Star-rated windows and doors; fiber cement siding; and 30-year warranted shingle roofs. The homes will also be conveniently located near Atlanta’s public transit system. RRC has been a leader in community development in metro Atlanta for 22 years, helping to stabilize communities and helping individuals improve their financial well being.

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Company/Organization Name: St. Louis County Office of Community Development, (http://www.stlouisco.com )

Contact: Katrina Sommer, ksommer@stlouisco.com

Focus: housing, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development,housing, asset development, comprehensive community development,housing

Hours contributed: 6320

Description of innovation:

With the cost of living on the rise maintaining homeownership can be a challenge for many households. In an effort to stabilize housing related expenses, particularly for low- to moderate-income households, the St. Louis County Office of Community Development, in partnership with Laclede Gas Company and The Meyer Company, launched an energy study to determine the most energy-efficient yet cost-effective way to build new construction homes. The study, which is the first of its kind, compares the traditional building method with various energy efficient features in a project known as Patrician Place. The Patrician Place project consists of ten (10) new construction homes with the same floor plan and design, but unique energy-saving features with one “control” home (the control home was built according to the 2003 International Residential Code). Each home has a long list of very specific energy-efficient or green features which can be made available upon request. In order to determine which building method yields the best return on investment each home has a series of strategically placed data loggers which record the temperature and humidity on set intervals. Qualified representatives from Laclede Gas Company collect and analyze the data over a twelve month period (longer in some instances) to gain a true perspective of the performance of the energy saving features. As the study is coming to a close, the highly anticipated results should be available for dissemination later this year. Our dedication to adhering to green practices is evident as virtually all homes (with the exception of the control home) comfortably achieved the GBI Silver or Gold level certifications. The home with the most energy-efficient features was just three points shy of achieving the internationally recognized LEED platinum designation! The momentum behind this project has even garnered national attention with recognition at conferences across the country; in 2010, the U.S. Green Building Council selected Patrician Place out of over 1,200 applications to highlight at the annual “GREENBUILD” National Conference Residential Summit and the project will also be featured at the NAHB Green Building Conference in Salt Lake City this May. Through a shared vision, a commitment to exploration, and an unlikely collaboration the Patrician Place project is already a success.

Company/Organization Name: homeWORD, Inc., (http://www.homeword.org)

Contact: Keenan Whitt, keenan@homeword.org

Focus: housing, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development,housing, asset development, comprehensive community development,housing,housing

Hours contributed: 4300

Description of innovation:

Solstice-Confluence is the newest development by homeWORD, Inc. in Missoula, Montana. Construction began in September of 2010 and is slated to be completed in October of 2011. Solstice will have 34 units of affordable housing, targeting households at 40-60% of the area median income.Confluence will have 16,000 SF of commercial space to be leased, below market rate, to other mission sharing Missoula-based nonprofits.This development incorporates many innovative elements: •First in Montana to combine Low Income Housing Tax Credits and New Markets Tax Credits within the same project. •First mixed-use grey water system permit issued in Montana. •First commercial/affordable housing mixed use LEED Gold certification in Montana. homeWORD has a fundamental commitment to developing energy and resource efficient housing. •Community involvement – homeWORD conducted a Neighborhood Charrette for the whole project – Equinox and Solstice – to get feedback and design ideas from community members. The Neighborhood Charrette process is a public design meeting where community members come together to brainstorm ideas around the design and development of the proposed project. The project was also designed with added community processes such as an Eco-Design Charrette and Universal Design Charrette. The ideas and perspectives gathered during these phases of meetings informed the overall design process and final products. •Neighborhood revitalization – The two phase project – Solstice and Equinox – was designed and constructed in a designated revitalization area of Missoula and the site was previously a “greyfield”, primarily covered by asphalt paving. homeWORD's expertise and experience in housing development is used to demonstrate best methods for greyfield redevelopment and reinvigorating neighborhoods. Solstice models greyfield revitalization efforts and promotes reinvestment in other greyfield areas in the same corridor in the Missoula community and across the state. •Economic development – Solstice provides a new space for homeWORD’s HomeOwnership Center (HOC). The HOC helps homeWORD serve more people – especially underserved groups – in the community through homebuyer and financial education as well as foreclosure prevention counseling in an accessible learning environment using current communication technology. A training room will be shared by mission related non-profit.

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Company/Organization Name: Emerge Workplace Solutions, (http://www.emergeloan.com)

Contact: jonathan harrison, jonathan@emergeloan.com

Hours contributed: 6000

Description of innovation:

Emerge Workplace Solutions is an employee benefit company that offers workplace-based financial stress reducing products and services including our Emerge Loan product—a low interest online lending product-- as an alternative to payday loan and other predatory finance products for employees living paycheck to paycheck. The Emerge online platform features next day loans that build credit, allow longer repayments and are complemented by a suite of financial education and one-on-one financial crisis counseling services that improve long term financial stability. The change we seek Creating a less expensive alternative to payday loans is only the first step in helping workers lead more financially stable lives. Emerge is a scalable, sustainable model for migrating millions of underbanked workers to mainstream banking relationships. Unlike payday loans, Emerge loans keep money in workers’ pockets, improve their financial knowledge and skills, and strengthen their credit so that they qualify for low-interest mainstream bank products. Emerge gives workers the tools and resources needed to stay out of debt, build financial stability, and change their lives.

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Company/Organization Name: Power Center CDC, (http://www.powercentercdc.org)

Contact: Derwin Sisnett, sisnett.derwin@powercentercdc.org

Hours contributed: 10000

Description of innovation:

In order to address the decline of businesses and the high foreclosure and bankruptcy rates in the Hickory Hill community, the Power Center CDC established Power Center Academy (PCA), a charter school in Memphis, TN. PCA has committed to instilling the concepts of entrepreneurship and financial literacy in its students from 6th grade to 12th grade. Since PCA has an extended day where students are engaged from 7:30AM to 4:30PM each weekday, 7 years of entrepreneurship and financial literacy education at PCA equates to over 10,000 hours. From the moment students enroll in the 6th grade class at PCA, they engage in entrepreneurship and financial literacy through project-based learning and real-world applications such as PCA’s Youth Bank, the first youth-operated, SunTrust bank branch in Memphis. In addition to running the youth bank, students conduct business as customers of the bank in order to live out the principles of saving and delayed gratification that they learn in their core business class. Moreover, through a partnership with Apple, every student at PCA uses his own Apple MacBook to create podcasts, websites, spreadsheets, and presentations. The entrepreneurial principles that the students learn in their business class also applies to other core classes such as mathematics and science. Students learn to use innovative strategies to seek maximum reward, and as a result PCA has achieved 96% proficiency in math and science in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). To date, students at PCA have spent almost 3,000 hours learning how to think and act like entrepreneurs. The Power Center is hopeful that the students at PCA will be the next generation of business leaders in the Memphis community.

Company/Organization Name: innovation@cfed, (http://innovation.cfed.org)

Contact: Anne Li, ali@cfed.org

Focus: housing, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development,housing, asset development, comprehensive community development,housing,housing, finance and access to capital, asset development, education, comprehensive community development,housing, finance and access to capital, small business, asset development, workforce development, education, health care, rural development, comprehensive community development

Hours contributed: 6600

Description of innovation:

CFED expands economic opportunity by helping Americans build assets, save for the future, start and grow businesses, pursue education and become homeowners. In 2008, CFED launched innovation@cfed, a platform that accelerates the evolution of the next generation of creative approaches to expanding economic opportunity. Premised on the notion that innovation requires collaboration, innovation@cfed identifies cutting-edge approaches and convenes innovators to accelerate the process of innovation. To identify innovators in the Assets & Opportunities field, innovation@cfed solicits submissions from diverse and creative individuals from around the globe. CFED selects a small number of Innovators-in-Residence to work intensively on bringing an innovative approach to scale during a residency with CFED with access to CFED's resources. CFED also identifies Innovative Idea Champions, individuals with concepts in earlier stages of development that have potential to improve the lives of Americans, and provides the visibility and networking of the innovation@cfed platform to boost their concepts. These Innovators and the entire innovation@cfed community—now numbering more than 1,000—play key roles in Innovation Summits, convenings facilitated by innovation@cfed. These convenings are a central tenet of our mission to foster creative thinking to address the challenges facing low- and moderate-income families. The 2009 Innovation Summit brought together over 250 leaders in Washington, DC, in an interactive and unconventional gathering to work with one another to advance innovative solutions to pressing issues. In 2010, innovation@cfed will host the Innovation Marketplace, a virtual and in-person space reflecting the understanding that innovative ideas can be brought to scale only with engagement from a diverse group of individuals. The Innovation Marketplace will be hosted in conjunction with CFED's 2010 Assets Learning Conference, the largest national gathering of asset-building practitioners. The Conference will take place on September 22-24 in Washington, DC. To be part of innovation@cfed's community of innovators, please visit innovation.cfed.org.

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Company/Organization Name: Cornerstone Corporation for Shared Equity, (http://www.csequity.org)

Contact: Margery Spinney, mspinney@csequity.org

Hours contributed: 10000

Description of innovation:

Renter EquitySM is an alternative to homeownership for people who need affordable rental housing. Renter EquitySM links housing development and management with a wealth building tool for economically disadvantaged households. It was created to sustain housing values, stabilize neighborhoods and build wealth by bringing renters into the property system. People who need affordable housing typically have no savings and depend on public programs in emergencies. Renter EquitySM enables them to plan for personal and financial growth. As part of their lease contract, residents earn "equity credits" each month that their rent is paid on time, they attend the resident association meeting and complete work assignments that maintain and improve the common areas. Credits build on an amortized schedule and can be worth up to $10,000 in ten years. They receive a monthly statement telling them the value of the credits they have earned. After five years, they may withdraw cash or take out a loan using their credits as collateral. There is no restriction on how Renter EquitySM can be used but participants have used it to weather job loss, pay medical bills or education expenses, escape from predatory lenders, start a business or buy a home. Renter EquitySM works because it increases occupancy and rent collection rates above what is typical for rental housing, generating income that would not exist if operated as usual. This "added-value" is invested in a financial fund controlled by the manager that backs the renters' equity credits. The fund may also be capitalized with grants, donations or an operating reserve. The ability to make a contribution to the community, build assets and gain access to credit gives economically disadvantaged people real hope for a better future. Expanded, Renter EquitySM could be a foundation for growth in the national economy.

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