The Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem(CADCB): Part 2

(Latest in a series of posts about Neighborhoods and the Southside)

Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem
409 East 4^th Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Anna Smith, Director
http://cadcb.caclv.org/

“Empowering people and transforming South Bethlehem”

In the previous post this morning you saw the powerful impact on Councilwoman Negron of a presentation by the Southside Vision Housing committee.

That’s a good segue to Gadfly’s second post on the  Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem. Last time Gadfly promised info on the Southside Vision 2020 plan.

CADCB organizes “a steering Committee of community residents, business owners, clergy, non-profit organizations, city government, and community leaders . . . responsible for implementation of Southside Vision 2020.”

Gadfly had at least heard of CADCB. He just didn’t know what they did. Hence, his curiosity and the visit to Anna Smith.

But he had absolutely no idea about Southside Vision 2020. And he can tell you — after attending three meetings — that this is a group and a plan that we all should know more about.

Browse through the Southside Vision 20/20 web site with Gadfly.

“This Southside Vision Master Plan is a comprehensive strategy to continue the revitalization of south Bethlehem. It is an initiative of Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem (CADCB), a subsidiary of Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV), and is administered in partnership with the City of Bethlehem. Southside Vision began with the approval of a Neighborhood Partnership Program through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) in 2001. Southside Vision leverages this funding to engage corporate, public, and private resources so that the community’s vision for a better future can be mobilized and realized. The goals described in this plan will be accomplished through strategic partnerships among community organizations, state and local governments, south Bethlehem residents, educational and healthcare institutions, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector.”

The plan consists of five interconnected areas:

• Economic sustainability
• Housing
• Public spaces
• Safety and well-being
• Community engagement and communication

On the Gadfly blog, we have been hammering the need for affordable housing lately.

See the goal of the Housing group in the plan — who most probably made the presentation that Councilwoman Negron attended: “Through education, advocacy, and rehabilitation of the existing housing stock, south Bethlehem residents will have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.”

“This committee will improve the housing stock of south Bethlehem through façades, emergency repairs, and code enforcement. Initiatives for increasing home-ownership will be prioritized.”

Remember that in a thoughtful previous post, Anna wrote: “I’d encourage anyone interested in getting more involved in the discussion [about affordable housing] to join us at the Southside Vision Housing Committee—send me an email at asmith@caclv.org and I’ll get you the details!”

Gadfly is pleased to point you to a valuable example of your tax and non-tax dollars at work!

Remember what CADCB and CACLV stand for. There will be a test.

CADCB: “Empowering people and transforming South Bethlehem”