IMPACT is currently working on its first success story and we have every reason to expect success as we look at the examples of our sister DART Network organizations around the country.
Affordable Housing:
Over the past three years, BREAD in Columbus OH, initiated and maintained a campaign to address the dramatic shortage of affordable housing in Central Ohio. As a result, Columbus and Franklin County have created the Columbus-Franklin County Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The City and County invests $6.2 million annually in the AHTF.
In 2004, BREAD initiated a campaign to strengthen the oversight of the Trust Fund. Stemming from commitments made by County Commission candidates at the 2004 Nehemiah Action BREAD secured a revised contract to ensure that the housing built is truly affordable to low income people and that low income people are occupying the units.
Healthcare:
PEACE, in Polk County FL, won a stunning victory in 2004 when the voters passed a half cent sales tax to fund indigent health care for the 125,000 residents that do not have health insurance. Since that time PEACE has been monitoring the spending of the $26 million dollars per year from the sales tax. At PEACE’s 2005 Nehemiah Action Meeting, PEACE won commitments from the Director of Community Health and County Commissioners to open one clinic a year for the next five years and increase patients seen from the current 2,000 to 45,000 patients per year.
Crime:
A Hot Spot Card Campaign has been very successful in Springfield, OH due to the efforts of JAM. Residents anonymously report criminal activity on these Hot Spot cards. In April 2005 critical information concerning a homicide in the city came in through the use of the cards leading to the arrests and arraignment of the suspects. In total over 250 cards have been turned in with a 50% arrest rate.
Wages:
In June 2006 RISC, in Richmond VA, received firm commitments from four City Councilers to fight to pass a living wage ordinance by October 2006 for city contractors and sub contactors. This would raise wages from $5.15 an hr to $9.10/hr. This will put at least 2 million dollars more a year into the hands of people through work instead of having to depend on charity or hand outs to supplement wages.