IndyEast Promise Zone
Second Round
Lead Organization:
John H. Boner
Community Center
Population:
17,100
Poverty Rate:
47.39%
Unemployment Rate:
24.53%
Key Partners:
City of Indianapolis;
Indianapolis
Neighborhood Housing
Partnership; Local
Initiatives Support
Corporation; Indiana
University on behalf
of IUPUI and Indiana
University Public Policy
Institute; United Way
of Central Indiana;
Indianapolis Housing
Agency; Indianapolis
Public Schools; Near East
Area Renewal (formerly
known as IndyEast
Asset Development);
Indianapolis Eastside
Revitalization
Corporation (doing
business as East 10th
Street Civic Association);
Englewood Community
Development
Corporation;
Westminster
Neighborhood Services
APRIL 2015
In the 1980’s, the Near
Eastside of Indianapolis
was home to middleclass families with goodpaying manufacturing
jobs. With the decline
of this sector of the local
economy, and the resulting
loss of many of those
working families, these
neighborhoods suffered
from under-investment,
concentrated poverty
and blight. In 2007, Near
Eastside residents came
together to develop a
comprehensive, grassroots
approach to neighborhood
redevelopment.
As the lead applicant, the John H. Boner Community Center and the residents of
Near Eastside Indianapolis have enlisted the assistance of multiple organizations
to develop strategies around the following five goals to improve the quality of
life and accelerate revitalization.
These goals include:
•Create Affordable Housing Options
•Create Jobs
•Increase Economic Activity
•Reduce Serious And Violent Crime
•Improve Educational Opportunity
“The Promise Zone designation can open opportunities and allow the
City and Implementing Partners to address structural challenges in
one of our neighborhoods with the greatest potential to thrive.”
Gregory A.Ballard, Indianapolis Mayor
www.hud.gov/promisezones
IndyEast Promise Zone
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Promise Zone?
Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government will work with local leaders to
increase efforts to achieve neighborhood created goals and priorities.
Promise Zones are selected through a competitive grant application process. For the second round of
applications, there were a total of 123 applications and 8 of those were selected to receive the Promise
Zone designation (6 urban, one rural and one tribal).
There will be a total of 20 Promise Zones nationwide. In 2014, the first 5 were announced. In 2015, 8 more,
including the near Eastside of Indianapolis, were announced. It is anticipated that the final 7 will be
announced in 2016.
2. How much money does a Promise Zone designation receive?
None. The designation itself does not come with federal funding.
3. What are the benefits of being a Promise Zone?
Promise Zone designations come with these benefits:
• Five AmeriCorps VISTA members located in our neighborhood to help with the work
• A federal liaison to help us navigate participating federal programs and opportunities
• Technical assistance from participating federal agencies
• Preference points for certain competitive federal grant programs
While there are no guarantees of funding, these benefits and this designation provide our neighborhood a
competitive advantage when applying for funding for specific projects and programs.
4. What does it mean for the neighborhood?
The Promise Zone designation gives our neighborhood the opportunity to use a greater number of
resources, both from the federal government and the city government, to achieve our goals. Much like the
Super Bowl Legacy Project, the Promise Zone designation will allow our neighborhood to reach our goals
more quickly.
5. What are the Promise Zone goals?
Our Promise Zone application had five goals. They are:
• Live IndyEast: We promise to create an economically diverse community by promoting housing
redevelopment that embraces existing and new residents. We aim to accomplish this by
recapturing vacant housing and developing new and affordable options.
• Work IndyEast: We promise to develop vibrant neighborhood zones of business activity,
industries, and commerce in which residents are employed in living wage jobs. We aim to
accomplish this through entrepreneurship, industrial reuse, and job training.
• Buy IndyEast: We promise to create healthy commercial corridors that provide desirable
neighborhood goods, services and amenities that serve our residents and become a regional
destination for shopping, dining, and recreation.
• Safe IndyEast: We promise to create a welcoming environment in which all families and visitors
feel safe and secure. We aim to accomplish this by focused efforts on crime prevention, youth
intervention programming, and supportive reentry services.
•
Learn IndyEast: We promise all children will receive exceptional education from birth to adulthood
including developmentally appropriate early childhood services, high quality and innovative schools
and access to postsecondary education and training.
6. How long are we a Promise Zone?
A Promise Zone designation lasts for 10 years.
7. Where is the Promise Zone?
Please see the attached map for the area designated as the Promise Zone.
8. Who are the Promise Zone Implementation Partners?
Our application was submitted by the John H. Boner Community Center as the lead organization and
included twelve Implementation Partners that will oversee the work. In addition to the Boner Center, these
organizations are:
• City of Indianapolis
• East 10th Street Civic Association
• Englewood Community Development Corporation
• Indianapolis Housing Authority
• Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership
• Indianapolis Public Schools
• Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis
• Local Initiative Support Corporation
• Near East Area Renewal
• United Way of Central Indiana
• Westminster Neighborhood Ministries
9. Can my organization be added as an Implementation Partner?
No. The Implementation Partners were decided during the application process. There will be numerous
opportunities for neighbors, businesses and organizations to become involved in the Promise Zone work
though.
10. Who is in charge of the Promise Zone?
As always, neighbors are in charge! Promise Zone activity will be discussed and reported at the quarterly
neighborhood summits. Make sure you’re signed up to receive e-mails and attending the summits so you
don’t miss any information.
11. How do I get more information?
For more information you can contact the John H. Boner Community Center at [email protected]. You can
also visit the HUD website at www.hud.gov/promisezones. You can also visit the John H. Boner Community
Center website at www.jhbcc.org. We will keep you updated as we work with the federal government, the
city, our partners, and most importantly, you, our neighbors as we determine the most effective way to
achieve neighborhood goals through the use of this designation for our neighborhood.