FloridaCRED.org eyes 'new generation' of affordable community developers

Posted at 8:37 AM, Aug. 27, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. --- Calling all community developers: the Community Real Estate Development (CRED) Professional Certificate program at the University of South Florida, a unique summer seminar course at USF's Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities that's guiding 26 participants through development of six projects with more than 120 affordable homes and apartments, has launched www.FloridaCred.org to provide an online learning resource and a forum for new community development concepts.

Former Bank of America training executive and HUD official Thomas M. Zuniga, left, told Miami Herald Business Monday editor Nancy Dahlberg last week, "We want to birth a new generation of community developers. It's no longer about being a do-gooder. Affordable housing is a major economic issue."

Zuniga, managing director of DSG Community Marketing Services, serves as Program Manager and Principal Instructor of the CRED Certificate Program.

Zuniga posted Launching FloridaCRED yesterday to mark the event.

Expanding the supply of housing that is affordable to and attainable by working families has become increasingly complex.  My wish is to expand our University of South Florida Community Real Estate Development classroom by using technology to create a "big tent" campaign for affordable housing through increased awareness and understanding of affordable housing issues.

I hope for our site to become a listening post for the many voices of affordable housing---a place where students and practitioners of community development can brainstorm possibilities, advance innovative ideas and recognize best practices.

I would like for us to use FloridaCred.org to establish a knowledge base on affordable housing and to that end, just like with our classroom, I promise to recruit local and regional experts who will weigh in on various topics through writings and interviews, and thereby foster dialogue.

The web-based project---privately funded through August, 2008---means to examine relevant affordable housing and community development issues, best practices, new concepts and new partnership, funding and development opportunities in an open, online symposium with an academic focus.

Quoth Zuniga:

I am inviting colleagues new and old to weigh in on the various topics that are relevant to our business.

This is the new "Journal of Community Development."