National Community Development Association

National Community Development Association
Name	National Community Development Association
Abbreviation	NCDA
Founded	1960s
Location	Washington, D.C.
Leader title	Executive Director

National Community Development Association is a U.S.-based nonprofit trade association representing municipal Community Development Block Grant practitioners, housing authority leaders, and local urban renewal officials. It provides training, technical assistance, and advocacy linking Department of Housing and Urban Development staff, United States Conference of Mayors delegates, and National League of Cities policy directors. The association interacts with federal agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget, statutory programs like the Housing Act of 1949, and oversight bodies including the Government Accountability Office.

History

Founded amid policy shifts after the Great Society initiatives and amendments to the Housing Act of 1954, the association emerged during the expansion of the Model Cities Program and debates over the Kerner Commission recommendations. Early leaders included practitioners who had worked with Robert F. Wagner Jr. municipal offices and staff from the Presidential Task Force on Urban Renewal. The organization grew through networks tied to the National Governors Association, partnerships with the Federal Reserve Board, and coalitions with the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. During the 1980s, it responded to legislative changes stemming from the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and shifts under the Reagan Administration, coordinating with Congressional Black Caucus members and staff from the House Committee on Appropriations. In the 1990s and 2000s, it adapted to reforms influenced by the Community Reinvestment Act debates, the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, and post-9/11 federal grant realignments under the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Mission and Programs

The association's mission centers on capacity building for practitioners in community development contexts through conferences, webinars, and publications, collaborating with research centers like the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Core programs include technical assistance aligned with Community Development Block Grant regulations, training akin to offerings from the Institute for Public Administration and National Civic League, and certification initiatives resembling those of the American Planning Association. Programmatic emphases have intersected with initiatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency brownfield programs, and the Federal Transit Administration transit-oriented development guidance. The association has hosted convenings with leaders from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Enterprise Community Partners, Habitat for Humanity International, and United Way Worldwide to coordinate affordable housing finance strategies with entities like the Federal Home Loan Bank system.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises municipal officials, executive directors of public housing agencies, community development block grant administrators, and consultants drawn from firms comparable to McKinsey & Company and Enterprise Community Partners. The governance structure includes an elected board of directors modeled after nonprofit standards promoted by the American Institute of Certified Planners and fiduciary practices informed by the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 expectations. Committees have paralleled those of the National Association of Counties and Conference of State Bank Supervisors, addressing audit, policy, training, and membership outreach. Annual conventions often feature keynote speakers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, legislators from the House Committee on Financial Services, and panels including representatives from the National Urban League and American Bar Association.

Funding and Partnerships

The association's funding sources include membership dues, conference fees, foundation grants from entities like the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and project-based contracts with federal agencies including the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Economic Development Administration. It has partnered with intermediary organizations such as the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Reinvestment Fund, and National Equity Fund, and with philanthropic initiatives led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. Corporate partners have included finance institutions regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and development consultants associated with the Urban Land Institute.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

Advocacy efforts have targeted reauthorization and appropriations for the Community Development Block Grant program, engagement with markup sessions in the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and coordination with the House Committee on Financial Services. The association has submitted commentary during rulemaking for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and filed amicus briefs in litigation touching on statutory interpretation alongside advocacy groups such as the National Low Income Housing Coalition and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Policy priorities have included affordable housing finance reform, equitable development linked to the Fair Housing Act, disaster recovery coordination after events like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, and resiliency planning tied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance. The group has lobbied for programmatic flexibilities similar to those sought by the National League of Cities and engaged in coalitions with the National Association of Counties and American Planning Association.

Impact and Evaluations

Evaluations of the association's impact have been undertaken by independent researchers from the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and evaluators aligned with the National Academy of Public Administration. These assessments cited improvements in practitioner capacity, increased federal appropriations through sustained advocacy, and enhanced technical compliance among public housing agencies and municipal grantees. Case studies have examined partnerships with Enterprise Community Partners on preservation projects, collaborations with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation on neighborhood stabilization after the 2008 financial crisis, and cross-sector initiatives with the Federal Reserve Board focused on community reinvestment outcomes. Ongoing metrics include training attendance, policy wins in appropriations cycles, and peer-reviewed analyses published in outlets associated with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States