Over-the-Rhine focused VISTA-funded positions with the City of Cincinnati

The City of Cincinnati, in partnership with AmeriCorps VISTA, seeks to address the issue of poverty from a variety of different angles. Through a multi-faceted approach, three VISTA members will work on three pivotal topics over three total years: workforce, affordable housing and health. Their combined efforts will have a robust, impactful, and sustainable impact on combating poverty in the Cincinnati region.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is currently accepting applications for interested individuals that wish to work with the City of Cincinnati’s Departments of City Planning, Community and Economic Development, and Health (three separate positions with specific VISTA member duties).  To learn more about each of the available positions, please click on the following links, where you will also be able to apply:

City Planning: Affordable Housing Leaderhttps://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=79287&fromSearch=true

To address the issue of Affordable Housing, one VISTA member will serve in the City Planning Department. They will help assess the current inventory of affordable housing in the Over-The-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood, develop a sustainable method of tracking this information in both Over-the-Rhine and other neighborhoods, and conduct research to develop potential changes to City housing policy. In year one, the Affordable Housing VISTA member will build relationships with Over-the-Rhine neighborhood residents, businesses, and development community and collect data to update the Housing Inventory for OTR.

Community and Economic Development: Job Skills & Opportunity Specialisthttps://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=79279&fromSearch=true

To address the issue of Job Skills and Opportunity, one of the VISTA members will serve in the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)to create and implement a Workforce Action Plan. The mission of DCED is to facilitate strategic development and services within the Cincinnati community that improve the lives of residents, increase business investment, and revitalize city neighborhoods. In addition to being a living, breathing document that will be updated and adjusted as poverty and workforce trends change in the future, the document will offer true action items that are replicable and scalable. This project is designed to build long-term sustainability for tackling the issue of unemployment in the City of Cincinnati. The outreach and research performed by the VISTA member will result in a plan that will be utilized to shape, guide, and create local policy. It will also serve as a tool for broader education at the state and federal level. The VISTA member will be instrumental in reaching out to partners and the community to bring them into the conversation around workforce and our efforts to improve the workforce environment in the Cincinnati region.

Health: Health Outcomes Poverty Coordinatorhttps://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=79290&fromSearch=true

The Poverty Coordinator will be responsible for the ongoing development, management, administration and evaluation of Creating Healthy Communities Poverty (housing, income, education, and well-being) efforts and initiatives. The coordinator will work with Creating Healthy Community Coalition partners and communities throughout the City of Cincinnati to raise awareness of the links between healthy living and poverty, and to increase public support for social determinants of health-related strategies that promote healthy living to reduce chronic diseases or other life events that may cause poverty. Information about the Creating Healthy Communities Program is available at http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/health/cincinnati-health-department-divisions1/environmental-health/health-promotion-worksite-wellness/

Each position will be for a one year period beginning in mid-July 2018 and ending in mid-July 2019, and will include a stipend and several program benefits.  The application deadline will be May 25, 2018, but we highly encourage interested candidates to apply as early as possible, as the interview and selection process is beginning immediately.

Please forward this along to any other individuals that you may think would be a good fit.

Katherine Keough-Jurs, AICP | Director

City of Cincinnati | Department of City Planning
Two Centennial Plaza | 805 Central Avenue, Suite 720 | Cincinnati, OH 45202

513-352-4859 (p) | 513-352-4853 (f) | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Plan Cincinnati

Photo by Travis Estell