Main Street Community Disaster Preparedness & Resilience Program

The National Park Service has engaged Main Street America in a three-year effort to provide resources, tools, and expertise so that commercial district organizations – urban and rural – are better prepared for a natural disaster as well as build more resilient infrastructure and buildings especially to protect historic buildings, districts, and resources across the country.  Because of Manuel Ochoa’s previous experience with disaster beginning at HUD with the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, Ochoa Urban Collaborative was selected to serve as senior advisor and collaborator to the project.  OUC assisted in the recruitment and selection of a national advisory committee, recruited experts to draft case studies and research material for a toolkit, and designed the agendas and invited speakers for national and regional convenings.  Manuel is also researching and writing sections of the Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Toolkit. 

Progress to Date: 

The team is currently drafting the toolkit which will be available in the summer of 2022.  Main Street America has organized two virtual national convenings and one in person regional convening in March 2022 in New Orleans and Houma, Louisiana.  The next convenings will take place at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, Virginia in May 2022 followed by regional convenings in Texas and Florida in the Fall of 2022.

For more information on the project visit: https://www.mainstreet.org/ourwork/projectspotlight/preparednessandresilience

Ochoa Urban Collaborative is an official technical service provider to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).  LISC is a national intermediary and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with 38 local offices working in 45 states.  LISC partners with banks, corporations, and foundations to provide funding, capital, and resources in underserved communities across the country in housing, community, and economic development.

LISC is also a HUD technical assistance provider to local government and states.  OUC is one of LISC’s technical assistance providers to HUD’s Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) program.  DCTA builds the capacity of small local governments in economically distressed communities that have recently felt the impact of natural disasters.  Teams provide a needs assessment to develop recommendations to improve financial management and better marshal existing and outside resources in pursuit of housing, community, and economic development goals. In addition, teams provide technical assistance to better position local governments to adopt effective and sustainable financial management, improved financial performance to pursue additional federal, local, and other resources to implement affordable housing finance, community engagement practices, cross-sector partnerships, and program implementation.

OUC provided economic development technical assistance to Coamo, a community in southeastern Puerto Rico interested in revitalization its historic downtown.  OUC conducted a focus group of local businesses and provided implementation steps to pursue and fund a Main Street commercial revitalization program.  OUC also provided guidance staffing and management of their existing economic development programs.  Additionally, Ochoa Urban Collaborative also provided economic development technical assistance to Hannibal, Missouri which is interested in reviving its defunct Main Street program.  Facing internal resistance from beleaguered businesses and partners, OUC in partnership with LISC team researched and recommended a pathway to rejoin the state Main Street program including how to hire an AmeriCorps volunteer to help in the efforts. 

Progress to Date: 

Coamo is working with Main Street America to implement a Main Street program and is making changes to their small business assistance program to assist existing businesses and not just new ventures.  Based on OUC’s recommendations, the municipality is also pursuing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to hire a program manager to lead downtown revitalization efforts.  Hannibal, Missouri is taking additional time to bring more businesses to the table before applying to the Missouri Main Street program.  Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council has pledged the match required by the state should the community pursue the program.

mochoa@ochoaurbancollaborative.com | 202-413-6910