CONFERENCE SERIES
The Fair Lending & Vital Communities Conference Series, hosted by the Ohio Fair Lending Coalition
BROWN BAGS AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Ohio Fair Lending Coalition and Vital Communities Conference series includes Brown Bag lunchtime programs in conjunction with CSU’s Levin College of Public Affairs and Education. These programs offer an opportunity to discuss emerging issues on housing, fair lending, and community development. The Brown Bag Forums serve as a basis of ideas to be incorporated into the fall conference.
Brown Bag attendees include government and non-profit administrators and elected officials with responsibilities for policy and programs impacting low- and moderate-income individuals and communities; researchers and academics who compile data and publish studies on housing, fair lending, and related community development issues; attorneys involved in these issues; and community activists and interested members of the public. Attendance at Brown Bags has continued to grow each year since they were introduced in 2015. Due to the pandemic, the Brown Bag forums were switched to a virtual format which has allowed a greater range of audience members.
Our History
The first conference was held in 1989 by Charles Bromley who, after a career of fighting lending discrimination, wanted to inform and involve a wider audience into the conversation of fair lending and vital communities. For the first few years, the yearly conference consisted of 25-30 people meeting at the old Holiday Inn on Lakeside Road, or at the Cleveland State University School of Law. As more people began attending the conference, it was moved to Trinity Church on Euclid Ave. The current space for the conference is Levin College of Urban Affairs at CSU, and the last few conferences have drawn over 200 people.
The Annual Fair Lending and Vital Communities Conference has attracted notable speakers including Ralph Nader, Federal Reserve Govenor Edward M. Gramlich, Dr. Nancy Denton, and Congressman Louis Stokes.
2015 was the first year the Brown Bag Lunch Forums were incorporated into our Annual Fair Lending and Vital Communities Conference Series. The overall Brown Bag Lunch Forum series goal is to monitor Cuyahoga County’s progress on priority housing and community development issues. The forums also provide a venue for gathering information and ideas to be incorporated into the annual conference. Participants in the small event programs identify emerging issues and how they can best be addressed in a timely manner. All events are free and open to the public. Many offer CLE hours. After a huge success in 2015, the Brown Bag Forums were kept as a permanent aspect of the Annual Conference Series.
Conference and Forum
Series Partner
CSU Center for Civic Education, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education
The Center for Civic Education positions the College as a leader in state-of-the-art civic education and engagement programs. Through public forums, applied research and outreach services, the Center explores key issues and challenges facing Northeast Ohio. The Levin College Forum is the Center’s signature program. The Center’s public policy research and program evaluation activities focus on affordable housing, sustainable development and planning.
The cornerstone of the Center is the Forum Program, which was established in 2000 based on the premise that an informed and engaged citizenry is critical for the future economic growth and prosperity of the region. The Forum acts as a place where the university and the community can come together in public forums and dialogue in order to learn about key issues facing Northeast Ohio. Forum programs also serve as an ongoing resource for classes and students. The Forum was recognized by Northern Ohio Live magazine as “a springboard for economic and social progress throughout the region” and was the recipient of the national 2003 CivicMindTM award.
The Forum has built an impressive record of engaging the community and advancing public dialogue on environmental, planning and economic development decisions that shape the Northeast Ohio region. Since 2000, more than 14,000 people have attended more than 125 forum events ranging from brown bag lunches to multi-day conferences. Forum programs have examined issues related to regional economic development; affordable housing; nonprofit partnerships and collaborations; energy and the environment; planning, design, and development; sustainable communities; globalization; elections; and celebrating Cleveland.