Germantown United CDC outside banner. (GIH | Rasheed Ajamu)

Last month, Germantown United CDC (GU) announced the members of the organization’s first-ever Neighborhood Advisory Subcommittee (NAS). These are volunteers who will focus on helping their neighbors, particularly around housing.

“These folks are really the boots on the ground to help connect our organization with the residential community to get a better understanding of the need,” said Dillinger. “They will help us understand what we should be advocating for to our elected officials and the city.”

A Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) contract requires any organization with appointed boards to establish an elected committee. City contract rules also require at least 10 members and elections once every two years. 

Various neighborhood CDCs around the city have the NAC contract to support residents with their housing needs.

GU formed an election committee of neighbors this spring, where they worked on a timeline for the election process. For the entire month of May, neighbors were allowed to nominate themselves or their fellow community members. 

Nominees either lived, worked, studied, or worshiped in Germantown and could not be in a current race for a public office. After verifying this, GU hosted a candidate night on June 17. 

This gave residents a chance to hear from the nominees about their goals for this role. Voting was open online through June 26 and in-person on June 27.

Dillinger, the election committee, and GU Resident Services Manager Sheirce White counted votes and announced the members of the new subcommittee on July 2. Out of the 12 nominees, ten were elected to the NAS.

Those names include Nasir Bland, Michael Byrd, Michael Cogbill, Nickia Dixon, Debbie Fortune, Sheila Johnson, Tiffany Jones, Nicole Lancaster, Dr. Kym Oglesby, and Kevin Zuber.

These members will serve a two-year term before their seat is up for re-election in 2028.

“We’re excited to hear what residents are telling their neighbors and friends are telling them that are of the utmost importance,” said Dillinger. 

Members include longtime community organizers, business owners, education professionals, and land stewards.

Legislative and Zoning Analyst for Councilmember Dr. Anthony Phillips and a lifelong Germantown resident, Michael Byrd, told GIH that his main goals for this role are increasing neighbor participation, improving communication, and building trust. 

In his experience with interacting with the community, Byrd says residents are typically unaware of the housing resources available to them or think they are not eligible for the resources that are out there.

He adds that once neighbors see that something they brought up is prioritized, they might be more likely to interact with the CDC and its resources.

“I want communication to go both ways,” Byrd said.

“The CDC going to people’s doors and giving flyers if they have to. It’s not always going to be 50/50. It might be 100/0, especially when it comes to elders who don’t get out as much or lack access to social media.” 

Byrd adds he would also like to see what resources the CDC can “stack” on top of the resources already available to residents through the city. He believes some of his former neighbors were “assets” that were priced out of the neighborhood, and making people aware of these resources might help keep them in Germantown.

Dr. Kym Oglesby of West Philly shares a similar sentiment that most people don’t think that they can qualify for the resources that are provided by GU.

Oglesby is the Director of HR at the Germantown Cricket Club, working there for the past three years, and wants to be the connection between the community and the cricket club. She says becoming a NAS member was a great way to start. 

“In my experience working in HR, most people are afraid to ask for help because they think they’re going to get judged,” said Oglesby. “But I feel like most organizations want you to use their resources. Just because you have a 9-to-5 does not mean you don’t struggle with housing or food security.” 

While she grew up in, and currently lives in, West Philly, she says someone told her about the NAS role because of her willingness to use GU’s resources to help her employees who live in the neighborhood.

Oglesby sees the similarities in her own neighborhood and Germantown. Her ultimate goal is to move to Germantown.

Deesarine Ballayan is a Liberian-American freelance journalist from and based in Philadelphia. Her work is featured in The Philly Download, the Logan Center, CSIS, The Philadelphia Citizen, and Billy Penn @ WHYY.