Posts Tagged ‘Habitat for Humanity’

What am I supposed to do in this town?

June 22nd, 2009

If I came to your community, what would I do?
Even though I enjoy a drink with friends, I don’t feel like spending every night at the bar.  Where else can I go to socialize with people my age with my interests?  I don’t have any kids, so I can’t make friends with other parents from daycare.  There really aren’t any young people where I work, either.  Do you have any suggestions?

What would you say to these young professionals who are coming to you sans children or families?  It seems like small communities (those under pop. 3,000) spend all their time and resources trying to attract young families and keep its older members.   But, how many communities are thinking about those who are fresh out of high school or college?

Mike has posted before about Young Professional groups around the region, and I think they are incredible.  Many young people have come from a college town (population at least 5,000) and like the buzzing social scene where they can find thousands of like minded people in an instant.  These YP groups do for a community what a college does for its students: provide activities and resources for them to get together to make connections or help advance their career.

Help us get to know each other

I found an application for the Solomon Schechter Awards for Outreach to Young Adults from the Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, GA.  They were facing a withdrawal of young adults (age 20-35) without families.  Sound familiar?

a woman stands against a porch that she helped build while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

a woman stands against a porch that she helped build while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

They made an active decision to reach out with specific events tailored to people aged 20-35.  They started with a Habitat for Humanity project that drew about 60 people; the basis for their e-mailing list.  That lead to a monthly “parlor - type discussion” in a rabbi’s home, a monthly contemporary service at 7:30pm with appetizers and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, trips to concerts, and other purely social parties.  They now have an e-mailing list of 600 and the monthly events are attended by 100-200 people.

Sure, Atlanta is a big city, but don’t put down what they accomplished.  This congregation had over 900 members, just like a lot of our small towns.  A whole community could be a model after this congregation.  They can modify the synagogue’s events and tailor their own to help bring back the young people.

Invite us in

We probably will not invite ourselves to serve on your city council, nor invite ourselves into an already made community like a congregation.  Instead, invite us to volunteer at the church, school or other function.  If we say yes, you have another volunteer who feels needed.  And if we say no, you have at least invited us into your circle.  The more you help us connect to other people, the more willing we will be to stay.  If small towns do not start projecting their want for young ideas and young involvement, they will continue their history of decline.  What image is your town projecting?

Photo credit: Susan Lloyd Image - flickr

For an interesting article about “the quarter life quandry” and how some towns are keeping young people involved, check out Facing a Midlife Crisis … at 25.

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Posted in Community Engagement, Gen Y, Rural Life | Comments (0)

Home Demolition — A Housing Strategy?

May 21st, 2009

When most people think about Habitat for Humanity programs, they think of volunteers helping homeowners build new homes.  The New York Times, however, tells us of a Saginaw, MI Habitat affiliate who has added demolition to its mission.

Saginaw is approximately 100 miles northwest of Detroit, and has experienced outmigration due to tough economic times in the automotive industry.  In describing Saginaw, the article notes:

Saginaw… is a city of contrasts: neighborhoods of enormous, well-kept homes (this was, after all, a lumber town before it was a car town) but also blocks of vacant lots and shuttered houses.

Sounds like a lot of rural communities in our part of the country could meet this description as well. Nice, new homes often sit out on the edge of town, while older homes in the community’s core have often rotted away.

Although my preference is for purchase, rehab, resell programs rather than demolition, anyone who accepts the evidence of broken window theory will appreciate the importance of maintaining tidy neighborhoods.  And because the organization’s volunteers tear out recyclable features (ie - cabinets, fixtures, sinks, etc…) for resell, the organization is also generating income to complete its mission of helping people get into new or rehabbed houses. 

The bottom line is that communities with vacant houses need to deal with the issue. Saginaw’s Habitat for Humanity chapter appears to be pointing the way to one solution.

Photo by: piddix/Flickr

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Posted in Housing, In the News, Rural | Comments (0)

Part 2: Neighborhood Stabilization What?

January 30th, 2009

As promised, here are descriptions of the remaining two activities that are included in South Dakota’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program Plan.  If you haven’t read part one, you can check it out here.  We’ve tried hard to distill the information contained in the plan to help you decide if this is an opportunity your community can and should pursue.

Activity 3.  Demolish Blighted Structures

  1. Applicants will be required to provide information, including pictures, of the blighted structures, along with costs associated with the demolition and future plans of the real property upon completion of demolition.
  2. NSP funds can only be used for the cost of clearing the blighted structure. No NSP funds can be requested for purchase of the blighted structure unless the project also qualifies under acquisition of an abandoned or foreclosed property.
  3. NSP funding will be $10,000 for single family homes or $100,000 for all other types of structures.

Only $1 million dollars is allotted towards this activity, so rural communities should not view this as an opportunity to tear down all of their unwanted, blighted properties for free.  However, if you’ve got a property or two that you plan to redevelop into housing, this might be a real opportunity for your community.

A few additional tips to think about if you’re considering Activity 3:

Activity 4.  Redevelop Demolished or Vacant Property

  1. NSP funding will be eligible for acquisition and redevelopment of acquired demolished or vacant property for activities including: new construction of housing, building infrastructure for housing, public facilities and improvements, and non residential uses such as public parks, commercial use, or mixed residential and commercial use.
  2. Providing NSP funds are used only for redevelopment activities, the property does not need to be abandoned, foreclosed upon, or previously residential.
  3. Redevelopment of demolished or vacant property can incorporate the use of a governor’s house
  4. Preference will be given for permanent housing projects serving households at or below 50 and 80% Area Median Income (AMI).

This activity offers great opportunity for a community who sees affordable housing as a strategic goal.  With your city council on board, this activity offers a way to leverage new housing for the community.  The city council could tear down a vacant, blighted structure and NSP funds could be used to construct new housing or put in a governor’s home.  Everyone wins: the city now has a property on the tax role and local businesses have a family who is more permanent and invested.

A few additional tips to think about if you’re considering Activity 3:

That’s all for now on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.  If you have questions about South Dakota’s plan, I’d encourage you to contact Peggy Severson, the new NSP coordinator for the state.  Also, feel free to submit a question in the comment box, and we’ll do our best to find an answer!

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Posted in Housing, Rural | Comments (0)