Building Brighter Neighborhoods
Our Neighborhood Preservation Team is actively engaged in the revitalization of southwest Detroit through strategic initiatives to build sustainable neighborhoods that are vibrant and diverse by:
- Improving housing stock for low to moderate-income families
- Attracting commercial development
- Reducing blight and maintaining and activating vacant lots
- Stimulating institutional improvement and development
- Helping to mobilize residents to build community
Services
Through funding from JPMorgan Chase, the Neighborhood Preservation Team (NPT) is implementing a comprehensive community preservation and stabilization program to maintain and improve three targeted neighborhoods: Hubbard Farms/Hubbard Richard, Michigan-Livernois, and Virgina Park. The program provides:
- Maintenance of inventory of vacant lots
- Neighborhood beautification activities
The NPT has a strong community organizing emphasis. It works with block clubs, residents, businesses and organizations in the neighborhood to address issues of public safety, abandoned homes, environmental issues, community health, and government services.
The NPT surveys residents and properties in the community to gather detailed data about the housing stock, vacant and foreclosed properties, home repair needs, infrastructure conditions, and quality of life issues and opportunities.
History
Our Neighborhood Preservation Team was formed in 2009 when the Bagley Housing Association (BHA) became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest Housing Solutions, creating a stronger and more broad-based community development entity to advance the revitalization of southwest Detroit.
BHA began in 1996 with a mission to provide leadership and resources to improve the housing stock for low to moderate-income families within the Hubbard-Richard and Hubbard Farms districts of southwest Detroit. Over the next 13 years, BHA invested more than $53 million to revitalize the Hubbard-Richard and Hubbard Farms districts by constructing and renovating single-family homes, building affordable housing, securing funding for infrastructure improvements and housing rehabilitation, developing community parks and gardens, and promoting the arts and neighborhood beautification.
Our Neighborhood Preservation Team (NPT) continues the mission of BHA and broadens its scope.
Results
- Creating new partnerships, Facilitating Vista Partnership an urban design community-based project that focuses on the 20-block area around the I-75 and Vernor in southwest Detroit
- $350,000 toward arts and recreation opportunities.
- $600,000 construction of 2 duplex units for low to moderate-income families.
- $8.2 million Hubbard-Communities tax credit project will create 44 units of single-family housing using low income housing tax credit financing.
- Rio Vista Senior Apartments, a $5.78 million project, created 65 HUD-sponsored, independent-living units for low-income seniors.
- $13.9 million construction project of market-rate homes and condominiums.
- Providing leadership in numerous Southwest Detroit collaboratives dedicated to revitalizing the area.
million of infrastructure improvements in the area
million gut rehabs of 9 homes
million secured for renovation of existing owner-occupied homes
million restoration of the Saint Anne School that now houses Casa Richard Academy.