Neighborhood Revitalization, Anyone Can Do It

TN State Conference

July 23, 2015

Carol Gregory ODC

What Does a Revitalized Neighborhood Look Like?

Draw it!

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Habitat for Humanity Mission

Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build

homes, communities, and hope.

The Future

“Neighborhood Revitalization is the way of the future and is an essential element of Habitat’s work. By focusing on entire neighborhoods, we can greatly increase our impact.”

Jonathan Reckford, CEO

Habitat for Humanity International

NR is NOT an Isolated Program

What I hear:•We only get property in bad neighborhoods.•Prospective homeowners don’t want to live in the neighborhood where we have property.•Our Habitat neighborhood/subdivision is experiencing crime.•Families want to give/sell their house back to Habitat. •It is hard to raise whole-house sponsorship.

The Answer: NR

We practice ABCD or Asset-Based Community Development

Links to ABCD and our guide on my.habitathttp://www.abcdinstitute.org/resources/

http://my.habitat.org/kc/collection-detail/g35d41/Asset-Based-Community-Development-ABCD

Suggestion--Set the Table

Differently

Betterment to Empowerment

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Practice Putting on Asset-Based Glasses Practice Putting on Asset-Based Glasses

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Questions to Help Redefine Power and Responsibility

1) What functions can Neighborhood residents perform by themselves?

2) What functions can neighbors achieve with some additional help from institutions? (including HFH)

3) What functions must institutions perform on their own?

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Making the Decision

Status Quo

Engager

Catalyst

Transformer

Four Levels of Community Engagement

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STATUS QUO

Goal: Serve Habitat families as best we can within thecurrent goals and activities.

Description: An affiliate’s main focus is on Habitat families.Any benefits to the community is as an indirectresult of assistance provided to the families. An affiliatecontinues to serve only Habitat families throughexisting services.

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STATUS QUOExamples Activities building homes, service to Habitat families, etc.

Risk Building in unsafe neighborhoods and families want to move. Thus, a great risk to your mortgage portfolio. Building Habitat developments that are aging and deteriorating. HFHI mission has changed from homes built tofamilies served—Does that fulfill the mission?

Reward Grateful Habitat families for services received.

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ENGAGER

Goal: Serve Habitat families but also assist theircommunities in meeting a basic levelof sustainability.

Description: Affiliate focuses primarily on qualifiedfamilies but also does projects that may be ofbenefit to the community. There is minimalcommunity engagement. No extra resources areinvolved and staff is minimally engaged. Affiliate has no"skin in the game” but is still helpful.

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ENGAGERExample Community clean up

Risks Minimal risks involved. Very little chance that conflict orliability will arise from beautification or educationactivities. Staff and donors may question work outside the mission.

Rewards This role can be a beginning step in communityengagement and building a relationship with residents Convening residents, providing education, acting as aresource or helping them gather resources can help buildsustainable development without much investment.

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CATALYSTGoal: Affiliate serves focus community by acting as a resource for them to achieve sustainability andcommunity goals.

Description: Affiliate commits to limited involvement.Agree to invest time, funds or resources.The intent is to help build sustainability; however,engagement is limited to being involved in aproject or helping residents improve in at leastone of the things they want to accomplish.

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CATALYST Examples Implement Critical Home Repair, HomePreservation, Weatherization, and Rehabs Convene homeowners/residents for the purposeof helping them improve their neighborhood Use contacts and resources to get otherorganizations, public, and private sector involved, i.e. getting a play area for children.

Risks Need to be clear about what affiliate will and won’t do. Repair liability risks in a) lead paint, b) doing interiors, etc. Acting before you're ready.

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CATALYSTRewards Sponsors/Funders can afford smaller amounts for rehabresulting in more funders and possibly morefunding. Usually means more potential projects and morepartners for the Affiliate Earns the appreciation of the neighborhood May help stabilize mortgage portfolio Improves your quarterly report numbers withHFHI (families served)

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TRANSFORMER

Goal: Affiliate primarily serves a focus community by helping them achieve empowerment and realizetheir full potential by implementing their vision.

Description: Affiliate commits to being involved andwork as a Partner with residents to realize a highervision - something tangible and sustainable. Affiliate and other partners utilize contacts and resources to help get things done. "It's not us helping them, it’s us helpingus” – Habitat of Greater Harrisburg, PA

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TRANSFORMERExamples Implement Critical Home Repair, Home Preservation,Weatherization, and Rehabs in focus neighborhood Rebuild playground Refurbished community center Help attract new partners, churches, private and publicagencies to work with community Work as part of a coalition to provide other services (e.g.,computer lab, literacy program, community garden, etc) Demolish crack houses, condemned garage, and blightedhomes.

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TransformerRisks May need written Agreements, Memorandum of Understanding, or other written agreements with partners. Need good Construction Manager to ensure a goodunderstanding of state construction requirements Need to ensure that you have adequate funding to completeproject to avoid financial risk Risk to reputation if project(s) are left uncompleted Shifting to more rehabs and repairs with funding tailoreddownward, risk of not getting back to higher levels of funding May need to reassess staff requirements in order to attend multiple meetings, provide education services to the public.

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TRANSFORMERRewards You’ve extended your family. You’ve improved the quality oflife of kids, families, and residents. Mission accomplished. “The better the relations, the less the risk” – MaconIt is easier to attract money for these projects It is easier to attract money for these projects Increased the number of Partners and the level of fundraising Additional opportunities for Affiliate to give to volunteersto understand more about need and poverty and to have animpact Good reason to Celebrate and Party!!!!

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Putnam County HFH, Cookeville, TNPam Ealey, E.D

Questions for discussion

1.What do you like most about what you heard?

2.What concerns/roadblocks do you have/see?

3.What risks do you see?

4.What is needed for you affiliate to make the decision—status quo, engager, catalyst, transformer?

Next Steps

Voice your affiliate’s interest in NR

Send an email to nr@habitat.org or call the Support Center

ODC assigned

Work with ODC toward orienting all levels of your organization

Design intensive consultancy

June 2008© Copyright 2008