Neighborhood Revitalization
Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity’s Neighborhood Revitalization program is a holistic approach to community development that expands the impact of Habitat’s traditional partnership with new homeowners and volunteers to include neighbors and local. Neighborhood Revitalization starts at the grassroots level — with residents determining the goals for their neighborhood. From there, Habitat works in partnership with local service providers (government agencies, other non-profits, Clayton County’s school system, etc.) to provide an array of resources to meet those needs. This program focuses on five main objectives: resident engagement, community upkeep, traffic and safety improvements, youth engagement, and parks/gardens.
Resident Engagement
Resident and stakeholder engagement is at the foundation of comprehensive community transformation. To ensure meaningful input and participation in the planning and redevelopment of their communities, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity fully engages residents and community stakeholders in the comprehensive design and implementation of our neighborhood revitalization efforts. Throughout the process, we connect residents with nonprofit service providers, public agencies, philanthropies, faith-based organizations and other local stakeholders to build and support vibrant, self-sustaining communities.
Project Examples
- Neighborhood Visioning and Goal Setting
- Neighborhood Leadership Development
- Establishing incorporated Homeowners Association for neighborhood
- Establishing Resident Project based Committees
Community Upkeep
Project Examples
- Home Repair Projects in Neighborhood
- Community wide clean-up
- Advocacy training
- Resident volunteer days
- Homeowner education classes
Traffic and Safety Improvements
When a community takes ownership of their traffic safety problems, it’s members are in the best position to make a difference. Habitat helps neighborhood residents create a shared vision of saving lives and preventing injuries caused by traffic and safety related issues and their associated costs to the community.
Project Examples
- Neighborhood wide safety walk/education
- Advocacy for transportation and road improvements
- Establishing Neighborhood Watch
Youth Engagement
Youth engagement is essential to the long term sustainability of Neighborhood Revitalization and the future prosperity of neighborhoods. Youth are more than passive recipients of external influences; Habitat helps young residents become actively involved in shaping their development by interacting with the people and opportunities made available within their community. Through youth engagement, communities can do a better job of creating the services, opportunities, and supports that young people need to develop in healthy, productive ways. Research suggests that a supportive family background, mentors or role models, involvement in cooperative activities, cultivation of intrinsic interest, awareness of moral and political issues, and traits such as moral sensitivity and optimism are among the central factors that support youth engagement. Habitat’s NR Youth Engagement program works to make those factors a reality in the lives of young residents in the community.
Project Examples
- Safety education
- Community Block Party
- Youth volunteer days/projects
- Youth leadership development
Parks and Gardens
Community parks and open spaces improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our neighborhoods vibrant, more attractive places to live and work. Many studies have shown that parks and open space increase the value of neighboring residential property. They offer recreational opportunities for at risk youth, low income children, and low income families. Access to public parks and recreational facilities has been strongly linked to reductions in crime and an increase positive health outputs for residents. Low income neighborhoods are especially short of park spaces. Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is committed to addressing this imbalance through our Neighborhood Revitalization program.
Project Examples
- Establishing home or community gardens
- Renovating neighborhood parks
- Gardening education classes
- Mural painting and design
For the last two years, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity has been working to revitalize one Clayton County neighborhood in College Park, Georgia. With the partnership of the Clayton County Neighborhood Revitalization Coalition and various financial sponsors, Habitat has worked with residents to complete home repairs and community projects that address self-identified needs in the neighborhood.
For more information on how to get involved with SCHFH’s NR program, please contact us at development@schabitat.org.
Sponsors / Partners
- Lowe’s Home Improvement
- Wells Fargo
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Clayton County Board of Commissioners
- Clayton County Neighborhood Revitalization Coalition
- Clayton State University
For more information on how to get involved with SCHFH’s NR program, please contact us at development@schabitat.org.
