Troy's Community Newsletter

City to City

by Patricia Dumas

Throughout the United States, citizens who are sincerely concerned about the quality of life in their communities have managed to turn complaints and discouragement into positive programs for improvement. Looking for suggestions on how our city can be improved, Troy United Ink has researched some of those programs. This is the first in a series of articles based on our research.

Areas of concern vary from city to city but there are common symptoms of blight which, unchecked, lead to neighborhood deterioration. Concerned citizens recognize that neighborhood deterioration results in:

• Decreased property values
• Little or no sense of community
• Fear for personal and material safety
• Health hazards
• Environmental dangers
• Lack of economic opportunities

Funding sources exist to help cities thwart deterioration. The funding is channeled through state and federal grants, municipal matching funds, neighborhood organizations, and volunteer donations. The common denominator in all of the successful programs is dedicated citizen interest and volunteer work hours.

One of the major funding sources that exists to help cities improve their neighborhoods is the Community Development Grant Program (CDBG) which is administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). That program provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties so they may provide decent housing and improve living conditions. The local government units administer the program according to federal regulations.

TUI's research shows that regardless of the funding source that is tapped, successful neighborhood improvement programs rely on carefully organized staffing and have set goals to be accomplished within a specified time frame.

The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota lists the following paid staff assignments: Housing Organizer, Arts Organizer, Community Building Organizer, Executive Director, and Office Manager. Working in those posts, the staff assists residents in finding housing, helps organize tenant groups, hosts cultural events, provides business skill training for artists, coordinates community litter pick-ups and flower planting, and places volunteers in jobs that are appropriately related to their skills and talents.

Careful staffing, the neighborhood group points out, enables citizens to move from a something-has-to-be done realization into a concerted defined program with proven results.

In Tacoma, Washington, the City Council toured neighborhood back alleys, pinpointing symptoms of blight that could gradually escalate into citywide deterioration, The council members found litter and debris, abandoned and junk vehicles, overgrown lots, and abandoned buildings. That tour led to the TACOMA CARES program of cleanup and revitalization.

"Any person in any neighborhood has the power to use existing blight-fighting tools to make a huge difference. The result is a thriving city made up of livable neighborhoods," the TACOMA CARES newsletter reminds citizens.

The Tacoma program addresses city improvement under four specific headingsùclean-up, revitalization, citizen participation, and education. Improvement projects are organized under sub-headings in each of those focus areas. Goals are spelled out, procedure is detailed, and results are documented.

• Richmond, Virginia has adopted ordinances designed to improve neighborhood cleanliness and promote citizen safety.
• Hampton, Virginia has established a public review process to measure the success of its funded improvement programs.
• Orlando, Florida works through a Mayor's Neighborhood Matching Grants Program to encourage neighborhood improvement projects.
• Provo, Utah has involved its school communities in neighborhood enhancement.
• Redmond, California has initiated a Neighborhood Matching Fund program to finance physical improvements to play areas and bus shelters, to provide equipment for youth centers, to promote community beautification activities, and to coordinate traffic safety efforts.

Details of the various city programs will be featured in future issues of Troy United Ink. Our reports are aimed at encouraging Troy citizens and officials to make use of the many resources available for our city's improvement.

In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation
Items published herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of Troy United Ink Corp., its officers or it's Board of Directors.

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