While Jerry and Bobbi Miller are working in their yard, Myrtle Burton chats with her neighbor, and Dymond Albritton watches his son play with kids down the street. It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago, police were calling the Blue Hills neighborhood the "Drug Capital" of Kansas City. The area has changed dramatically in the past decade thanks to the determination of good people living in the neighborhood and help from the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance….a CFC Agency.
The
Blue Hills neighborhood had been going down hill for years, with drugs, crime
and dilapidated housing forcing residents to flee, often leaving behind family
and longtime friends. Those who stayed pleaded for help. Finally, the city
responded, assigning more police officers and stepping up its neighborhood code
enforcement and the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance (KCNA) brought its
Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI) to Blue Hills.
In order to succeed, KCNA knew it had to get rid of the drug houses and resurrect hope and pride among people living in the Blue Hills neighborhood. KCNA came up with a five-point plan to help. It included getting Community Action Police Officers assigned to the area full-time; tearing down condemned and dangerous buildings (10% of 3,300 homes in the neighborhood); buying, rehabbing and selling homes that could be saved; helping residents and landlords get low-cost home repair loans; and nurturing leadership and involvement in the neighborhood.
The results have been amazing. Crime is down 49%. Property values are up 22%. Home improvement loans are up 400%. Home insurance rates have been cut by 40% and banks are offering special deals and competing to make loans.
People
seeking a quiet place, with well-maintained older homes are moving into the
neighborhood. Jerry and Bobbie Miller left an apartment in North Kansas City to
buy one of the KCNA restored homes. Bobbi says, "We love it here. It’s
half-a-block away from my mother, who still lives in the house where I grew up.
We watched the transformation as the Neighborhood Alliance was restored our new
home and everything just fell into place. They had received homeownership
training and were pre-approved for a loan, two things KCNA counselors encourage
and also help set up. The Millers love their new place, especially the
opportunity get out and work in the yard.
A few blocks away, Dymond Albritton is another new face. The Ford worker and his family moved in last November, buying an old stone home that KCNA had remodeled. Before closing the deal, Dymond went and sat on the porch for several weeks at 2 o’clock in the morning to watch the neighborhood at night. He says, "I barely heard a sound. It was great. We love being outdoors, whether it’s walking the dog, riding our bikes or just sitting on the porch watching the kids play. Living in a safe, quiet neighborhood is important to us."
Patricia
Keeling is one of the believers who refused to let the neighborhood die. She’s
lived in the Blue Hills area for 30 years. She’s active in the neighborhood
association and frankly admits they never could have turned things around
without help from KCNA. Keeling says, "As each family left, drug dealers,
gangs and slum landlords moved in. The turning point came when KCNA spearheaded
the demolition of abandoned buildings…and began buying, repairing and selling
those that could be saved. It gave people the courage to get involved in helping
police."
For now, KCNA’s neighborhood preservation effort is focused on three Kansas City neighborhoods---Blue Hills, Blue Valley and Vineyard. NPI Director Larry Washington says, "We have three other neighborhoods on a waiting list, but we don’t have the resources to expand the program." Washington believes the most important elements NPI brings to a neighborhood are hope and pride. He adds, "With hope, people aren’t afraid to invest money to fix up their homes. That results in a sense of pride and community. The transition takes time, but it’s exciting to see."