2000 Best Practice AwardsProgram and Geographical Winners: Kansas
Best Practice: Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Project
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Project Builds
Low-Income Homes
Kansas City.
The Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Project was established in 1994 to restore
an area in the Kansas City African-American community that was characterized
by blight, deteriorating infrastructure, abandoned housing, high crime and
a declining population. The project has begun site preparation and construction
of new affordable single-family homes that will be a significant housing
opportunity for very low-income first-time minority homebuyers. A day care
center has been established and a community education building is under
construction. Also planned is a senior center with senior housing. To recruit
qualified homebuyers, the project offers homebuyer education programs for
people interested in purchasing homes in the redevelopment area.
Contact: Ervin Sims, Jr., Phone: (913) 621-2525
Tracking Number: 800
Winning Category: Program (Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity)
Best Practice: Shorey Estates SubdivisionInfill
Housing
City of Topeka Builds Low- to Moderate
Single Family Homes
Topeka.
The City of Topeka has successfully redeveloped a city-owned, vacant parcel
of land that was once the site of 100 severely deteriorated public-housing
units. The land has been re-platted to support a new 24-unit single family
subdivision for low- to moderate-income families. A grant from the Capitol
Federal Foundation will pay all but $500 of the buyers closing costs.
Home construction is spearheaded by Goodwill Industries and Heartland Works,
which are providing skills training and comprehensive support services for
the welfare-to-work participants that are being trained to fill the areas
shortage of skilled construction workers. The adjoining property owner,
the YMCA, provides free memberships to all future Shorey Estates residents
and membership subsidies and waivers of program fees to all local public
housing tenants. In addition, the YMCA has converted the dilapidated community
center of the previous public-housing complex into a daycare center for
the children of low- to moderate-income families.
Contact: Kevin Rooney, Phone: (785) 368-4484
Tracking Number: 627
Winning Category: Program (Community Planning and Development)
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