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Launching a New Era of Community Development We all live in a neighborhood. Many of us belong to neighborhood associations. For the most part, they collect annual dues, hold occasional meetings, plant flowers in the common areas and make sure your neighbor doesn’t do something to his or her property that violates association codes. In the early- to mid-1970s, a new type of neighborhood organization began to develop. The founders of these groups aimed not only at physical improvement but to alter the future course and character of the community they served. One of the earliest and most active of such organizations in Kansas City was the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition. The area organized by the Coalition spans both sides of Troost, from 49th to 63rd and Oak Street to Paseo. During the two decades prior to the mid-70s, neighborhoods to the east of Troost Avenue had repeatedly seen housing maintenance and values drop and whites rapidly abandon their neighborhoods upon entrance of African American families. By the time the transition was complete, the housing was usually in a poor state of repair. Creative-thinking resident leaders of the 49/63 Coalition were convinced that a stable, racially diverse community could be achieved. Their vision gained support and, in 1974, led to the establishment of NHS as an independent, not-for-profit Community Development Corporation. The new organization formed a partnership with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and, shortly thereafter, invited corporate investors to participate. The resulting public/private partnership involved city government expenditures for housing inspections and capital improvements, lender commitments to make loans in the area, plus private contributions for a rehabilitation loan fund. Kansas City businesses and foundations provided capital for the loan fund to assist homeowners unable to qualify for conventional loans. “It’s good to have a group like NHS, with an umbrella mission that works with a lot of different neighborhoods rather than one such as neighborhood associations did,” says former NHS Board Chair and long-time 49/63 resident Dwight Carlson. “NHS is close enough to know what’s going on in the neighborhoods, but far enough away to have a little more vision.” Building a Legacy of Public-Private Partnership Recognizing that decline or improvement in one neighborhood has a direct effect on nearby neighborhoods, NHS has expanded over the past three decades beyond the 49/63 neighborhood to include Center City, Hyde Park (north and south), Manheim Park, Squier Park, Longfellow and Beacon Hill. These neighborhoods cross many of the racial, economic and cultural divides of Kansas City. Today, NHS is a 501-C-3 nonprofit public charity that collaborates with city, state and federal agencies as a:
NHS also depends on private investors, including banks and insurance companies. “State Farm is a long-standing investor in NHS,” says State Farm Fire Team Manager Lawrence V. Bivins, “because they provide a basic yet very important life necessity that represents a vital part of what makes America a great country. NHS provides an opportunity to those who are less fortunate to gain access to quality affordable housing.” For companies like State Farm, supporting NHS is an opportunity not only to help people own and improve their homes but to realize the benefits that healthy communities with strong housing markets bring to their bottom line. NHS’ progress in achieving its mission is reflected in the growth of financial and technical support of investors, both public and private, whose confidence in NHS has been enhanced by the outcomes of a three-year strategic plan adopted in October 2001. Under the plan, NHS coordinated $12.6 million in housing stock revitalization and residential investment, with the multiplier effect resulting in nearly $22 million in benefits to targeted neighborhoods.
Changing Lives with Bricks and Mortar Very few tangible aspects of our lives mean more than our homes. They are our shelter, our refuge, our backdrop for memories of love and friendship. One of the oldest CDCs in Kansas City, Missouri, and the only one that offers a full range of mortgage loan services and products. NHS has changed thousands of lives by assisting families with housing needs, from minor home improvement financing to comprehensive direct mortgage loan assistance for purchase, purchase with rehabilitation, and refinancing with rehabilitation. Over three decades, the results of these efforts, representing $35.2 million in new direct capital investment, are plain to see in 899 units developed or redeveloped by NHS, including:
OUR MISSION To revitalize and maintain designated urban neighborhoods as vibrant areas that attract residents who value DIVERSITY, HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, SECURITY and COMMUNITY. Much has changed about NHS over the years, but much has remained the same. NHS prides itself as a hard-working, no-nonsense organization that currently focuses on four core strategies with three fundamental values:
Making a Difference on the Street “People who live in affordable, decent housing take care of their property and teach similar values to their children.” Emanuel Cleaver, Former Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. Squier
Park Townhomes Paseo
Boulevard Historic Restoration Project Parkway
Redevelopment Plan NHS
Paseo East Mortgage Company Community
Organizing Faces in the Neighborhood Diane and Jim Keech Erma and Raymond Davis Sr. Frazier and Jewel Taylor
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