| Jackson State University (JSU) in Jackson, Mississippi, is working with its community partners to address the decline in housing conditions of the West Jackson community. The project will use HBCU funds to increase homeownership, reduce substandard housing, eliminate abandoned and vacant housing, and increase the supply of affordable housing in the city's Washington Addition neighborhood.
At the core of the project is an initiative to purchase and rehabilitate six vacant properties in the university's neighborhood. When completed, these properties will be sold to low- and moderate-income individuals and families who have successfully completed a JSU-sponsored homeownership education program. Proceeds from the sale of homes will be used to establish a revolving acquisition and rehabilitation fund. JSU will use this fund to rehabilitate additional housing.
Washington Addition is located in the western section of the City of Jackson. This 485-acre community has a total population of 2,155 residents, of which 99 percent are African American. Half of the residents have incomes below the poverty level and 11 percent are unemployed. The 1990 median household income in West Jackson was $7,141, compared to $23,270 in the City of Jackson.
The West Jackson area, including Washington Addition, needs help to improve its housing stock and, in the process, increase homeownership. Only 25 percent of homes in the area are owner-occupied compared to 55.4 percent citywide. Half of the area's 2,218 housing units are classified as substandard. The average home value in Washington Addition was only $22,250 in 1990, compared to $69,758 citywide. A 22-percent vacancy rate has made the neighborhood susceptible to crime, drugs, and illegal dumping. These conditions have led to commercial and economic decline. Few businesses and jobs exist in the area, further compounding the community's problems.
JSU's community partners--who call themselves the West Jackson Community Development Partnership--have agreed to provide either financial resources or technical assistance to support the project goals. These partners include the City of Jackson, JSU Educational Building Corporation, Jackson Redevelopment Authority, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, Fannie Mae, Voice of Calvary Ministries, Washington Additional Neighborhood Association, Resources and Asset Management Company, West Jackson Community Development Corporation, and private developers. The West Jackson Community Development Partnership will continue after the HBCU project is implemented. This will enable JSU to meet future community development needs in West Jackson.
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