| Huntsville, Alabama, has consistently been named as one of the best places to live and work by a variety of national publications. Technology, space, and defense industries have a major presence in the city of 160,000 residents. The city is home to the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the Cummings Research Park, and several Fortune 500 companies.
The economic news is not as good in Huntsville's Terry Heights/Hillandale and Lowe Mill Village neighborhoods, however. Low incomes, unemployment, crime, and substandard housing are hindering the neighborhoods' growth and development.
In Terry Heights/Hillandale, median family income is estimated at approximately $22,000, and 51 percent of families are considered low income. Almost a quarter of the population is unemployed, and 22 percent of the neighborhood's housing has been assessed by the City of Huntsville as needing minor to major repairs.
Public safety is a major concern for the residents of Lowe Mill Village. In 1998, the neighborhood had the highest crime rate in the city of Huntsville. Lowe Mill Village has a large number of substandard, single-family rental units, which threaten the social stability of the neighborhood, and depress the value of owner-occupied homes.
Since 2000, Oakwood College in Huntsville has been using Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) funds to help Lowe Mill Village establish the Lowe Mill Village Community Development Corporation (LMVCDC). LMVCDC is currently taking steps to increase safety in the neighborhood, establish a computer center to train residents and the staff of local organizations, and purchase blighted properties so they can be renovated and sold to area residents.
In the past year, Oakwood has expanded its HBCU activities into Terry Heights/Hillandale, where it plans to rehabilitate 20 substandard, owner-occupied homes. The college will mentor and strengthen the Terry Heights Community Development Corporation to ensure its sustainability and viability. It will also expand an after-school tutorial program for school-age children in the targeted areas.
Partners in the project include the Huntsville Community Development Department; Huntsville Housing Authority; West Huntsville Civic Association; Huntsville Police Department; Huntsville Public Library; Alabama State Employment Service; Huntsville City Schools; Madison County; Weed and Seed Project; Alabama A&M University; J.F. Drake State Technical College; the Coalition on At Risk Minority Males (COARMM); Seedco; Madison Mission Church; Break the Cycle Inc.; Lanier, Ford, Shaver, and Payne, P.C.; and the Madison County Commission.
|
