ST. LOUIS – In an effort to promote positive messages and showcase ongoing momentum around economic justice, FOX 2 and News 11 have partnered with the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) on a new monthly segment called “Positively St. Louis.” This month, FOX 2’s Kelley Hoskins is featuring affordable housing made possible by the agencies of creation of the housing access, through the Economic Justice Action Plan and Neighborhood Stabilization Revolving Fund.
Construction is underway right now to build affordable housing with grants provided by the SLDC. It’s a wealth building pathway to home ownership in at risk neighborhoods. The SLDC is on a mission to uplift, empower and bring hope to neighborhoods and strengthen families. Two major partners, the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation (TCDC) and Habitat for Humanity St. Louis have received the funding needed to build 26 new and rehab affordable housing for St. Louis families to buy on the 3600 and 3700 blocks of Herbert Street.
The Herbert Homes Project was one of the first beneficiaries of the Housing Access and Neighborhood Stabilization Revolving Fund. Pastor Andre Alexander is the lead pastor for The Tabernacle Church and the founder of TCDC. He says, “when you start building homes and changing whole entire blocks you are getting into root causes. You are creating jobs, changing infrastructure. You are sending a message of hope. You are not leaving broken lots or broken homes and this is what makes this a positive message. You are getting at the root of the issues to address it.”
Pastor Andre says, this project will bring stabilization to a neighborhood that has been neglected for years, “this whole entire block will be changed, you will have new construction, three bedroom 2 and a half bath, 14-hundred square feet, also additional rehab homes.” Alexander continues, “this is about sending a message of hope to a neighborhood and to a community. An area where they have seen so much removed as well as empty and false promises, this is about writing wrongs and about doing what is right this is about seeing not just physical investment, but people investment.”
This is exactly what the CEO and President of SLDC wants to hear. He tells us, “the Herbert Street Project is a phenomenal set of work that’s been done by a great grassroot organization, Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, lead by Pastor Andre Alexander. They are doing some phenomenal work to be able to create not just affordable housing but creating the pathway ownership through affordable ownership opportunities building over 20 homes that will be made available to over 20 residents within North St. Louis City.”
The program is targeted for families earning 80% of the area median income or less, which is about $75,000 for a family of four. Richardson says, “there hasn’t been a home purchase in over 10 years in that area. That doesn’t only impact the current residents but that impacts the future residents to have a desire to want to live there. Our goal is to be able to stimulate private investment, private growth by inserting investment through the Rescue Plan Act Dollars that provides grants to subsides. Homeownership also provides opportunities for those who are at 76 thousand dollars or below to purchase homes in these growing areas, so they can bring back vibrancy and revitalization to neighborhood that is desperately needs that’s the goal of SLDC is to be able to create economic opportunities where they currently don’t exist.”
Offering wealth building pathways to homeownership in at-risk neighborhoods. This is just Phase 1 of a 10-to-15 year development plan that looks at the transformation where people live, work and play. This is what Positively St. Louis looks like.
To learn more or to get involved, visit DevelopStLouis.org.