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Habitat International
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| Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson is a Christian organization and welcomes volunteers from all faiths who are committed to Habitat's goal of eliminating poverty housing. |
In 1993 Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson made the decision to concentrate its effort on one neighborhood in order to increase the impact of the homes being built by Habitat. Thus the Midtown initiative was born. Now thirteen years later Habitat has built over 180 homes in the Midtown neighborhood. Rows of vacant shotgun shacks have been replaced by new houses with neatly trimmed lawns. Where drug dealers once filled the streets, children walk home safely from school. The success of this effort by Habitat in Midtown creates a new vision for the future of inner city neighborhoods everywhere.
Following this highly successful model, Habitat is now entering a new dimension in its fight against poverty housing in Metro Jackson.
Bringing Home a Vision of the Future
Habitat announced in September, 2003 The Nehemiah Project which is an initiative to build 100 homes in the next three years in Midtown, Mid City/Georgetown, Battlefield Park, Poindexter Park and other Jackson neighborhoods. The goal of this project is to revitalize these neighborhoods and reduce crime, while impacting businesses, schools and the entire city. Habitat's commitment to inner city neighborhoods strengthens our downtown area by stabilizing these blighted areas with homeowners. Habitat homeowners currently pay over $100,000 in property taxes to the City of Jackson' thus effectively recycling property from the delinquent tax rolls to revenue generating homeowners.
Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson has housed over 350 families locally improving the lives of nearly 1,200 metro area citizens, since 1986. This is a dollar investment of close to $12 million, but the investment is even greater in human terms. Adequate housing directly impacts and affects the health and well being of children and families. In addition, hundreds more are affected as current residents in the neighborhoods enjoy the benefits of the revitalization of their streets and communities. The Nehemiah Project will enable 350 more residents to obtain good housing.
This bold initiative is only possible through many partners working together with Habitat for Humanity in the community.
Specifically The Nehemiah Project is:
A $5.4 million initiative to build 100 homes in 3 years in the following inner city neighborhoods as well as other Jackson neighborhoods.
With your support and help, Habitat has been hard at work in Jackson’s neediest and poorest neighborhoods. Within these areas 40% of all families with children under 18 live in poverty. Providing their family adequate shelter is one of the most difficult necessities a working poor family struggles with given their meager and limited resources. Substandard shelter affects a family not only physically with related health issues but also emotionally as it defines how they see themselves in the broader community.
Three years ago Habitat for Humanity/Metro Jackson announced its vision for the future of Jackson and asked your help. Just as Nehemiah called on people of faith to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Habitat called on the people of Jackson to join together to rebuild the walls of our city as symbolized by its surrounding inner city neighborhoods. You answered that call and became a member of Habitat’s Nehemiah Builders which is the backbone of Habitat’s financial support for this bold visionary plan.
This bold initiative is only possible through many partners working together with Habitat for Humanity in the community. Please click here to go to the partners page.