Breaking New Ground in St. Louis County

By: Dan Sise, Director of Real Estate

Given the scope of the infrastructure improvements needed to make a development on Ryan Terrace feasible, we decided to pursue that project for 2004, when our home building project will be the “40 homes in 40 days” Blitz Build within the City of St. Louis. Since the City Blitz Build will be our only home building project that year, we will pursue St. Louis County funding which we would normally receive to improve the infrastructure of Ryan Terrace with a comprehensive plan for the subsequent construction of new houses on that improved street the following year. (I still think this last sentence is long and confusing.)

While Habitat is pleased with the development plan that will enable us to complete our build commitment in Wellston, we realized that we needed to look elsewhere for an actual house-building project in St. Louis County in 2003. After consulting governmental leaders like St. Louis County Councilman Charlie Dooley, and officials like Phil Minden in the St. Louis County Office of Community Development, we decided to shift our sights to Wellston’s northern neighbor, Hillsdale.

At this time, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis plans to build 12 new homes in Hillsdale in 2003. All of the properties for this project are being acquired from either the Village of Hillsdale or the St. Louis County Trustee’s Office. The homes, located on the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Mount Avenue, will range in size from approximately 1,056 – 1,200 square feet. The Hillsdale Build should begin mid-March and last until July or August.

Hillsdale has a population of approximately 1,477, and is located immediately west of the City of St. Louis. Its eastern border is Skinker/Keinlen, its western border is Lucas & Hunt Road, and St. Louis Avenue runs through the middle of the Village. Once a community with viable industrial, commercial and residential bases, Hillsdale now suffers from the same economic woes crippling many of the municipalities bordering the northwest side of the City of St. Louis. According to the most recent census data, the median household income in Hillsdale is $22,159. Within that demographic, almost 33 percent of the households in Hillsdale live on less than $15,000 a year. As a direct result, condemned houses and cleared lots pepper almost every part of the Village.

With all of these hurdles standing in our way, many may ask, “Why bother building in this small suburb? Surely it’s too far-gone; surely it deserves only to be forgotten, as so many other urban communities have been forgotten.” But where others only see problems, Habitat chooses to see hope. Where others only find obstacles, Habitat sees and appreciates new opportunities.

This isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky attitude. We would not risk the well being of our future homeowners by engaging in an overly optimistic assessment of Hillsdale’s chances. Rather, there are positive signs of change and examples of spirit and determination all over Hillsdale. For example, the St. Louis County Office of Community Development has made a commitment to the redevelopment of Hillsdale. The office has invested significant funds into the demolition and clearing of dilapidated homes in the Village, and has told us that they will continue to work with the Village to remove problem housing to make way for future opportunities.

In addition to its demolition efforts, the Office of Community Development has also worked closely with us to guarantee our soft cost funding needs for not only 2003, but also for future builds in the Village. These guarantees come at a time when many government programs are shrinking or disappearing, and not-for-profit agencies have to compete for forms of funding.

Another sign of good things to come is the commitment of the St. Louis Equity fund to build new rental housing in the Village. The Equity Fund is a not-for-profit entity that provides tax credits as a form of investment opportunities for corporations. It uses these corporate investments to provide and develop affordable rental housing. Having successfully developed and rehabbed numerous affordable rental homes in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood in the City of St. Louis, the Equity Fund now turns its considerable commitment and resources to the Village of Hillsdale. At last count, the Equity Fund planned to develop 15 affordable rental houses in Hillsdale in 2003, with a commitment for additional development in subsequent years. The combined efforts of the Equity Fund and Habitat for Humanity St. Louis will have a major, positive impact on the Village and its residents in 2003 and beyond.

Along those lines, everyone responsible for the planning of the Hillsdale development realized that we could not just drop 12 homes into this community and then walk away. In order to help ensure the success of our homeowners, we realize that we need to make a multi-year commitment to the Village in order to do what we can to help ensure its continuing redevelopment and growth. With that goal in mind, Habitat’s preliminary analysis indicates that we may ultimately be able to build as many as 30 homes on roughly three blocks in one small part of the Village within the next few years. While we feel that this prospect alone is reason to be excited about the Hillsdale Build, when taken in conjunction with the commitment of the Equity Fund to build in Hillsdale, we feel confident that Hillsdale will be a stable place for our partner families to grow and prosper in the years to come.

But even beyond these outside indicators of positive change, there are other, more subtle signs within Hillsdale itself that it has what it takes to work toward a new day. As you tour the part of Hillsdale in which Habitat plans to build this year, you can’t help but notice that a good number of the remaining houses have clearly had love and attention poured into them. Impressive by the standards of any community with housing stock as old as Hillsdale’s, this observation takes on even more significance when considering what it must have taken to keep those houses in nice condition in the face of the economic challenges facing the Village and its residents. This is clearly a sign that someone cares, and someone wants to make things work.

As for the Village itself, Habitat for Humanity St. Louis may never have worked with a civic leader more enthusiastic and determined than the Village Chairperson Dorothy Moore. While some projects take significant amounts of time and effort to grind out the scope of their details, the Hillsdale build has come together relatively smoothly and easily due in large part to Moore’s excitement about the project. She recognizes the new opportunity provided by a Habitat Build project, and she has done everything she can to turn that opportunity into a reality.

Beyond all this, Hillsdale is a community that can benefit from a Habitat development almost as much as our homeowners benefit from acquiring a Habitat home. Because of the current conditions in Hillsdale, because of the need for some stimulus, we feel compelled to do what we can to improve the Village and the lives of its existing residents. Again, where others see only hurdles, we see the opportunity to have a positive impact on an area that needs someone to take that chance.

In the end, we think that’s really what it’s all about – taking a chance on a new opportunity. Habitat for Humanity provides so many forms of new opportunities. With your help, we provide the opportunity for homeowners and their families to better their lives. We provide municipalities with the opportunity to bring in a new development that will be a catalyst for positive change in the area. We provide the opportunity for volunteers and sponsors to work with individuals and communities that can benefit from their commitment, and subsequently be an outlet for their spirit, drive and vision. It’s all about new opportunities, and Habitat for Humanity St. Louis is committed to creating and realizing those opportunities for all of God’s people.