Nonprofit aims to rebuild south St. Louis neighborhoods a house at a time
"It's an American dream," said Estrada-Mendoza, a forklift operator who immigrated with his wife to
Then they heard about a place just a few blocks away on
Finally, a place of their own
Though the rooms were unfinished when
Several local agencies are targeting the
In July, the Estrada-Mendozas became
"This is a vibrant area, but we want to make sure the neighborhoods are stabilized," said
Flood, along with St. Louis Archbishop
"You ought to think about doing houses," the archbishop told her.
It was just the opening she had been waiting for. Flood pulled a map out of her bag. She had already outlined an area, loosely bracketed from east to west by
It is one of the most densely populated parts of the city, with a high concentration of young people. And it's diverse: In Dutchtown, the nexus of
Electrician
But less than a third of
Families would stabilize. Neighborhoods would stabilize.
"Homeownership is the path to growing your median net worth," Flood said. "There's a huge disparity between blacks, Hispanics and whites. We wanted to face that wealth disparity."
According to the
The archbishop agreed to raise half a million dollars in seed money.
By October of last year, the nonprofit had purchased the home on the 5000 block of South Grand and hired a contractor.
The big projects -- roofing and flooring, plumbing, heating and cooling -- are handled by professionals to avert any major repairs for several years.
Finally, a place of their own
Taking a break from
The St. Mary's varsity basketball team gathered one Saturday morning last spring, the day after they won the district championship, to clear out the cluttered basement of the Estrada-Mendozas' future home.
As long as they stay in the home for five years, they won't have to pay it back.
Like many other housing agencies,
It also strives to bolster community ties through its First Neighbor program, which pairs the new homeowners with a nearby family to provide support and personal connections. A couple who have lived on the street for 30 years became the Estrada-Mendozas' "first neighbors," joining the family for backyard barbecues and watching their rescue dog, Bella, when they went out of town.
Other efforts
The need for affordable housing in
"Groups like ours are not going to run out of material any time soon," Pickel said.
But for now, a single focus is the guiding force behind
"That way we don't have delays. We can act quickly," said
She works out of donated office space at St. Mary's and spends much of her time scouting houses, communicating with contractors and scheduling volunteers.
In the meantime, the Estrada-Mendozas are gearing up for the holidays on South Grand. Their tree is decorated. Four stockings -- bedecked with Snoopy and Frosty the Snowman -- line the brand-new mantle.
It should be the first Christmas of many there, said Estrada-Mendoza. "We want to make this our forever home."
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Though the rooms were unfinished when
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Electrician
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Taking a break from
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
Finally, a place of their own
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