City Donates 10 Adjudicated Properties to A Shared Initiative, Inc.
By: Alicia Sanchez

After months of anticipation, A Shared Initiative, Inc has finally received the news from the City of New Orleans they had been waiting for; they were given ten adjudicated properties in their target area, the St Claude Community in the Upper Ninth Ward, to clean up and rebuild. A Shared Initiative, Inc (ASII) had applied to the city for properties in this neighborhood as part of their revitalization and rebuilding project in early June; they received the notice of award in mid-October.

A Shared Initiative, Inc is involved in targeted neighborhood development - to empower the residents of St Claude to create their own change and grow their community as they want to see it. As part of ASII’s endeavor to instigate this change, ASII will also open a community center, located at 3401 St Claude Ave, to address social and environmental factors (other than housing) that present obstacles to the community’s development and growth.

Although housing is ASII’s focus, community development is ASII’s goal. Therefore, with help from various partners around the city and the country, ASII will be able to make a sustained effort possible in this neighborhood.

NeighborWorks America has been an integral partner in this project. By providing seed funding, NeighborWorks America will enable ASII to fully fund the predevelopment and development of at least the first four properties ASII will develop. Due to NeighborWorks’ dedication to ASII’s initiative, this partnership will make a large impact in the community – both in housing and the larger implications community development can bring to neighborhood development.

Since the City notified ASII of their award, ASII has been working diligently with modular home developers (mostly out of Houston and Baton Rouge) to find the most affordable packages for their clients. After surveys conducted on their first property, 1808 Alvar St, the property was demolished by the City (a free service for non-profit housing developers) due to the lack of the structural integrity of the building. Development on this parcel will begin soon (by early February), along with other services offered by ASII.

Through ASII, clients have access to housing counseling, first time homebuyer training, financial literacy classes, downpayment and closing cost assistance, and a multitude of other services through the community center and their partners.