Residents of a community know their hopes and dreams for their neighborhood — safe streets with decent and affordable homes, a place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, a park for the kids to play, a school where students thrive.

Through Habitat for Humanity’s neighborhood revitalization work, we tailor our efforts by partnering locally with residents and community leaders and organizations to best address real concerns and improve the lives of the people who live in the neighborhood. With residents leading revitalization efforts, Habitat’s work looks different in each community — a bank and grocery store in one, a youth center in another, walking trails, home repairs and community gardens in yet another.

What does neighborhood revitalization look like?

Our neighborhood revitalization work follows the guidelines provided in our Quality of Life Framework, a data-driven and customizable approach developed by Habitat and vetted by community development experts to help to improve neighborhoods. The framework focuses on first understanding the concerns of the residents and then empowering these residents to lead the projects they want to see. Alongside Habitat, residents work with churches, schools, new and longstanding neighborhood coalitions, local government and other community partners to achieve their goals.

Because each neighborhood’s challenges and aspirations are different, the framework acts as a guide that can be tailored to fit the goals of each community. That’s why neighborhood revitalization can look like anything from developing public parks to organizing safety meetings with the local police department to rehabbing and reopening schools, stores and homes.

See what neighborhood revitalization work looks like in these focus communities.

What is the goal of neighborhood revitalization?

Habitat’s decades of work illustrate that individuals and families thrive when they have a safe and stable home in a safe and stable community. Participating in neighborhood revitalization work allows Habitat to fully embrace our mission – to build homes, communities and hope.

The goal of neighborhood revitalization is to improve communities in a way that makes a lasting impact on the quality of life of its residents. By 2023, Habitat’s goal is to measurably improve 10 neighborhoods in the focus areas laid out by the Quality of Life Framework, such as housing, transportation, safety, amenities and education. In addition to these 10 focus communities, we also support the neighborhood revitalization work of local Habitat organizations by sharing resources, fundraising and trainings.

Get involved

Contact your local Habitat office to learn if it is participating in neighborhood revitalization and find out what you can do to help. If your local office is not currently participating in neighborhood revitalization efforts, encourage them to get involved in strengthening the communities around you.

Learn more about our neighborhood revitalization work in our 2017 Report, or email us at [email protected] with any questions.