Studies show that people of colour and low-income individuals are affected most by poor housing conditions. In the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, almost half (48%) the population is non-Caucasian and nearly one in three (29.7%) lives below the poverty line in ageing housing stock.
A project in the city’s Old Hill Neighbourhood has improved the health and quality of life of low-income households by carrying out vital home repairs and revitalising community spaces. It brings together thousands of volunteers from the local community and north-east region of the USA to renovate one city block on a single day each year, for 10 years.
The #GreenNFit Neighbourhood Rebuild programme is run by the Revitalize Community Development Corporation (Revitalize CDC). Revitalize CDC invests around $0.5 million USD into each annual block renovation, funded by cash and in-kind donations from a wide range of organisations. The Old Hill Neighbourhood project was completed in 2019 benefitting 4,371 people, including 191 households whose homes were repaired. Improvements included the development of a playground and two new community gardens, clearance of 33 vacant lots, and upgrades to five non-profit facilities and a public school for at-risk students.
The #GreenNFit model has been expanded to Holyoke, Massachusetts, where it is now improving quality of life for the almost one-in-three (29%) of children in the city who live below the poverty line.
