The National Community Development Association (NCDA) will recognize the city of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department as a winner of the Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award at its annual meeting on Jan. 22, in Washington, DC.
The national award's program recognizes exemplary use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG,) HOME, and other community development funds to address the needs of neighborhoods and families.
Being recognized is the city's innovative development of programs in Neighborhood Initiative Areas (NIA) and the use of neighborhood oriented code enforcement programs. With this project, the city of Phoenix has undertaken an innovative neighborhood revitalization partnership program that is based on collaboration between residents, city of Phoenix, businesses and non-profit organizations.
Over the last four years of the program, city staff worked with property owners to bring 7,778 properties into compliance with the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance. Strategies to achieve and keep properties in compliance have included coordinating neighborhood clean up events, enforcing codes, and educating residents through either one-on-one contact or community meetings. The award focuses on staff's close interaction with neighborhood partners to address property maintenance issues in a positive and proactive manner.
Since the inception of the NIA program, the city has designated six neighborhoods as NIA's. Programs in each neighborhood focus city resources in targeted areas for comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. The resources include code enforcement, blight abatement, housing development, economic development, infrastructure improvements, training and social programs.
The Audrey Nelson Award is named for Audrey Nelson, the first deputy executive secretary of NCDA. Ms. Nelson grew up in an inner city Chicago neighborhood that was a target area of neighborhood based community development efforts. Her commitment to these efforts was cut short when she died tragically at the age of 29.
