by Ann Huskey
Do you have a vision of the community that you want to live in?
Perhaps, you love your current neighborhood but know of ways that it could be better. As a REALTOR®, I am always looking for ways to improve and strengthen our community and neighborhoods. I have compiled a list of ways that you can help make your neighborhoods and our community a better place to live!
Homeownership
The number one way to improve a neighborhood and community is by encouraging homeownership!
There have been countless studies that show the positive effect that homeownership has on a community. These studies show that benefits such as higher educational achievement, increased civic participation, improved health, lower crime rates, and an increase in property maintenance/ improvement are all linked to increased levels of homeownership within a given area.
You may be wondering, “How can I encourage homeownership?” The easiest way to encourage homeownership within any community is by supporting the local REALTORS®. The largest and most effective proponents of homeownership in the United States is the National Association of Realtors (NAR.) From their headquarters, located steps away from the United States Capitol in Washington, NAR advocates every day for federal policy changes and initiatives that strengthen the homeownership.
There are also several local programs in place to improve upon Tallahassee’s existing neighborhoods:
Code Enforcement Rehabilitation Program
This is a program that assists low-income homeowners in eliminating exterior code violations while improving and preserving our local neighborhoods.
More information can be found at: https://www.energy.gov/savings/city-tallahassee-utilities-grant-programs
Storm Damage Mitigation Program
This program is designed to assist low-income homeowners in repairs and improvements that mitigate the risk of storm damage.
More information can be found at: http://talgov.com/neighborhoodservices/housing.aspx
Emergency Home Repair Program
The goal of the Emergency Home Repair Program (EHRP) is to improve the living conditions of low-income homeowners by removing health and safety hazards and/or architectural barriers from their homes.
More information can be found here: http://www.talgov.com/neighborhoodservices/housing-emergrepair.aspx
Community Gardening
The City of Tallahassee encourages citizens to work with their neighbors to build, cultivate, and maintain gardens on public lands by offering the use of city lands for public gardens. You may contact the Tallahassee Food Network with any questions at (850) 891-8465.
