Evanston submits housing strategy

A blueprint for revitalizing Evanston's housing has been submitted to Cincinnati City Councilmember Laketa Cole.

Evanston Housing Strategy: Revitalizing "The Educating Community", consisting of several pages of printed PowerPoint slides, was submitted by Evanston Community Council (ECC) President Anzora Adkins and is likely to be reviewed by council's Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee.

The ECC will design and implement a marketing plan, which will include loan programs and products and employer-assisted housing programs through Xavier University.

To better address localized issues, the neighborhood has been divided into the five housing districts of Jonathan Meadows, Five Points, East Evanston, Owl's Nest/O'Bryonville and Idlewild.

New housing, to be developed in association with the Community Redevelopment Group, includes:

* Jonathan Meadows: 24 units on Jonathan Avenue starting at $175,000
* Five Points: Senior housing at Fairfield and Hewitt avenues
* Owl's Nest/O'Bryonville: Senior housing at Woodburn Avenue and DeSales Lane

To assist the neighborhood's seniors, the ECC suggests the creation of a Senior Living Program, in partnership with Xavier University's Occupational Therapy Department.

Ideas include a model home and learning lab, home improvements to allow seniors to retain their independence, maintenance assistance from area youth, and improved communications and access to senior services.

In Idlewild, the ECC envisions new student housing owned and managed by the Community Redevelopment Group or another community development corporation (CDC).

The ECC believes that this will improve the area close to Xavier's campus, make the area safer, and create new revenue for the CDC.

According to the blueprint, there are several neighborhood positives, including its central location, its educational opportunities, its great housing stock and high percentage of homeownership, its number of long-time residents and its community pride.

The ECC lists several current projects upon which it can build:

* The Xavier Square "East Campus" development plan
* Redevelopment of the Five Points District
* The King Records redevelopment project at Montgomery Road and Brewster Avenue
* Redevelopment on Montgomery Road, south of Dana Avenue
* Improvements to Evanston Park and Owl's Nest Park
* New streetscapes on Montgomery Road, Woodburn Avenue and Dana Avenue
* Façade improvements

The ECC hopes to accomplish its objectives by setting small, achievable goals that will have the maximum impact.

The strategy, which was approved by the ECC in 2007, was developed with technical support from the Community Building Institute and partnerships with the Community Redevelopment Group, the Homeownership Center of Greater Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Empowerment Zone.