Russell said she wants residents to live in a " clean , safe , up-to-date environment .”
“ If you live in a decent place , you feel good about yourself ,” she said . “ A lot of these people probably feel hopeless , so you want to give them hope .”
White noted the opening of the Spring Hill EnVision Center in the Claysburg neighborhood at the former Boys & Girls Club facility . It features a basketball court , gym , fitness room , computer room and a space for educational programming
He also noted that Community Action of Southern Indiana has moved into the former Spring Hill Elementary building in Claysburg .
A SHIFT IN OWNERSHIP FOR CLAYSBURG II TOWERS WILL MEAN AN $ 11.9 MILLION REHABILITATION FOR THE LOW- INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT . THE TOWERS WERE BUILT IN THE 1970S AND HAVE FACED DECADES OF DETERIORATION .
White , who serves as chairman of the Jeffersonville Urban Enterprise Zone , also noted the UEZ ’ s efforts in the Claysburg neighborhood . The UEZ offers the Front Porch project that has helped Claysburg residents fix up homes , he said .
In terms of public housing improvements , White likes the idea of a transformation similar to the Liberty Green development in Louisville . The mixed-income development replaced outdated public housing in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood . This would be the type of project White would support “ if it ever came to fruition ,” but if it would be a long process that would require approval from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development , he said .
The Beecher Terrace housing in the Russell neighborhood of Louisville is another example of revamped public housing , and it ’ s the type of project Moon would like to see in Claysburg . The Louisville Metro Housing Authority received millions of dollars in grant funding from HUD to rebuild the housing .
As Moon looks at outdated public housing in her neighborhood , she sees the opportunity to create something both nice and affordable for residents . She said she reached out to the Jeffersonville Housing Authority about the
SIDEBAR
The New Albany Housing Authority is going through a period of significant transition and transformation , including the shift to rental assistance , the renovation of public housing sites and the demolition of an outdated housing tower .
New Albany has one of the highest numbers of public housing units in the state . The U . S . Department of Housing and Urban Development reported in 2020 that New Albany that the city had 910 public housing units , 479 Section 8 vouchers and 541 rental assistance contracts .
The housing authority is preparing to demolish Riverview Tower , a 16-story public housing unit in New Albany that is nearly 50 years old . Residents of the tower have already been relocated .
The facility was determined by the housing authority to be unsafe for residents due to an outdated design and a history of issues over the years , including multiple fires that have occurred in the tower .
NAHA is planning to demolish the public housing in New Albany ’ s Beechwood neighborhood , replacing 114 units of barracksstyle housing with 83 units featuring a mix of modernized housing options , including singlefamily and duplex-style homes . Beechwood Court is one of the city ’ s largest public housing sites .
As the housing authority demolishes and rebuilds public housing structures , some units will not be replaced as NAHA focuses on providing housing vouchers to relocate residents in privatelyowned rental properties .
Daniel Rodgers is among the residents of Beechwood preparing to move into a new home . He was born and raised in Chicago , and after living for 25 years in North Carolina , he moved to New Albany more than eight years ago .
2022 Diversity Magazine 11