Members of the neighborhood association recall the days when one could visit a variety of Black-owned businesses in their own neighborhood , whether it was a grocery shop or barber shop .
“ We had no reason to go any place else because we wanted to help our brothers and sisters ,” longtime resident LaVerne Vaughn said . “ Most of that stuff was in the neighborhood .”
Eugenia Stover , 68 , a homeowner and neighborhood association member , has lived in the neighborhood her whole life , and she recalls what it was like to grow up in Claysburg in the 1960s . It was a close-knit community , and she remembers that residents would share fruit from trees in their yards with their neighborhoods .
Claysburg Neighborhood Association member Linda Russell , 64 , has also lived in Claysburg most of her life , and she likes that there is a " strong unit " in her community .
" It was a really good neighborhood , and it still is good people that live out here ," she said . " I think everyone cares for each other , and when something goes down , everybody ' s got each other ' s back ."
A NEED FOR INVESTMENT
Today , residents feel their neighborhood is overlooked while other parts of Jeffersonville see growth .
There has been some progress in recent years , including the city ’ s revitalization of the Spring Street corridor and the opening of the EnVision Center . The neighborhood association is looking forward to the planned rehabilitation of the Claysburg II Towers after decades of deterioration at the low-income housing development .
However , community members say there is much more work ahead , and housing is one of the priorities for the Claysburg Neighborhood Association .
As Moon envisions a future for Claysburg , she hopes to see a move away from concentrated public and low-income housing and a move toward mixed-income housing .
“ You cannot keep patching up drywall ,” Moon said . “ You cannot keep messing with old plumbing . It is time for [ public housing ] to be torn down and build not a tower but homes and condominiums and patio homes and multi-income places to live so you don ’ t know who ’ s on Section 8 .”
" If you give someone something they can have pride in , pride will be given ,” she said .
" IF YOU CONTINUE TO KEEP SOMEONE IN A FACILITY WITHOUT ADEQUATE PLUMBING , WITHOUT UP-TO-DATE APPLIANCES ... THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN , THE BABIES — HOW CAN THEY VISUALIZE A WHOLE BIG WORLD AND SO MUCH GREATNESS WHEN ALL THEY SEE IS THIS LITTLE SECTION THAT IS SO UGLY ?”
The community is home to a number of low-income housing developments . This includes the privately-owned Claysburg II Towers , which is on the path toward major rehabilitation . Northtown Terrace and the Greenwood Apartments are Jeffersonville Housing Authority developments in the neighborhood .
Claysburg is also home to many servicebased nonprofits serving those in need , including the Catalyst Rescue Mission homeless shelter , the Serenity House transitional housing and the Community Kitchen soup kitchen .
Although the Claysburg Neighborhood Association acknowledges the need for services in Jeffersonville , residents question the heavy concentration of these organizations in their neighborhood and say there is a need for other types of investment .
Service-based nonprofits seem to “ think the only place to come to is Claysburg ,” Moon said , and instead , she would like to see these organizations spread throughout other parts of the city .
In 2020 , the association fought against the proposed development of homeless supportive housing on Akers Avenue in Clarksville in the Claysburg neighborhood . The zoning change for the project was ultimately rejected by the Clarksville Town Council .
Vaughn , a member of the neighborhood association , said although they were successful in fighting against the Akers Avenue project , she does not feel that she and other residents in the community have much of a say in decisions made about their neighborhood .
“ We don ’ t know what ’ s going to be put in this area until it ’ s already a done deal ,” Vaughn said . " They invite you to come to the council meeting and give your opinion but it doesn ’ t make any difference because it ’ s already a done deal .”
8 2022 Diversity Magazine