new-toys

Scan

Lincoln Neighborhood Scan will work with neighborhood volunteers to customize a scan to correctly evaluate and record code violations and a housing stock inventory. Lincoln Neighborhood Scan is an enforcement and education program that will provide proactive tools to residents concerned about deteriorating structures, graffiti, litter, weeds, junk cars, vacant properties-all sorts of safety and environmental issues in their neighborhood.

Lincoln Neighborhood Scan consists of a partnership between the City of Lincoln’s Urban Development Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NeighborWorks Lincoln and residents from focus neighborhoods. The program is sponsored by the Woods Charitable Fund and NeighborWorks America.

The program will provide resident volunteers with:

  • Personalized neighborhood training sessions;
  • Hand-held PCs to help train residents to “rate” property conditions and violations;
  • and participant stipends.

Initial Steps

  • Identify volunteers from the neighborhood who are willing to be trained.
  • Volunteers receive Pocket PCs and digital cameras.
  • Volunteers will be trained to conduct “walking” surveys and to record violations, take stock of housing and environmental issues on easy, customized forms on Pocket PCs to create a data base.

Neighborhood Benefits

  • The information will be used to help homeowners understand problems and identify resources to make repairs;
  • City code enforcers can use the information in addressing dangerous or unsafe conditions;
  • Will help the neighborhood define the breadth of identified problems;
  • Will assist neighborhood in determining neighborhood improvement goals;
  • Information can be used to funnel additional home improvement resources to the focus neighborhood.

Lincoln Community Scan activities have been conducted in the Clinton Neighborhood in the fall of 2010 and in the University Place Neighborhood in the summer of 2011. Neighborhood volunteers are scheduled to conduct scan activities in the Woods Park in the fall of 2011. Please contact NeighborWorks Lincoln if you or your neighborhood association would like to participate.