Focus Areas

Free to Grow

NWL staff, residents and community partners in the Near South and Everett Neighborhoods are making strategic and concurrent investments in two main areas; improvements in the physical environment and increased resident leadership and social cohesion. Strategies for development in these areas are designed to be interrelated in implementation and results.

In summary, these strategies are:

• Working with public and private systems to address barriers to community development through more effective and efficient partnering
• Increasing resources and enforcement to reduce property deterioration and blight
• Developing leadership to identify, drive, and sustain neighborhood improvement
• Connecting residents to each other as well as to an array of community partners

Criteria for Neighborhood Selection

• Condition of residential housing stock and neighborhood infrastructure
• Crimes stats
• Neighborhood potential (existing efforts of investment)
• Strong resident leadership-neighborhood organization, landlords, a community-conscious elementary school, etc.
• Neighborhood assets such as churches, businesses, community centers, etc.
• Homeownership rates

Resident Involvement

Lincoln Free to Grow program strategies allow neighborhood residents to take ownership of their own neighborhood by taking active roles in activities that help to improve the quality of life where they live. Without resident participation the program will not be effective.

Neighborhood activities include:

• Host a block party
• Establish a Neighborhood Watch group
• Support or participate in your annual neighborhood clean-up or organize clean-up efforts on your block
• Block Walks were residents identify code violations, poorly maintained properties, and other detractions in the neighborhood and report them directly to appropriate City Departments that can help correct the particular issue
• Become a member of the Lincoln Policy Network to help change policy and create effective tools to help support neighborhood revitalization efforts.