Here's an article that gives some more information about one of the local programs Chris mentioned in our presentation on Tuesday. The $100,000 grant, which was approved in Jan/Feb 2011, was made possible by money raised by the Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services. The grant is intended to provide one-time help to Kalamazoo homeowners, who can receive up to $2,000 to help with mortgage payments and avoid foreclosure.
I think it’s great when you see community members helping one another. Raising money that will actually stay in and benefit the community. Most of the time money that is raised goes to people outside the community.
ReplyDeleteI love the united way and other large, impactful NGO's. This is a positive redistribution of wealth that will increase society's utility.
ReplyDeleteHow cynical is it that my initial reaction was "how is a one-time grant of money going to help?" However reading the article touched me. Reading these articles on the blog and in class, I've noticed how important community has become during this economic downturn. Economically, in the changing ways real estate/lending businesses are reverting to more local dealings, and emotionally.
ReplyDeleteI like what ET said, too often we raise funds for external causes when our communities are still in need.
ReplyDeleteAfter witnessing first hand the conditions of some the neighborhoods in Kalamazoo, I realize how important grants such as this are vital to communities. Many of the houses that I saw did not seem prepared to withstand any kind of natural disasters and did not seem safe.
ReplyDeleteYes, the money is generous, but is this an act towards change, or is it just a charity bandaid? I see way more value in non-profit efforts to educate people on how to navigate their finances than efforts to dole out monetary donations. Because once the $2,000 runs out, if homeowners have not learned how to manage their finances--then what happens?
ReplyDeleteI have to say that seeing a community come together to try to pick themselves back up. In my group during class we discussed that starting within the communities is the way to fix this housing crisis. But I also have to agree with Toni. This grant can help fix the foreclosure problem but how long will it last before we fall back into it? Educating the community seems to be a better route to take, but this is a good start.
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