March 2002

Planning

Copyright by American Planning Association

2002 HUD Secretary's Opportunity & Empowerment Award

Model Blocks Program: Fort Worth

By James H. Andrews

Model Blocks, a program of the city of Fort Worth, concentrates public and private resources to revitalize the central city, one neighborhood at a time. Designed as a comprehensive, visible attack on problems of poor and declining neighborhoods, the program invests at least $1.2 million over several years in each small geographic area.

Since 1993 the city has designated 12 Model Blocks districts and, drawing on community block grant and HOPE funds, has made awards totaling $14.4 million. The goals are building strong neighborhoods, a safe community, and a sound economy.

Model Blocks receives the HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award for 2002. Given by APA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the award recognizes a plan, program, or project that directly results in an improved quality of life for low- and moderate-income community residents.

Before the Model Blocks program, Fort Worth (pop. 543,000) spread its resources thinly throughout the city, without significant impact in any one neighborhood, officials say. Model Blocks districts are scattered inside the I-820 loop that circles the central city, but each encompasses only 10 to 20 blocks. Population ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 per district.

Most residents are members of minority groups — 63 to 96 percent compared to 55 percent in the city as a whole. There is relatively high unemployment — five to 23.6 percent, and 18 to 78 percent of residents fall below the poverty level.

At time of selection, five to 20 percent of residential units in the Model Blocks neighborhoods were vacant, with other signs of neighborhood decline.

Four principles

The Model Blocks program is based on four principles: comprehensive planning and implementation, resident empowerment, public private partnership, and leveraging of resources.

Organized neighborhoods compete for Model Blocks designation. Neighborhood association leaders propose a district in the CDBG eligible target area. The blocks must have continuous boundaries, one distinct district connected by a street and the buildings facing that street or by public or institutional space such as parks, community center, or church grounds.

Three finalists, with city staff assistance, prepare a strategic plan in the context of the city's comprehensive plan. They identify their vision, issues, goals, and specific programs to achieve them: housing, infrastructure and community facilities, economic development, public services, and neighborhood capacity-building.

An interdepartmental city panel reviews the plans, listens to neighborhood presentations, and selects one neighborhood for the $1.2 million award. The city commits to working with the neighborhood for at least two years to implement the plan, and assigns a planner to provide technical assistance.

Beginning with a Blitz

Implementation starts with the Blitz, a one-week effort to concentrate routine and sometimes special city services in the neighborhood. The collaboration of many city departments continues at this stage and through the implementation phase.

The mix of Model Blocks programs includes rehabilitation of owner-occupied houses, minor home repairs, construction of new houses on vacant lots, homebuyer assistance, development of retail centers, computer training, small business loans, job training, landscaping, street improvements, park and community facility improvements, crime prevention through environmental design, and neighborhood cleanup. Income-eligible homeowners who live in the area may apply for home improvement loans at low or no interest.

Neighborhoods that have competed for and won Model Blocks designation have found that the initial $1.2 million is "just a catalyst," says Mary Rusnak, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of Fort Worth and Tarrant County Inc. "With this allocation, a vision, and enthusiasm for change," she says, these neighborhoods have collaborated with many partners: churches, businesses, nonprofits, social, community, and civic organizations, and government, public, and social service agencies.

Housing projects have resulted in major improvement or replacement of 152 owner-occupied houses; minor repairs for 60 dwellings occupied mainly by elderly and low-income residents; 28 new houses; assistance with closing costs, down payments, and second mortgages for 38 homebuyers; and acquisition of 35 vacant lots. Beyond this are street improvements, eight enlarged and enhanced neighborhood parks, and three community centers.

James Andrews is associate editor of Planning.

Contacts. For more information, contact Elizee Michel at the Fort Worth Housing Department, 817-817-7336, or MichelE@ci.fort-worth.tx.us, or see www.fortworthgov.org/housing.