What Community Means to Me
Disclaimer: The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has sponsored this blog post.
Backyard birthday parties were always a big deal for me growing up!
When I think about the neighborhood I grew up in, the famous line from the "Cheers" theme song always pops into my head: "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name/ and they're always glad you came." On my block, we had a strong sense of community. We all looked out for one another, my brothers and I had play dates with the kids around our age groups, we exchanged gifts on holidays and birthdays, and our annual summertime block party was an event that everyone looked forward to.
I remember getting weird looks from some of my friends when I would tell them how close my neighbors were with my family. "You hang out with your neighbors?" they'd ask me. And my response was, "You don't?" I couldn't imagine growing up on a block where no one spoke to each other. My neighbors have literally watched my brothers and me grow up and have been present at important life events like birthdays, graduations, prom sendoffs, open houses, and so much more. The "Glastonbury Gang" (which is what one of my friends and I call our community) was and still is pivotal in my life, and I'm glad to have had those experiences with such amazing people.
My neighbor Kayla and I grew up like sisters. I’m happy we’re still close today!
When I was looking for a place to move to, I knew that having a strong community was an important factor for me. I didn't want to move somewhere that felt cold, or where everyone looked out for only themselves. I'm grateful that the people I've met so far in my building have been kind, and I've even built relationships with some of the staff members, too. Plus, everyone works hard to make sure that things are clean, organized, accessible, and in working order. Living somewhere where you feel valued, comfortable, and, most importantly, safe is one of the greatest feelings.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has initiatives and resources available to help enhance communities within the state. Their Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) provides funding statewide for activities that are directly tied to stabilization and enhancement of Michigan neighborhoods by nonprofit 501(c)3 agencies. The NEP reinforces MSHDA's mission to serve Michiganders by providing quality housing that is affordable in neighborhoods that are diverse and thriving.
The NEP is designed to fund tangible activities that are implementation ready, highly visible, impactful to quality of life, historically/community focused, and where there is buy-in and demonstrated support within the neighborhood and community. Each year, communities are able to apply for NEP funding. Projects that are focused on beautification, Neighborhood Public Amenity Enhancements, and housing enhancements to owner-occupied single-family homes are eligible to apply.
For more information about NEP in your community, MSHDA, and the services & resources they offer, visit http://bit.ly/MSHDA.