RENEWAL IN COMMUNITY

Near East Area Renewal (NEAR) develops community by creating great places with neighbors. We express this mission through equitable housing, neighborhood renewal, creative placemaking, economic development, and environmental justice. We work with neighbors and bring people together to address local quality of life challenges.

Much of our focus since 2008 has been neighborhood renewal of St. Clair Place. We accepted the challenge of Near Eastside neighbors and community leaders to work to address its blight, crime, vacancy, and economic malaise. Of 882 platted properties in the neighborhood, nearly 45% were vacant and foreclosures were rampant.

In cooperation with neighbors, community partners and the City of Indianapolis, we went to work to change the St. Clair Place story. While the City focused on infrastructure, NEAR focused housing and community building. We assisted homeowners with needed repairs. Block by block, we worked to rehab good-bones houses and build new homes on vacant lots—all available exclusively to low- to moderate-income households. In all, in the span of 10 years, NEAR developed 122 houses and co-developed a 32-unit senior adult apartment facility in St. Clair Place.

About four years ago, the housing market in the neighborhood became favorable for private development. NEAR has since cooperated with the Willard Park and Rivoli Park neighborhoods on equitable housing, as well as to work to permanently preserve affordable housing in St. Clair Place.

As you explore this site, you’ll see that equitable housing isn’t our sole focus. We work together with neighbors and partners toward comprehensive community development. We hope you will find a way to connect and contribute to the good journey of our community.