News & Updates Archive

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Abandoned House purchase update

09.10.09

One of the houses was a house being used for drug activity. Here’s what happened. We talked to some of the folks involved in the drug trafficking, many of them are kids we know and love dearly, and we let them know that we cared about everyone living in this house which is the very reason we needed to see something different happen in it. We offered to help anyone who wanted off the streets get into a recovery community and help through detox. Then we informed everyone that we would not call the police, but we would board up the house in 6 days. As we walked through the needle-strewn house we had a deep sense that this was the right thing to do. So we did it, and left a note for the owner. Within a few days he called us, and we gently but assertively told him this was not the kind of environment we wanted to cultivate in the neighborhood and that we were willing to offer him fair market value for the drug house. To cut to the chase… after lots of conversations and meetings, not only did we acquire the drug house, but all 3 of the houses he owns on the block which we will be renovating and stabilizing with solid neighbors here. It’s one of those things we just could not NOT do – so thanks for making it possible to respond to crises like this one. Take a look at some of the pictures (before and during) the clean-out process.