It feels unsettling, at times, to be situated in one of the most educated, affluent regions in the wealthiest country, while living and working in its capital city – one of the 30 most distressed cities in America. Over the years, we have tried to bridge these worlds with integrity. Our job at Isles is to engage all these communities, and Princeton University increasingly helps us do that. They recently featured me and Isles in a Princeton Alumni Weekly article titled, The Good Neighbor.
We are grateful for the interest and exposure to Isles’ work. Of course, it doesn’t capture the full breadth of the many hundreds of staff, volunteers, and leaders over the years who made this possible, but it’s a good start for the history books. Check out the article here.
One of our earliest efforts – community and school gardening – is discussed in this edition, along with an interview of Isles’ gardening manager and guru, Jim Simon.
With the holidays approaching, we hope you think about some gifts that will keep on giving, like a gift to Isles in the name of a loved one or family member.
Good data feeds good policy – yet data on the location and condition of vacant properties in Trenton was incomplete and out of date. This summer, Isles worked with the Trenton Neighborhood Restoration Campaign, the Rutgers Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability, the City, and the community to survey every property in Trenton. Volunteers used a smartphone app to record the condition of vacant properties.
Vacant properties in Trenton – the numbers
3,566 fully vacant buildings — that’s 15% of all the buildings in Trenton
339 are owned by the City of Trenton (9%)
2,397 vacant lots
921 are owned by the City of Trenton (38%)
5,963 vacant properties altogether (21% of all properties in Trenton)
The data is available for download at www.restoringtrenton.org, which displays the data we collected on an interactive, searchable map. Isles will update the data regularly, in consultation with the relevant City departments, and will be expanding the site with additional datasets and functionality.
Key Partners
The Trenton Neighborhood Restoration Campaign (TNRC) is a coalition of Trenton stakeholders, chaired by Isles, that have been working against the problems caused by vacant and abandoned properties since 2011. See www.restoringtrenton.org.
The Rutgers Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability (CUES) provided data collection, mapping, and field expertise; as well as geospatial analysis and modelling. See http://cues.rutgers.edu/.
Survey team
11 interns from CUES
2 interns from the Isles Youth Institute Americorps program
5 high school volunteers through the Center for Faith Justice
Over 30 community volunteers
Hosts: The survey team was hosted by 17 organizations, businesses, and individuals as it moved around the city, with support offered by many others. A full list is at www.restoringtrenton.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
I heard you can buy buildings for a dollar. Is that true?
As part of the City of Trenton’s vacant property strategy, the City will establish a homesteading program for first time homebuyers or non-city residents to purchase property at a nominal price. Isles does not run this program, and does not have any additional information on it at this time. Once the City releases more information, it will be posted on restoringtrenton.org.
Who is the Trenton Neighborhood Restoration Campaign (TNRC)?
The TNRC is a coalition of local and regional stakeholders convened by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey in 2011 around the issue of abandoned properties in Trenton. Member organizations include Isles (chair), the Trenton Area Habitat for Humanity, New Jersey Community Capital, the Trenton Historical Society, Pennrose Properties, Shiloh CDC, New Jersey Future, residents, and representatives of local civic associations.
How much did this cost and how was it funded?
This project cost approximately $75,000 in grant funds from the Rita Allen Foundation, which covered data and equipment, staff time at Isles and CUES, and supplies.
How long did this project take?
With the help of efficient technology, the survey effort was completed in just seven weeks.
Will the data be updated?
Yes. While we have no plans at present to repeat the citywide survey, Isles will regularly update the baseline data we collected here based on information from stakeholders, the City of Trenton, and you.
What do I do if I see an error or want to report new information about a property?
The website is a work in progress. For now, please use the reporting form at www.restoringtrenton.org for comments and suggested edits. We will periodically verify the information we get and ensure that necessary edits get reflected. In the near future, we will expand the capabilities of the site to allow comments to be added to the map, and create a smartphone app to report issues.
You marked my house vacant, even though it’s not! Are you trying to take it away?
Not at all. With 31,574 parcels in Trenton, we know we got a few wrong. Don’t get upset – get involved. Use the contact form at www.restoringtrenton.org if you spot any issues like that.
Isles and the TNRC will continue to work in partnership with the City of Trenton and other stakeholders – including you – to turn vacant properties from problems into opportunities. Isles has a number of initiatives ongoing or planned, including our community gardening program, a Clean and Green program we will be piloting next year, and a range of community-driven neighborhood plans.
This past summer, Isles hosted a Princeton Internships in Civic Service Intern, generously sponsored by the Princeton Area Alumni Association. Christie worked with Isles staff, customers, and community members to create short videos that highlight some of our services. Check out her work below!
Confronting Trenton’s Problem Properties
Where we live matters a lot. How can we make communities better? Isles helps residents steer and develop their own neighborhood master plans by providing research, funding, real estate development help, and more. In summer 2014, Isles guided a project in partnership with the Trenton Neighborhood Restoration Campaign to gather data and map all vacant properties in Trenton.
Youth Who Succeed
With Trenton’s high school dropout rate at 50%, what can we do? Since 1995, Isles has developed innovative ways to bring academic, vocational, and life skills to Isles Youth Institute (IYI) students. Students also work on construction and community service projects which further enhance their education.
Grow Your Own
Community gardening is a powerful way to revitalize vacant land, grow fresh food, and bring people together. In 1981, Isles brought community gardening to Trenton. Today, Isles Garden Support Network connects 60+ gardens throughout the region, producing tons of fresh local food each growing season.
Transforming Old Homes from Dangerous to Healthy
In older cities, homes are often the most dangerous place for kids to be, as well as inefficient. Can we solve these challenges all at once? Isles targets dilapidated occupied homes that are in danger of abandonment by addressing environmental hazards, energy efficiency, and structural concerns. Isles saves homeowners money, reduces childhood lead poisoning, and improves living conditions.
Housing Counseling
Want to buy or save a home in Mercer County, NJ? Isles provides first-time homebuyer and foreclosure help while strengthening family financial capability. More than 1600 residents have benefited since 2002. This includes over 200 families who bought their first home and nearly 200 more saved from foreclosure.
Center for Energy and Environmental Training (CEET)
Want a job in the green energy and environmental fields? Isles’ Center for Energy and Environmental Training makes it possible. With a hands-on teaching approach, and partnerships with companies looking for workers, CEET brings upward mobility for a career that improves the world!
We use this ancient saying a lot around Isles Youth Institute.
But most people who talk about education – especially of underserved students – speak to the importance of great teachers, school buildings, curriculum, etc.
Of course, these are important. But the quiet secret of education is that it requires a student who wants to learn. So the big question is, “How do we create an environment that encourages students to want to learn?”
At IYI, we start each school year with Mental Toughness, a two-week period that tests whether each student is ready and interested in learning. This occurs in the city and out in a rural camp in Blairstown, New Jersey. The newsletter describes what occurred this past month at Mental Toughness.
This issue also highlights a long-time, passionate advocate of Isles, Barbara Coe. Barbara has been a great friend, trustee, and advisor over the years. We are grateful for her passion and roll-up-the-sleeves willingness to work.
A problem well defined is half-solved. This timeless adage seems especially true for developing communities.
This summer, in just seven weeks, Isles, working with the Trenton Neighborhood Restoration Campaign and the City of Trenton, coordinated teams of community volunteers and Rutgers interns, mapped all of Trenton’s 31,000+ properties. The goal? To identify every vacant building and lot in the city and it’s condition.
Vacant, often decaying buildings impact safety, quality of life, and the economic and environmental health of the city and region – and there are thousands of such properties around Trenton. The study will serve as a guide for the administration of Trenton’s new Mayor Jackson, as well as Isles, developers, and othes who need to know where the real problems – and opportunities – reside.
This newsletter features this project and how it was completed in record-breaking time. It’s an example of our “Learn, Do, Teach” approach to meeting our audacious mission.
I am honored to introduce two new additions to our Executive team at Isles. John Hart, Chief Operating Officer, and Judy Nixon, Chief Financial Officer, joined Isles this summer. You can learn why we are excited to work alongside them here.
Please help Isles preserve and restore this classic diner. Campaign funds will be used to relocate the diner to Hamilton, NJ, and convert it into unique classroom space for youth job training. We need to move the diner, stabilize the structure and then complete renovations before it can be put back into service. Just the cost of moving the diner out of harm’s way is close to $20,000! Isles has teamed with a local developer, Modern Recycled Spaces, to save the classic “Calhoun Street Diner” from oblivion.
In lieu of our monthly e-news update, we would like to share the Isles Works Spring 2014 newsletter. This expanded publication highlights our year and our supporters.
As you might imagine, spring is a bustling time here at Isles – especially this year as we leave behind a punishing winter. Nearly 60 (and growing!) community and school gardens are getting ready to plant, and our annual horse plow will be April 8th. Isles’ list of spring gardening workshops and community events is here.
Want to buy a home (or save one from foreclosure) this year? Our Housing and Homeownership counselors offer a spring workshop and webinars. Students at Isles Youth Institute are working in homes, parks, and other community service projects while preparing for graduation.
Isles’ 7th Annual Golf Outing is coming up, and a few foursomes are available. Next month, look for our Annual islesWorks newsletter and 2013 financial summary. It was a good year, but only because so many of you stepped up to lend hands and hearts.
We can’t do this without you!
With gratitude and in community,
Marty
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Foster self-reliant families and healthy sustainable communities