Creating Healthy Neighborhoods

Habitat for Humanity of Utah County hosted its first ever Healthy Neighborhoods Training for interested Provo residents last week at the South Franklin Community Center. Special guests, Salt Lake City’s Deputy Director of Community and Economic Development, Mary DeLaMare-Schaefer, and Salt Lake City Council Member, Stan Penfold, helped to facilitate the training and discussion.

The Healthy Neighborhoods training is designed to help residents and stakeholders engage in creating a neighborhood of choice in which they want to live, work, and play. The training explores the elements of a healthy neighborhood and the importance of resident involvement in developing and maintaining neighborhoods of choice. Thetraining is also the first step for residents living in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) eligible neighborhoods in Provo to receive funding from the CDBG Neighborhood Revitalization Grant. This grant funding can be used for neighborhood improvement projects, including painting, planting, and clean-up projects, safety campaigns, sidewalk repair and replacement, and other neighborhood driven projects, etc.

The Utah County Habitat affiliate expanded its mission three years ago to include Neighborhood revitalization activities. As part of this mission expansion, the local

Habitat affiliate administers Provo’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program. The Healthy Neighborhoods Training is held as part of this initiative.

Special thanks to all those that attended including former Provo Mayor George Stewart, Provo Council Member Hal Miller, members of the Provo City Council Staff, and residents from the Provo Joaquin, Dixon, Franklin, and Provost Neighborhoods. The next training is planned for early next year.