Neighborhood transformation begins with working with residents to complete neighborhood cleanups, talking to residents about their hopes and dreams, attending community meetings and more.
For years, there was a blighted field in the Amphi neighborhood.
But you transformed it into Minton Court!
The Amphi community posed a unique challenge for Habitat Tucson’s affordable housing program. Why? Because Amphi is comprised of more renters than homeowners, having only about 13% owner-occupied households. Furthermore, the majority of Amphi residents are youth aged 17 or younger. When compared with the state of Arizona, the percentage of Amphi residents under 18 is double that of the state.
Building safe, affordable housing in this neighborhood was urgent and critical.
Thanks to an innovative multi-sector collaboration, Habitat Tucson joined hands with other community organizations including Tucson Foundations, Literacy Connects, the City of Tucson, the International Rescue Committee, the Amphi School District, the Amphi Neighborhood Association, the Woods Memorial Library, and more to establish the Minton Court neighborhood.
Named after long-time Habitat Tucson volunteers Bob and Rose Minton, this affordable subdivision is the culmination of community volunteerism and partnerships that will help Amphi residents break out of the cycle of poverty.
Engaging the neighborhood with community outreach
“Habitat Tucson is, to me, the model for volunteers, staff, and homeowner relationships,” said Bob Minton.
With those ideals in mind, we broke ground and raised the walls on 9 new homes. These two-story houses all contain an accessible bathroom and zero-level entry on the ground floor and are Energy Star rated, with Indoor airPLUS and WaterSense certifications—the EPA trifecta of high performance homes.
But Habitat Tucson also wanted to establish a thriving community beyond the Minton Court neighborhood boundaries. Habitat partnered with Literacy Connects to develop the Literacy Gardens, run and operated by the International Rescue Committee. This community garden provides a space to grow and harvest agriculture, and acts as a space of learning and community for all Amphi residents.
Habitat partnered with residents to complete neighborhood cleanups, talked to residents about their hopes and dreams, attended community meetings and more.
By collaborating with like-minded/missioned non-profit organizations, community volunteers, and low-income families to build affordable, safe, and decent homes, Habitat Tucson restored pride and dignity to existing homes and built new, sustainable houses in the Amphi community.
We demonstrate our commitment to this community through partnership—by building plans around the Amphi residents’ hopes and dreams, and responding to their housing needs.
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