1. TRANSFORMING
NEIGHBORHOODS
Solutions for youth in the Genesee/Bailey
Community

2. AREA YOUTH CONCERNS
 Youth rivalries, through school, gang activity, and social media
 High concentration of youth culminating at the intersection of E.
Genesee and Bailey, which usually leads to fights.
 Youth having no alternative choices for after school programs outside
of the local boys and girls club.
 Youth who want to attend are deterred from going to the local boys
and girls club due to fights and gang activity.
 Youth who are not enrolled into a program are potentially susceptible
to participating in dangerous and risky behaviors.

3. YOUTH STATISTICS
 In a 2013 survey, 15.8%of middle school students and 51.1 % of high
school students in the district acknowledged having had sexual
intercourse – from that number 21.6% middle school and 30.8% high
school students did not regularly use a condom. This is 20% higher
than the state average (Vis Evaluations, 2013).
 In 2013, there were 239 juvenile arrests in the City of Buffalo for youth
under the age of 16 (DCJS, 2015).
 In 2014, there were 1,469 arrests of 16 and 17 year olds in Erie County
(DCJS, 2015)

4. YOUTH STATISTICS CONTINUED
 In 2014, Buffalo was named one of the 10 most dangerous cities in the
United States, and the most dangerous city in New York State due to the
high concentration of poverty and gang activity, mostly concentrated on
the East Side of Buffalo(WKBW, 2015).
 Gangs such as the Bailey Boys and LRGP plague the East Side of Buffalo,
and are mostly comprised of teenagers, who serve as foot soldiers for daily
criminal activity.
 In Cuomo’s 2015 failing schools study, the East Side holds 16 of the 27
failing schools, with almost all In in 141st district, which holds the E.
Genesee/Bailey neighborhood. Many offer little student support or positive
activities (OGC, 2015).

5. YOUTH SOLUTIONS PART 1: SAFETY
FOLLOWING THE PROVIDENCE, RI STREETWALKER MODEL

6. STREETWORKER PROGRAM
 Created in the early 1990’s, the program was based on the Martin
Luther King Jr. Kingian Nonviolence Model for Conflict Resolution,
which started in Boston, Massachusetts
 The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence modified the
original program in 2002 to curb youth violence and restore safety to
the area
 The program “this means taking a chance and investing time, money
and faith in former gang members - particularly teenagers who had
been jailed or those who pushed drugs on the streets of Providence
(Nico, 2007)
 The program has been replicated by seven other U.S. cities due to it’s
success.

7. STREETWORKERS PROGRAM
 The program was initiated in 2003
 Over $200,000 is provided by the Office of the Mayor, Project Safe
Neighborhood (a federal funding source from the U.S. Department of
Justice) and Lifespan. The program also receives funding from both
public and private donors.
 Partners include Providence Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office,
Rhode Island Hospitals, Providence Public Schools, Chamber of
Commerce, Family Service of Rhode Island, Local Initiative Support
Corporation, among others.
 Employ over a dozen Streetworkers to resolve conflicts in the streets,
teach nonviolence in the schools and provide crisis counseling to
victims, friends and families. (Nico, 2007)

8. DUTIES OF STREETWORKERS:
 Provide positive presence on the streets
 Help resolve neighborhood and youth conflicts by providing
nonviolent tools and solutions
 Pro-actively prevent crises
 Respond to crises 24-hours a day
 Provide safety and prevent retaliation after a crisis occurs
 Assist youth in making informed decisions to prevent
impending violence
 Assist youth who have dropped out of school
 Provide court advocacy to youth
 Connect youth with advocacy programs by enabling fast-track
service placement into schools, recreation centers and health
centers
 Assist in the resolution of family conflict
 Provide a bridge between neighborhood residents,
businesses, and youth

9. RESULTS
 Major crimes in Providence, RI have down 30% since 2002 and continue
to decrease.
 The most serious violent crimes fell to 27% between 2002 and 2006.
 Only 11 murders occurred in Providence in 2006, the cities lowest rate
since 1971
 Due to it’s success, in 2013, the city was awarded a 100,000 to increase
streetworkers in their community
 Streetworkers have increased public relations between the police and
the public and have changed public perceptions about ex-criminals and
rehabilitation
 Streetworkers now train at the police academy and new sergeants at
supervisory meetings and share their personal experiences (Nico, 2007)

10. YOUTH SOLUTIONS PART 2:
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
THE PURPOSE BUILT MODEL

11. THE PURPOSE BUILT MODEL
 Tom Cousins, Atlanta Philanthropist, was shaken deplorable conditions
of the East Lake projects.
 He partnered with the Atlanta Housing Authority to replace the projects
and develop an approach that is “geographic, holistic, and specific to
the unique set of assets and deficits that exist within neighborhoods
(Franklin & Edwards, 2012)
 The criteria for the Purpose Built Communities require:
 A housing development of concentrated poverty that, when transformed is
large enough scale to transform the neighborhood
 The opportunity to create a neighborhood public charter or contract school
accountable to the community
 Strong civic and business leadership willing to ensure long-term success
and sustainability of the community

12. THE PURPOSE BUILT LOGIC MODEL PREMISE
If a neighborhood…
 creates high quality mixed-income housing
 Develops cradle-to-college education with local
control
 Delivers workforce development and other social
services
 Offers infrastructure and services that enhance quality
of life
 Is directed by a community-based organization
Then the neighborhood becomes…
 A community that is safe and economically
sustainable with rising incomes and property values
that can attract middle income families to its high
performing schools

13. RESULTS
 The Purpose Built Model has since been replicated in 10 cities across the
United States, in Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio, North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
 Today, about 70 percent of the adult residents of the mixed-income
development are employed
 Violent crime is down 90% and crime overall is down 73%
 Income from families has more than quadrupled as house values have
increased 3.8 times the city average The East Lake golf course has created
179 jobs
 Over 300 students who graduated from the Drew school have went to
college since 2008 (Cousins, 2013)

14. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE E. GENESEE/BAILEY
AREA: WHITE HOUSE NEIGHBORHOOD
REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE
 As Buffalo, as well as many other high poverty areas, do not have the same
unique dynamic as East Lake, The Purpose Built Model has been modified
and in now being utilized utilized as a framework for federal funding
 The White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) was launched
in 2010 in a effort to develop a place-based approach to help
neighborhoods in distress transform themselves into neighborhoods of
opportunity (Donovan, Duncan, & Sebelius, 2012).
 NRI engages the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC), White House
Office of Urban Affairs (WHOUA), and the Departments of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD), Education (ED), Justice (DOJ), Health and
Human Services (HHS) and Treasury in support of local solutions to
revitalize and transform neighborhoods

15. WHITE HOUSE
REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE
Has three grant programs:
 Promise Neighborhoods- provides
educational opportunities to revitalize
neighborhoods
 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation-
community organization strategies to
address violence
 Choice Neighborhoods-revitalizes
distressed housing to transform
neighborhoods.
Over 50 cities, have utilized this grant
money thus far and so far they appear to
be need based grants

16. WHITE HOUSE
NEIGHBORHOOD
REVITALIZATION INITIATIVE
 BMHA was awarded a Choice
Neighborhood grant in 2013 and has
already started the implementation
process for the Commodore Perry
District
 BMHA-PCN project will replace 222
units with 495 mixed income units
over five years; with a long term goal
of 414 public housing units with
approximately 415 mixed-income
units over a period of ten years.
 The neighborhood will also contain a
community center called the Life
Chances Center, which will have a
wide range of programs including a
pre-school, a field house and gym, a
banquet room, and an aquatic facility
(BMHA, 2013).

17. PROPOSAL
 As the E. Genesee/Bailey Community is in the 141st district, I would like
to appeal to Assemblymember Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes. I would also
appeal to 63rd District Senate Member Timothy Kennedy. I would like
recommend a comprehensive plan that incorporates appealing to Tom
Cousins and the Purpose Built Community organization in regards to
assistance with the creation of a reimagined community. I also would
like to include recommendations for funding this, which would include
applying for a grant from the White House NRI as well as fostering
community support to businesses. Finally, I would like to include
appealing to the DCJS about a plan for implementing a Streetworker
program in the district as well.

18. REFERENCES
 Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (2013). The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority Perry Choice
Neighborhood Transformation Plan. Retrieved from http://www.bmhapcn.com/the-perry-choice-
neighborhood-transformation-plan
 Collins, T. (2013, September 13). Tom Collins: The Atlanta model for reviving poor neighborhoods. The
Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://eastlakefoundation.org/sites/eastlakefoundationorg/files/1189-
WSJ_9.14.13_TGC.pdf
 Commission on Youth, Public Safety, & Justice (2015). Final Report on the Governor’s Commission on
Youth, Public Safety, and Justice. Retrieved from
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/ReportofCommissiononYouthPublic
SafetyandJustice_0.pdf
 Division of Criminal Justice Statistics (2015). New York State Arrests Among 16-17 year olds in Erie
County. Retrieved from http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/youth-arrests/erie.pdf
 Division of Criminal Justice Statistics (2015). New York State Arrests Under the age of 16 2009-2013 in Erie
County. Retrieved from http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/crimnet/ojsa/jj-reports/juvenile-arrests-2009-
2013.pdf

19. REFERENCES
 Donovan, S., Duncan, A., & Sebelius, K. (2012). Fighting poverty through community development. In I.
Galloway & E. Seidman (Eds.) Open Forum: Voices and Opinions from Leaders in Policy, the Field, and
Academia. San Francisco: Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco & Low Income Investment Fund
 Franklin, S., & Edwards, D. (2012). It takes a neighborhood: Purpose built communities and
neighborhood transformation. (2012). Fighting poverty through community development. I. Galloway &
E. Seidman (Eds.) Investing in What Works for America’s Communities. San Francisco: Federal Reserve
Bank of San Francisco & Low Income Investment Fund
 Nico, A. (2007). The Institute for the study and practice of nonviolence and the Providence police
department. New York: Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
 Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (2015). The state of New York’s failing schools -2015 report.
Retrieved from
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYSFailingSchoolsReport.pdf
 Via Evaluation (2013). Buffalo Public Schools High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey
Report, 2013. Retrieved from http://sabres.buffalonews.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/34/2014/11/Youth-Risk-Behavior-Report-High-School-2013.pdf
 WKBW (2015, February, 9). Buffalo named most dangerous place in New York State. Retrieved from
http://www.wkbw.com/news/buffalo-named-most-dangerous-place-in-new-york-state