Mission Statement
“Revitalizing communities through affordable housing and community capacity development”

We believe that blighted communities are best served by its residents and constituents coming together to address its own issues. Phoenix Revitalization Corporation (PRC), as a nonprofit community development corporation, is dedicated to the revitalization of neighborhoods by facilitating community development projects and creating low-income and workforce housing opportunities. An emphasis is placed on the revitalization of Central City South, a community located immediately south of the Phoenix Downtown Business District and the Arizona State Capitol Mall.

Vision Statement

Our vision for Central City South is that the community is a desirable place to live in by current and future residents. We envision a community that is healthier than it’s ever been. For this community healthier means less crime and blight, more amenities that meet the needs of all who live in it, safe affordable housing, and a recognition and celebration of its rich cultural history.

PRC offers three core products and added-value services for the residents of Central City South:

Core Values and Areas of Emphasis

Community : We exist to ensure the best outcome for the community.
Accountability : We demonstrate this through our actions.
Integrity : We do what we say we will do & we do the right thing always.
Excellence : Our work is always of the best quality & professionalism.
Vision : We operate under a shared vision created with the community.

Financial Stewardship & Stability : We recognize & adhere to the belief that we must use our financial resources responsibly and that maintaining stability is foremost in order for us to be responsive to our community.

Governance & Board : We maintain an active board that recognizes & consistently acts on its responsibility to ensure all of the above on behalf of the community.  

History and Background

Phoenix Revitalization Corporation was founded in 1986 by Phoenix Memorial Hospital in response to the historical blight and unhealthy conditions of the area. At its founding the initiative was known as the Phoenix Revitalization Project (PRP) and was governed by a Board of Directors under the umbrella of the hospital. In 1987, a Master Plan and Implementation Program, funded by the Arizona Community Foundation, was delivered to the PRP Board. It outlined, in great detail, an analysis of conditions in the area and provided an in depth development plan which included the creation of a community development corporation.

PRC achieved non-profit status in 1992 when it merged with Casa de Nueva Esperanza, an already existing non-profit organization involved in housing rehabilitation. Since that time the agency has been involved in numerous community change projects of which most recently included the HOPE VI application to HUD for the redevelopment of the Matthew Henson Public Housing Project, the Central City South Charrette, the Central City South Task Force, the Focused Future Task Force, Mercado Y Salud, Community Gardening Project, Avenidas de Esperanza Housing Rehab Project and the Community for All Ages Initiative (CFAA). Today projects include the Community Leadership Academy and Conference, the Central City South Newsletter, and the Community Action Team.

Target Area Need

Central City South (CCS) in Phoenix, AZ is a two square mile area bounded by Central Avenue to the east, the Maricopa Freeway to the south, Black Canyon Freeway to the west and the Union Pacific Railroad to the north. It is part of the City of Phoenix Enterprise Community/Enterprise Zone. CCS is comprised of eight neighborhoods: Grant Park, Marcos de Niza, Seventh-Eleventh, Matthew Henson, New Homes, Bethune, I. G. Holmes, and West Buckeye. (See Map. 1)

According to the 2000 Census, the area has 10,189 residents with a median age of 23.8. Fifty-two percent of the population is female, 62% (3,294) of who are over the age of 18. Almost 10% (995) of the residents are over age 65, and of these 61% (606) are female. Racially, the area is 44% White, 17% African American, 4% Native American, 2% Asian and 34% of some other race. Ethnically the community is predominantly Hispanic (77%). Thirty-two percent (3,270) of the population is not a citizen and, of those, age 5 and above, 68% (6,929) speak a language other than English. Of those that speak a language other than English, 66% (5,838) speak Spanish as their other language. Further, 35% (2,085) of this group speaks English less than well.

There are 2,998 households in the area, 68% of which are family households. Forty-three percent of households have children living in them, of those 28% are married couples and 26% are mostly female (90%) single heads of households. Of these female headed households with children, 31% live in poverty. Thirty-two percent of area households have a member that is age 60 or older, 25% have a member that is 65 and above, and 12% have a member that is age 75 and above. The average household size is 3 and the average family size is 4. Disability, per the 2000 Census, is significant in this area. There are 3,270 people (32%) age 5 and above with a disability. Thirteen percent (440) are between the ages of 5 and 20, 66% (2,151) are between the ages of 21 and 64, and 21% (679) are age 65 and above.

Map 1: Central City South Neighborhood Designations

The average household income in 1999 was $22,363 and the average family income was $21,471. Forty percent of households and 33% of families lived on less than $10,000. Fifty-seven percent of families live in poverty and 89% of these families have children under age 18. More than half (53%) of these households with children are headed by a single female. The unemployment rate for the area is 19% of which 71% are females age 16 and above not in the labor force. Twenty-three percent of those in the labor force are employed in service occupations and 20% in construction, extraction and maintenance.

There are 3,283 housing units in CCS of which 91% are occupied. Of the occupied housing, only 27% is owner occupied. The average gross rent is $325.00 per month and for those that pay a mortgage, the average monthly mortgage costs are $348.00. The average housing value is $54,749. Among renters, 49% spend more than 30% of their household income for housing, and among owners 24% spend more than 30% of their household income on housing.

Lastly, the City of Phoenix Housing Condition Evaluation, 1994, prepared by the Arizona State University for the Planning Department indicated that 13%-28% of individual structures were in need of major repair and 8%-19% were not feasible to repair because “it would cost more to repair the home to code compliance than the home is worth after the improvements are made.” This compares very poorly with the City of Phoenix as a whole where 2.1% of housing is deemed in need of major repair and less than 1% of housing is determined to be not feasible to repair.

Grant Park

Of immediate interest to PRC, is the Grant Park neighborhood because of the land, located on the northwest corner of Sherman and 3rd Avenue, donated to the organization by APS. The Central City South Charrette, April 8-11, 1999, prepared by the Joint Urban Design Program of the Arizona State University, College of Architecture and Environmental Design gathered information on each neighborhood that comprise the Central City South. From this document we know that Grant Park is not only the oldest historical subdivision of the area, but also of Phoenix, having been founded in 1887. It is bounded by Central Avenue to the east, Buckeye Road to the south, Seventh Avenue to the west, and Grant Street on the north.

The 2000 Census indicates that Grant Park (Census Track 1142) is home to 1,104 residents, with a median age of 25.6 and 85% (938) are of Hispanic ethnicity. Sixty-six percent (728) of the population is a U. S. Citizen, 49% (540) are female, 55% (607) of the residents are between the ages of 18 and 64, and 13% (143) are age 65 and above.

More than 45% (497) of the residents of Grant Park live in poverty. The median household income in 1999 was $16,250 and the median family income was $26,298. Thirty-six percent of households lived on less than $10,000 in 1999. Sixty-one percent of households had income from wages, 9% from retirement, and less than 7% from public assistance.

The 2000 Census indicates that there are 320 housing units in Grant Park, 94% of which are occupied. The following chart from the Housing Study and Community Revitalization Plan, Central City South Community , PRC 2000, indicates thedismal condition of housing as found in 1999. A comparison study would be helpful for today’s strategies, although it is suspected that very little has changed. Of the seven neighborhoods in Central City South studied at this time, Grant Park has the greatest need for housing rehabilitation, with 42% of its units in need. Another 26% of housing units are in critical condition, meaning that the housing is determined to be not feasible to repair.

Organizational Programs

PRC services fall under two major categories: affordable housing and community development. The affordable housing services are further categorized into two other services, which include:

The community capacity development services, which are grouped under the title of Neighborhoods Growing (Creciendo Vecindarios) Community Capacity Development Programs , include:

Organizational SWOT Analysis

Organizational Development Goals

Financial:

Partnerships:

Marketing:

Community Capacity Enhancement Programs Goals

 Neighborhood Beautification:

Expanded retail amenities:

Action oriented partnerships for community enhancement :

Housing Development Program Goals

Housing Rehabilitation:

Relationships with developers:

Homeownership:

 Assumptions