Jeff Wetta: Turning blight into beauty

My colleagues and I on the board of directors of Wichita Habitat for Humanity read “Anti-blight bill divides county and city leaders” (Feb. 19 Eagle) with great interest. Though it is not our intention to support or oppose the bills discussed in the article, it is our intention to point out to the community and our elected officials that we know well the impact of blight in Wichita and its effect on families and neighborhoods.

As many may know, we started our Rock the Block initiative in May 2014. That initiative focuses on infill development and is currently located on the 1200 block of North Poplar, where we have built six homes. We will continue building in this area (nine more new homes in 2015), as our goal is sustainable change.

Prior to our work, this block had several vacant lots full of debris, overgrown trees and weeds. Homes around them were deteriorating. But our six new homes and new homebuyer families have catalyzed change.

Surrounding property owners have responded by cleaning up and fixing up their own properties – turning an area with crime, declining property values and insecurity into a block that has recaptured hope in the aftermath of the discouragement and disrepair sown by blight.

It is our hope that elected leaders will find ways to more swiftly condemn and demolish blight, and that organizations such as Habitat for Humanity will be given increased opportunities to build homes, communities and hope in those blighted areas. We would also enjoy providing tours of our revitalized block to anyone who is interested in learning more about how we have turned blight into beauty and despair into hope.

By working together, we can continue this important work, making a very real difference in the quality of life enjoyed by families in our community.

This story was originally published February 25, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Jeff Wetta: Turning blight into beauty."