Lawrence CommunityWorks: Using NeighborCircles to Rebuild the Social Fabric of Communities

Much of the media spotlight has focused on homeowners affected by the foreclosure crisis. But in older industrial cities such as Lawrence, MA many rental units are in foreclosure, which affects tenants as well. Neighborhood identities can change rapidly when three to four families are forced to move as a result of a single foreclosure. Lawrence has one of the highest rates of foreclosures in Massachusetts¹, so the impact on the city has been profound. Nelson Butten, director of collective action and mobilization for Lawrence CommunityWorks describes the visual signposts of foreclosure’s aftermath. Houses are boarded up and their yards are filled with trash. Uncollected mail spills out of mailboxes. Squatters take over some abandoned units, and others are vandalized for copper piping and appliances. As property values plummet, speculators from outside the city are starting to buy up property to use as rentals.

Efforts to rebuild the neighborhoods are hampered by the fact that new residents moving in, whether tenants or homeowners, do not know each other and have no knowledge of past revitalization efforts. “Many work two or three jobs to get by,” notes Butten, “and others work and go to school. They have no time to meet their neighbors.” Often no structure remains within the neighborhood to foster their involvement. The social fabric of communities, already damaged by foreclosures, is further frayed when people lack the time and opportunity to build relationships. Yet without a shared vision of what they like and what needs to be changed, residents will have a difficult time rebuilding neighborhoods hurt by the foreclosure crisis.

Since 2002 Lawrence CommunityWorks has used NeighborCircles as a key strategy to help neighbors bridge the communication gap, averaging about seven to eight complete NeighborCircles annually. NeighborCircles, says Butten, “open the space” for residents to develop new relationships with each other. They begin with a resident volunteering to host a NeighborCircle in his or her own home. Over the course of a month a group of 8 to 10 families will come together at the host’s home three times for dinner and conversation. The meetings are assisted by one or two facilitators trained by Lawrence CommunityWorks.

At the first meeting, residents simply get to know each other over a meal provided by the host. This strategy acknowledges that personal relationships are foundational to efforts to build community. In Lawrence’s diverse neighborhoods, racial, ethnic and economic differences act as barriers between residents, so a special effort must be made to create a safe place where they can come together. Lawrence CommunityWorks reimburses hosts a limited amount for the cost of purchasing food and getting their homes ready for the meeting.

At the second meeting participants discuss what they like about their neighborhood and what they want to see changed. They begin by brainstorming ideas and issues and must emerge from the meeting with one or two things they want to work on. Butten notes that the second meeting can be lengthy because it can take some time for group members to agree on priorities.

They meet a third time to develop strategies to address the priorities agreed to in the second meeting. For example, at the second meeting a group might decide that the two most important issues are that people do not know their neighbors and that there is a lot of crime in the neighborhood. At the third meeting, then, they might choose to have a block party to continue building connections among residents. They might also decide to form a block watch committee that can look out for and report suspicious activity. Another strategy might be to invite representatives from the police department out to talk about anticrime measures.

Some NeighborCircles continue getting together after their first three meetings in order to work through their issues. Others do not; their members feel that it was enough to simply get to know each other. As one NeighborCircle host noted, an important outcome for him was to be able to walk down the block and say “that’s Manuel’s house or that’s Betty’s house,” where before the occupants were all anonymous. The choice is entirely up to the participants, according to Butten. Lawrence CommunityWorks does not have a particular agenda, but is merely creating the opportunity, “opening the space” for neighbors to build relationships. Still, NeighborCircles have led to a range of collective action including alley and playground cleanups, improving street lighting, safety and parking, and organizing block parties. If they choose to move ahead on an issue, Lawrence CommunityWorks encourages groups not to invest too much time or energy into creating an organizational structure, since that can distract them from reaching their goal. Instead, staff recommends that groups let “form follow function.” In other words, they should create only the minimum structure needed to accomplish the task they have in mind.

The facilitators are a key component of the NeighborCircles’ success. They are typically volunteers who receive a small stipend for their assistance. The facilitators receive training on facilitation techniques as well as in the NeighborCircle model. Use of volunteers means that many more NeighborCircles can be organized than Lawrence CommunityWorks staff could do on their own. The facilitators also gain valuable skills that they can use elsewhere, either in their jobs or in other volunteer interests.

Lawrence CommunityWorks intends to hold five complete NeighborCircles by May 2010. In order to recruit more hosts Butten will reach out to participants in programming offered by Lawrence CommunityWorks’ HomeOwnership Center. These will include the pre- and postpurchase classes, homebuyer education counseling customers, Individual Development Account program participants, as well as loan recipients. In a city hard hit by the foreclosure crisis, rebuilding neighborhoods begins with building community. NeighborCircles will be a vital first step in bringing residents together to do just that.