- April 2, 2020 Social Justice
In July 2019, St. Joseph Housing Initiative (SJHI), whose mission is to create vibrant communities where low- and moderate-income families can thrive, celebrated its first renovated house and welcomed a family of six into their new home.
Now, just nine months later, SJHI is continuing its impact in South St. Louis City with its second house sold and two more side-by-side properties on Alaska Ave. on the market. In addition, two houses were bought in February—one on Itaska St. and one on Mt. Pleasant Ave.—with estimated completion for both this summer. SJHI looks forward to welcoming more families into their new homes.
“One of our goals is to make an impact on a distressed block, thereby, encouraging other residents to take pride in and care for their homes and neighborhood,” says Sister Mary Ann Nestel, CSJ, board chair of SJHI. "I’ve always said this is God’s work, and it really is.”
SJHI is also working to partner with other establishments in the neighborhood and collaborate with existing projects to really make a difference. The Carondelet area Lowe’s Home Improvement store is donating and installing fencing behind the two Alaska properties.
“The house on Mt. Pleasant is very close to a girls and boys club,” says S. Mary Ann. “They’re trying to make an impact, so we can help them by doing some properties around their business.”
They are actively looking for buyers for the houses on Alasksa. Often, interested homebuyers don't have good credit, so SJHI holds classes to help them improve their credit scores, whether or not they end up in a St. Joseph home.
SJHI was also a 2020 recipient of the Feuerbacher Ministry grant, receiving $3,000 to provide washers and dryers in the homes. “With there not being many laundromats in the area and it being difficult for a family to go to a laundromat, this is something we wanted to offer in addition to the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher,” says S. Mary Ann.
SJHI, a non-profit organization in St. Louis, is a faith-based collaboration between Archbishop Carlson, the Incarnate Word Foundation, St. Mary’s High School and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Its success is a testament to the many volunteers who offer their generosity, dedication and hard work so that dreams can become a reality.
Learn more about SJHI and the new houses at stjosephhousing.org.