Total grant amount of $5,095, along with gifts in kind, supported the engineering and legal components of a multi-phased infrastructure project to develop a donated parcel in Alanson. The development has been named “Lantern Walk” and Habitat is now preparing to build the first of eight homes in 2015. The community of Alanson has been energized by this neighborhood development and Habitat describes an increased level of expectation and hope felt by the residents. The Village of Alanson has even shown a renewed interest in finding ways to fund improvements in the area. A project of this scale has “sparked an enthusiasm for possibilities”, has positioned Habitat as a leader in neighborhood revitalization, and has engaged residents. According to the report, Habitat learned that “when you engage the community in working with you…the community begins to take ownership of neighborhood revitalization.”
