A plan to revitalize Fort Worth’s Stop Six neighborhood through more housing options took a big step forward Tuesday.
City leaders gathered outside a home along Etta Street in Fort Worth on Tuesday to host a ceremonial ribbon cutting. It will be the home of a 61-year-old grandmother who is raising her grandchildren.
This is the first low-income affordable home for first-time homebuyers in southeast Fort worth, according to Rev. Bruce Datcher. Datcher is the CEO of Brighter Outlook, Inc. which partnered with First Step Community Empowerment for the “Re-Imagine Stop Six Vision”.
“I’m just excited to see the revitalization here in Stop Six to bring people back into our community where this community can once again thrive,” Rev. Datcher said.
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“Re-Imagine Stop Six Vision” was formed about three years ago, according to Datcher. The two groups collaborated with Fort Worth Housing Solutions and Trinity Capital Bank. The lot on Etta Street was purchased by the collaboration, and the home was later built.
Datcher said the 61-year-old buyer was identified through home-buying workshops held over the past few years.
“Matter of fact, she helped in the design of this house. That’s one of the things we are doing, is having the homeowners help in the design of their homes,” he said.
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Mechell Malone is purchasing a home nearby. She is also a first-time homeowner with the help of First Step Community Empowerment.
“I don’t even want to say “cloud 9”. It’s beyond that. To have your own property and to be a homeowner, it’s just another level of blessing,” Malone said. “I’m still amazed. I’m looking so forward to the day I can just walk in my house.”
She said she supports efforts to add housing options in the area.
“I already see the landscape that they’re doing over there. I see them redoing the buildings. I think it’s an amazing idea,” she said. “It shows people that they care. It shows people that they can have a better house or they can the opportunity. It adds value to the community.”
Councilmember Gyna Bivens of District 5 was at the ribbon-cutting Tuesday. She said the home represents a new beginning for not just the family that will move in, but Stop Six as a whole.
“At one point in time when I was tracking closely, we saw a 67% increase in new housing construction in Stop Six. I’m sure that number has mellowed out, but the building continues to take place,” Councilmember Bivens said. “Being able to build homes, affordable and non-affordable is important to all of the city so that people who want to be in Stop Six can come to Stop Six.”
Over the next two years, Rev. Datcher said they would like to add about 17 more homes in Stop Six through the initiative.
