Creating Neighborhoods of Opportunity 

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Focused Strategies on Neighborhood Blight and Stabilization

1. Work with state legislative delegation and State Supreme Court to develop a special environmental court in order to increase enforcement of blight, litter, overgrown lots and hazardous structures.

2. Increase budget for Property Standards to demolition dilapidated structures

3. Prioritize vacant property development and increase access to capital for development.

4. Increase utilization of the Lot Next Door/Mow to Own program to allow residents to purchase an adjoining lot if they spend a year maintaining it.

 

Support Affordable Development

1. Utilize funds in the Shreveport Home Mortgage Authority to leverage private investors for mixed-income development.

2. Utilize Public Private Partnerships to increase stock of affordable housing units for working class families.

3. Work with developers (for profit and nonprofit) to acquire clear title to property for in-fill development.

4. Develop a workable plan to utilize best practices to explore and create affordable options with "Tiny Houses."

 

Help Families Build Wealth through Ownership

1. Encourage employers to provide an employee down payment assistance program.

2. Utilize funds from Shreveport's Home Mortgage Program to provide "soft-seconds" to help facilitate and support home ownership.

3. Strengthen partnerships with Banks, Credit Unions, and Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) to support new construction and rehabilitation of owner-occupied developments.

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Greenspace & Community Gardens

1. Work with neighborhood organizations and non-profits to use vacant property and excess water as an asset and not a liability.

2. Support efforts to develop food co-operatives to decrease food deserts and increase access to healthy produce. 

3. Develop a collaborative with Shreveport Green, Food Bank of NWLa, LSU AgCenter, community organizations, and local retail stores to support and expand local farm-to-table initiatives.

 

 

 

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Steven’s Affordable Housing Track Record:

As a Caddo Parish Commissioner, Steven established the E. Edward Jones Housing Trust Fund in 2017.

 

He successfully identified and secured $1 million in funds to help leverage private investments to support the fund.

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He also authored an ordinance to establish the "Faith Builder Program" which allows non-profit, for profit, and faith based organizations to assemble property in order to facilitate development.