NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS. Evidence of the "people power" movement in Dubuque in the early 1970s. Neighborhood groups were important agencies through which hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal development funds were distributed. The groups were once so common that in 1975 a twenty-nine member Community Development Commission, with neighborhood group membership, was created.

At the height of the power of neighborhood organizations, four groups existed: North Dubuque Improvement Association, 11th Street Neighborhood Association, Fourth Street Neighborhood Association, and Washington Neighborhood Association.

Typical of the organizations, the 11th Street Neighborhood Association was established in 1972 to solve local problems and encourage people to socialize. Efforts were also made to secure federal money to improve the area. Decisions made by the associations were taken by representatives to meetings of the commission where citizens attempted to convince department officials in attendance to take their concerns to the City Council.

Successes of the organizations include the WASHINGTON STREET DIVERTERS to slow traffic, rehabilitation of many older homes with low-interest loans, improvements to Comiskey Park, and the establishment of a tool library.

By the late 1970s the power of neighborhood organizations had begun to ebb. Federal programs shifted their emphasis to economic development resulting in less money for community projects and rehabilitation. In 1986 the 11th Street Neighborhood Association was one group still in existence, and the Washington Neighborhood Council had been re-organized.

In 2023 neighborhood association began a resurgence. With the aim of enabling residents within the area to work together and know each other better, these associations met to discuss safety concerns, community events, and/or beautification projects. Aid for these associations came from the Dubuque Office of Shared Prosperity and Neighborhood Support which provided a 'toolkit.' This material helped interested parties understand what an association was, what residents could do, and how to gain members.

Since neighborhood associations earliest days, the Point Association had been established on the city's north end. It had received grants from the Office of Shared Prosperity for their annual National Night Out event which fostered police and community partnerships. Efforts to restart the Fenelon-Hill and Bluff Street associations were underway in 2023 as well as the establishment of the Mount Pleasant Home Association. (1)

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Source:

1. Bond, Maia, "City Aids Formation of Neighborhood Associations," Telegraph Herald, August 6, 2023, p. 1