The City of Owensboro is concluding its five-year Riverview Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) and is now focusing on the Monarch NRSA, a new neighborhood redevelopment initiative set to last until 2030. Community Development Director Abby Shelton presented the update to the Owensboro Board of Commissioners, describing it as a data-driven, community-supported plan addressing housing affordability, infrastructure needs, and economic growth in one of the city’s older neighborhoods. The Riverview NRSA exceeded expectations by completing 317 projects with a total public and private investment of $12.6 million, surpassing the initial $8 million projection. The Monarch NRSA will cover an area from Clay Street to Dixie Avenue and from the city limits to Ninth Street. Over 60% of residents in this area are low- to moderate-income, with a median household income of $36,525. Nearly 72% of parcels need rehabilitation, and 62% of renters are cost-burdened. The plan includes home rehabilitation, down payment assistance, rental incentives, and partnerships with Habitat for Humanity. The city has allocated nearly $3.1 million in federal funding, with an estimated $3.8 million in matching private investment. Goals include increasing homeownership above 45%, boosting local business development, improving safety, and ensuring sustainability.
— news from The Owensboro Times
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Monarch NRSA plan aims to boost housing, safety and economic growth in Owensboro
The City of Owensboro is wrapping up its five-year Riverview Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) and setting its sights on the Monarch NRSA, a new neighborhood redevelopment initiative projected to span through 2030. Community Development Director Abby Shelton presented the update to the Owensboro Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night, outlining what she described as a data-driven, community-supported plan aimed at tackling housing affordability, infrastructure needs, and economic growth in one of the city’s older neighborhoods. Shelton said the Riverview NRSA exceeded expectations, delivering 317 projects with a combined public and private investment of $12.6 million — well above the $8 million originally projected. The Monarch NRSA will follow a similar model, but Shelton said it is tailored to the unique challenges in its designated area, which stretches from Clay Street on the west to Dixie Avenue on the east, and from the city limits on the north to Ninth Street on the south. Shelton said the area faces significant economic and housing hurdles. More than 60% of residents qualify as low- to moderate-income, with a median household income of $36,525. Nearly 72% of parcels require some level of rehabilitation, and approximately 62% of renters are cost-burdened. The plan outlines a range of initiatives to reverse these trends, including exterior home rehabilitation, new down payment assistance programs, expanded rental rehabilitation incentives, and a partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The city has budgeted nearly $3.1 million in federal funding for the Monarch NRSA through 2030, with an estimated $3.8 million in matching private investment.