Southeast Newport News
Description
Southeast Newport News is in severe social and economic distress. Reported data is grim:
- Median family income, Southeast: $19,087. Citywide median income: $42,520. Statewide median income: $56,277.
- More than fifty percent of Southeast adults live below the poverty level, which is almost twice the number in the rest of the city.
- Southeast's unemployment rate is eight percent, higher than the city-wide and state averages.
- About 25 percent of adults age 25 or older in Southeast do not have a high-school diploma, compared with 16 percent citywide.
In addition to the problems listed above, Southeast residents suffer severe health complications. They suffer more cases of cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart diseases or strokes than residents of almost any other part of the state. Poor diets, exercise, alcohol and tobacco use spur some of the problems, but severe infrastructure problems also aggravate the situation. The city of Newport News is one of the largest coal hubs in the world and large amounts of soot enter the air. The local sewer system has been known to break down during heavy rains and high tides, causing raw sewage to leak out into the streets and periodically shut down Southeast pumping stations. Residents are largely uninsured, and the area contains only a fragmented, low-income medical network.
During WWII, the local shipyard brought in phenomenal economic gains that led to a spurt of housing developments affordable to lower income residents. Middle class flight in the 1950’s led to rapid deterioration of Southeast Newport News. Today, there are few major businesses in the area, including no major grocery stores. Residents are forced to shop at the higher priced corner stores, where owners do not purchase their goods in bulk quantities, which would allow them to receive cheaper wholesale prices. Attempts to attract larger grocery chains to the area have been unsuccessful due to concerns about sustainability.
Crime rates in the area also outpace rates statewide. The city of Newport News has more than double the statewide rates for murder, forcible sex acts, robbery and aggravated assault. In recent years, gangs of youth and random violence have been notably prevalent.
Looking at the city as a whole, most indicators suggest that the city must rely on constrained resources from an overburdened tax base. Per capita income, median household income, household ownership and attainment of bachelor’s degrees are all substantially lower than the Commonwealth. Despite high pregnancy rates and an overall growth in statewide population, the city has experienced an exodus of residents over a six-year period.
Partners
Christopher Newport University anchors this partnership, which is currently in the development.
Results
The Southeast Newport News partnership is currently in development. Our timeline is as follows:
Phase One (January-June, 2008)
- Conduct extensive interviews and surveys of community and university stakeholders to map needs, resources and interests;
- Create a list of possible project matches from community suggestions, including short-term projects that can be accomplished quickly to establish credibility and trust among the partners;
- Convene a partnership advisory council to help guide the work of the partnership in Phase Two;
- Publicize partnership launch to build enthusiasm; and
- Identify students to enroll in the 2008 Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program to be trained to help build the partnership upon returning to campus.
Phase Two (July-December, 2008)
- Measure feedback and modify methodology as necessary;
- Identify 3-5 more complex economic and community development projects of priority to the community;
- Develop a plan for tackling the priority projects and identify key university stakeholders;
- Identify resources and incentives for faculty, students and other participants;
- Engage university students trained in the Phoenix Project leadership programs in the process of building sustainable student efforts as part of partnership;
- Explore with faculty ways in which to integrate social entrepreneurship development more fully into the curriculum; and
- Publicize early successes to sustain enthusiasm and expand community buy-in.
Phase Three (January-June, 2009)
- Evaluate progress and modify methodology as appropriate;
- Seek to conclude 50% of the major economic development projects and replace them with a new set of projects attractive to a new set of university stakeholders; and
- Invite public, private and nonprofit sector supporters of the university to examine and celebrate the outcomes of the partnership and find ways to sustain and grow it over time.