REALTOR® Care Day

Skip Weiler, Chair

I am writing this article to encourage your participation in the First Annual REALTOR® Care Day. This day has been organized in collaboration with United Way of Central Ohio and Columbus Housing Partnership as a legacy event of the Columbus Board of REALTORS® members. The REALTOR® Care Day committee has selected Mwanza Place, a 24 unit town home community in the Linden area, for our first project.

Over the past twelve years this property has endured considerable "wear and tear". We are asking for at least 75 REALTOR® volunteers to assist Columbus Housing Partnership with light construction and external maintenance on 24 units-creating a lasting legacy in our community. You will not need any prior construction experience.

REALTOR® Care Day is scheduled for Wednesday, June 15 from 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. The concept of the project is to provide skilled supervision and volunteer workers, equipment and materials to complete the building and landscaping projects.

If you have interest in participating please complete the registration form and fax to (614) 227-8711. If you need more information, contact Sheryle Powell at United Way of Central Ohio (614) 241-3082.

Special recognition and thanks to United Way of Central Ohio for planning and coordinating the logistics of our care day.

Thank you very much for your continued contributions to our community. We hope you will join fellow Columbus area REALTORS® for this inaugural project.

We look forward to seeing you at REALTOR® Care Day!

Mwanza Place is Swahili for "new beginnings" and was selected as the name for this area approximately ten years ago by the residents. Residents saw the development as the first stage of their new life.

Mwanza Place is fully owned by Columbus Housing Partnership. The property management company is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the property. This includes both physical structure and appearance.

Mwanza Place is in the South Linden Neighborhood. 78% of those residing in Mwanza Place and the surrounding neighborhood are African American. Additionally, the South Linden area has experienced an 18 percent loss in population over the last ten years.

In 2000, the per capita income in the area was almost $48,000 lower than the county average, with almost half of those sixteen and older not participating in the labor force.

The poverty rate was a startling 25 percent. Almost 45 percent of these families had children under 5 years old.

Only 5.7 percent of South Linden residents have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher. 62.5% of South Linden residents 25 years and older had completed a high school education or higher. This is 20% less than county averages.