Invest in our neighborhoods | Frank Perez

I want to tell you about Ms. Elizabeth. The story of her house is the story of how community investment in one property can change not just that individual’s life, but positively impact a whole neighborhood and how partnerships make this happen. It also shows the kind of council member I will be (if chosen by voters for this seat).

Seven years ago, I ran the City of Reno’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program. This program sought to fight blight in neighborhoods by providing funding and bringing together nonprofits and neighbors to turn around distressed houses. Part of my job was outreach to neighborhoods, churches and nonprofits.

The other part of my job was finding the homes and properties that were the right ones for this work. While knocking doors in northeast Reno, I encountered a house with large dead trees in front, peeling paint, a fence in disrepair and a list of other issues. The house sits on a main walking route to several schools, and at that time was in a condition that made the whole block look less friendly. Basically, from the outside, it was the perfect candidate.

I knocked on the door and met Ms. Elizabeth. She shared her story as a senior citizen and recent widow who had fallen on tough times. She qualified for the city’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, businesses, neighbors and other volunteers, we worked on her home. The yard and fence were rehabbed using low-maintenance materials, the exterior fixed up and painted, and the inside made more livable. Ms. Elizabeth also was set up with some programs that she could lean on for the other help she needed.

Seven years later, the house still looks great. She and her neighbors had something they easily could take care of and take pride in. The whole block felt refreshed from this one property’s change. City investments like this in our neighborhoods have lasting ripple effects that help the entire community for years.

I’ve dedicated my professional life to building stronger, cleaner and safer neighborhoods — starting in college with neighborhood cleanups, continuing with the City of Reno’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program, and now for the last five years as a code compliance officer.

I will be a council member who isn’t afraid to walk the streets and go door-to-door to talk to people and solve problems. I can tell a business or resident who wants to be in compliance and just needs some help from one who is cutting all the corners they can get away with. I’ve lived in these neighborhoods, I know these neighborhoods, I speak the languages of these neighborhoods. You can count on me to roll up my sleeves and do the work because I’ve already been doing it.

I will advocate for increased city investment in our neighborhoods, from revitalizing parks and creating accessible playgrounds to implementing new grant programs. We need to fill potholes, replace old sidewalks and fix streets. I will work to create the safe, clean and vibrant downtown we envision.

I’m running for City Council to make a difference for people like Ms. Elizabeth and to ensure that every resident of Reno can take pride in their neighborhood. Together, we can create a city that invests in its people, its safety and its future.

Frank Perez is a community leader, father and husband, University of Nevada, Reno graduate, code enforcement officer and candidate for Reno City Council, Ward 1.

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This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Invest in our neighborhoods | Frank Perez