Dallas' Mill City neighborhood fixing blight to decrease crime - Axios DallasLog InLog InAxios Dallas is an Axios company.

Dallas' Mill City neighborhood fixing blight to decrease crime

Illustration: Trent Joaquin/Axios Southern Dallas' Mill City neighborhood is getting hundreds of thousands of dollars to remediate blocks of vacant lots and boarded-up buildings. Driving the news: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced Tuesday that his task force on safe communities is giving $100,000 to , an affordable housing developer. Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents the area, is also contributing $50,000 from his office's funds. Why it matters: Blight remediation is part of city leaders' efforts to find non-policing solutions to reduce crime. It's a shift from traditional crime reduction measures like adding more patrols.Cleaning up neighborhoods and adding lighting can improve public safety and create a sense of community for residents. Details: The $150,000 in funds from the mayor and council member will add to grant money Builders of Hope has already received for its initiative to clean up abandoned buildings block-by-block in the neighborhood near Fair Park. The group estimates each lot will cost about $5,500 to fix up and plans to remediate 80 lots in two years. Flashback: A by the safe communities task force proposed non-policing recommendations to combat crime, including remediating blighted lots and increasing outdoor lighting in high-violence areas.The techniques mirror that reduced gun violence by nearly 30%. Zoom in: Mill City has about 5,000 households. Since 2017, more than 400 thefts, almost 300 burglaries, more than 100 robberies and more than 550 assaults in the neighborhood. What they're saying: Alendra Lyons more than a decade ago and found that the once close-knit community was fractured by blight and crime. She said the plan to clean up Mill City gives her hope."I want it to be a place of safety and beautification," Lyons said, tearing up after the donation announcement. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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