Building Strong Neighborhoods for Everyone
Goals
To actively advocate for financially accessible housing and the preservation of historic neighborhoods.
Sustain and enhance active engagement with diverse external stakeholders, including business owners, city officials, and elected representatives.
To facilitate the ongoing development of affordable and inclusive housing that meets the evolving needs of both current and future residents.
Grants
Awarded a $2500 grant from the City of Bowling Green in June 2023 as one of four community organizations funded that year by the city's Community Action Plan Micro-Grant Program. Funds distributed provide organizations and neighborhood groups with support for activities that promote citizen engagement, enhance neighborhood beautification, improve safety, encourage economic development, and/or address neighborhood needs and aspirations.
Secured a $3,750 grant from the Bowling Green Community Foundation to support BG SONG’s Rock The Block project.
In June 2024, awarded a $2500 grant from the City of Bowling Green to fund the community event hosted by BG SONG on October 12 engaging city residents (including homeowners, prospective homebuyers and renters), businesses, social service entities, community organizations, realtors, rental property owners, faith communities, the city administration, elected officials and BGSU students, faculty and administrators in a call to action. The purpose of the event is to make a plan for actions to Implement the housing recommendations of the city’s 2018 Community Action Plan (CAP). The funding, in addition to covering the expenses of the meeting, will be used as seed money for a feasibility study on either developing new housing opportunities in the central neighborhoods of the city or increasing the percentage of owner occupied homes in Bowling Green.
In May 2024, BG SONG received a $1000 investor grant from the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce to fund a stipend for our summer intern BGSU student Agatha Hickerson.
Our Strategic Plan
Regularly attend public meetings of the City of Bowling Green, such as the city council, planning commission, historic preservation, and other housing-related meetings
Regularly give public statements in the City of Bowling Green meetings.
Develop alternative proposals to the laws discussed to further the organization’s mission and vision.
Regularly write editorials to spread the news about proposed city regulations and engage city residents through social media posts, webinars, and other discussions.
Request that BG SONG members be appointed to city commissions and boards relevant to housing
Actively advocate for code enforcement regulations and train community members to “report a concern.”
Formally request that the city form a special project for the Mixed-Use Neighborhood Zones and involve diverse stakeholders in the plan for the MUN Zones
Build relationships with rental property companies to advocate for BG SONG’s mission.
Advocate for residential design standards for the Pedestrian Residential District and the MUN Zones
The Need
The need for this attention and care in Bowling Green is well documented in the city’s 2018 Community Action Plan and the 2014 City of Bowling Green Community Improvement Plan. The 2014 BG Improvement Plan clearly outlines the unsightly condition and lack of investment in many of our neighborhoods and discusses in detail the economic impact that continued deterioration will have on the City of Bowling Green. Indeed, the Community Action Plan states “Given the lack of private reinvestment, impact on Bowling Green’s quality of life, and relationship to the success of BGSU, the risk of not adequately addressing these neighborhood issues would be a major setback for the City, its residents and property owners.” (2018 CAP, p. 3).
https://www.bgohio.org/DocumentCenter/View/711/2014-Bowling-Green-Improvement-Plan-PDF