Suburban Avenue is not very suburban at all. It is edged in by a vacant lot and an urban cornfield. The sidewalks are cracked and the adjacent alley way experiences the occasional West County dumping that is annoyingly common east of Skinker.

It is also quiet. Generations of neighbors have lived on the block. Ms. LaDonna operates a beautiful daycare that would rival any facility in the city. Ms. Lillie has the sweetest smile. And the neighbor with the Jesus sign in the yard says the block has drastically changed from “the gangs and the gun violence” of the eighties. Things are looking up on Suburban, but there is a hope they can be even better. Neighbors are improving their properties and planting seasonal plants to brighten things. They have plans to work the land on their own terms. It’s a beautiful thing.

Despite the calm waters on Suburban, there is yet a sense that a storm is brewing neighborhood-wide.

After years of disinvestment, West End and Visitation Park is changing. New investors are eager to enter the neighborhood and “speculation” is happening. It is not always bad, but it can crowd out buyers who want to fix up the homes. The West End is also attracting investors who are flipping homes, which is awesome, but it also leaves less room for “Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing,” or NOAHs.

Speculation in real estate means people purchase property and hold on to it, with the hopes of reselling for a higher price. Flipping homes usually means improving the property and its value to make a profit.

Cornerstone CDC has historically built what is known as “Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing” (NOAHs). NOAHs are affordable housing units that older, low on amenities, and unsubsidized by federal funds. They ended up being naturally affordable, but often also undesirable. To the renter, that is.

To developers, NOAHs are often chock-full of potential. Folks are grabbing houses in need of great repair and flipping them into beautiful, reasonably priced (some times) rental offerings. The problem is: what is reasonably priced for the St. Louis market remains unaffordable to many would-be renters. There is a huge demand for affordable housing among residents making the least. In cases where housing is available, it is often substandard.

That is why this opening on Suburban Avenue is so special. We had a thought as an organization. What if we fixed up apartments, made them intentionally beautiful, provided the amenities they needed and did not cause rent to skyrocket? That’s the Cornerstone CDC model and challenge. This is why 6031 Suburban is such a big deal for us. Based on the generous support from donors, we were able to flip a home…and keep it affordable. Beautiful and affordable.

We have a long way to go in repairing the rest of our homes to keep them to that same standard, but it is becoming the proverbial mountain we are willing to die on. (Fun fact: “mountain you are willing to die on” is a Biblical reference to Christ dying on a hill…a little bible trivia for you.) Meaning: this is our fight and we believe its worth it. Cornerstone CDC is working to sustain options in the market for renters in the West End and that with dignity. Huge thank you to each of you who invested in this vision.

Noah looked foolish too, until it began to rain. Thank you for believing and standing with us to preserve affordable housing in the West End.