Community Food Security - read the Hunger Commission's food access study and download free food access study materials including curriculum for nutrition education workshops.

Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento (cont.)

North Sacramento is multifaceted with both urban and residential aspects. Its retail strip on Del Paso Boulevard consists of restaurants, various stores, and art galleries while its neighborhoods remain well kept and inhabited mostly by families. Like North Sacramento, Del Paso Heights is also strongly residential with 75% of the households consisting of families. But compared to North Sacramento, Del Paso Heights has a more rural atmosphere with large vacant parcels of land because it was originally a suburban area where many residents farmed in addition to earning wages in more traditional positions. A large percentage of residents from both communities were originally employed at McClellan Air Force Base which was located to the east of the of Del Paso Heights, offering many jobs. However, as employment began to decline at the base through the 1970's and 1980's, and then witnessed it's eventual closure by the end of the 1980's, this area saw a gradual increase in unemployment, poverty, and drug use.

Revitalization efforts have long been a focus in Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) have largely assisted in neighborhood revitalization, specifically property restoration, since the 1970's. For nearly 20 years, Del Paso Boulevard has participated in Community Development Block Grants or tax increment funded commercial revitalization programs. As a result, Del Paso Boulevard is considered a major "arts district" for the metropolitan Sacramento area and an innovative variety of retail uses have located in the area. As mentioned earlier, Marysville Blvd. in Del Paso Heights has also begun restoration. Developing new business, such as the new relationship with the Greater Sacramento Urban League, and working to decrease the number of liquor stores in the area, are just some of the many projects in which SHRA continues to invest. The city and county services also address deficiencies within the community, like the city's Neighborhoods Services Department, providing help in development, business assistance, human services, code enforcement, housing, and parks and recreation.

Several community-based organizations have surfaced from this redevelopment focus and are actively working toward revitalization. Residential advisory boards like the East and West Del Paso Heights Redevelopment Associations allow residents to directly take part in development actions. Mutual Assistance Network, a local non-profit organization, addresses community issues such as welfare reform and has focused their resources on the specific needs of Del Paso Heights residents including support groups, transportation policy advocacy and community gardens. Signs of improvement within the community show that these organizations are making a difference. For example, Mutual Assistance Network reported that though the violent and property crime rates are still higher than the county rate, they have both decreased by 30% from 1992-1997 as school attendance was increased. As a result of the efforts these agencies are making, community involvement has increased tremendously creating active residential groups like the Community Health Alliance and the Dixieanne Area Neighborhood Association. Community Centers like Firehouse, Johnston, Robertson, and Hagginwood all now serve as forums for residential involvement. Numerous collaborations are offering invaluable resources like the Grant Skills Center, which offers adult education classes, bilingual classes, and employment services, addressing the problems of the community. Four community centers, several churches, two libraries, and many neighborhood- based schools transmit a strong sense of community within both Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento.

[Top]