Once Rundown Neighborhood Revived And Winning Awards

Friday, August 3rd 2007, 4:45 pm

By: News On 6

A Tulsa neighborhood once full of crack houses and addicts stumbling through the streets has won a national award for its complete turn-around. A local team of police and prosecutors received the national award Thursday. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the once rundown neighborhood at 3700 W. 54th Street is now filled with new homes and families with children.

"Used to play stickball right out there," South Haven resident Helen McCoy said.

Helen McCoy moved into her home in the South Haven neighborhood when she was 8-months-old. She went to school around the corner and remembers it fondly.

"It was houses everywhere, houses there, here. I can go down the street and think about the people who lived on this street," said McCoy.

Now, at the age of 80, she's still here. She witnessed the downfall of the neighborhood when crack dealers moved in and took over. The families left and eventually, so did the houses.

"There wasn't a house here except this house in this whole block. No houses but this one," McCoy said.

Federal prosecutors sent the drug dealers to prison, seized their nine parcels of land and gave them to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat bought additional land and has now built 50 new homes in South Haven. There's one under construction and another one ready after that, and home ownership in the neighborhood is now 76% higher than the city's average.

"The more homeownership increase, the more pride and community spirit and the like," said Gary Casteel with Habitat for Humanity.

Miss McCoy couldn't be happier. She always had faith South Haven would rise again, even when others did not.

"He said sister McCoy, they're going to turn South Haven into a place to have trucks, and I said, oh, no, brother, they're not. I've been reading my Bible and praying and the Bible says this will have houses again, and children playing in the streets and old people walking with canes, this will be a community again," she said.

And, indeed it is. Up next for the neighborhood is a recreation center, which will be built soon.

The recipients of the national award are prosecutors from the Tulsa U.S. Attorney's Office, the Tulsa Police Department, U.S. Marshals, the DEA and Habitat for Humanity.

Watch the video: Local Neighborhood Receives National Award