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A model for creating a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis—once and for all

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Once and for All is an effort to address the root source of our region’s longstanding challenges—from failing schools to high crime rates, slow economic growth, and our region’s steady decline in prosperity as well as national prominence and influence.

A wealth of research published by Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri–St. Louis, Forward Through Ferguson, Greater St. Louis Inc., and others shows how our high concentrations of poverty and communities in decline don’t just harm those most directly impacted. The effects of these conditions have a detrimental impact on our entire region.

All of this is why, in order for the St. Louis region to be competitive and successful in the years ahead, it’s vital that we invest in our under-resourced communities to address the source of our region’s challenges and create a stronger, more prosperous St. Louis—once and for all.

WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS, READ ALL THE LETTERS  on creating a stronger, more prosperous St. Louis—once and for all.

Dear Lou, I wish that all native St. Louisans could see their city the way so many others do when they visit St. Louis for the first time. I wasn’t born and raised in St. Louis. I grew up in New Hampshire and worked on the East Coast before relocating to St. Louis in 2007. When I first came here, I saw St. Louis for what it is versus what it was in the past. I saw a destination that was rich with potential and approaching a tipping point. I saw all the brick-and-mortar aspects of a city steeped in history with amazing architecture. I saw the nascent stages of innovation leading the way for St. Louis to become an innovation-based economy. I saw a wealth of education with nearly 30 colleges and universities. The raw ingredients were all here. With its high quality of life and affordability, St. Louis looked like a gem that had yet to be fully discovered and was fast approaching an urban renaissance. I often feel that many St. Louisans suffer from a perceptual hangover, dwelling on what we once were, instead of being focused and open-minded about what we are becoming. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people lament over the airport or the number of corporations that used to be headquartered in Saint Louis that have since left. You can't drive down the highway to the future by looking in the rearview mirror. I think that too often we allow our problems to define us. I don't argue for a minute that we should ignore the real challenges we need to address and overcome. I do implore people, however, to have a balanced perspective. The most satisfying and enjoyable moments in my work at Explore St. Louis are witnessing the surprise and delight of people visiting St. Louis for the first time—including people who had either low expectations or no expectations at all. When so many people visit here, their jaws drop. They’re amazed how exciting and fun St. Louis is to discover and the amount of treasures around every corner. They’re blown away that we have a world-class zoo and museums that are free for all who visit. They see how affordable and accessible St. Louis is. They see opportunity and potential. They say things like, “I want to buy a house here... I want to have a second home here... Maybe I should move my company here.” I’ve never been more bullish on St. Louis’ future than I am today. When you look at the billions of dollars that have been invested in cultural and entertainment amenities such as Union Station, City Foundry, the Armory, St. Louis City SC and their new stadium, the Gateway Arch National Park, Forest Park, the Brickline Greenway—the list goes on and on—the momentum is undeniable. When you look at our amazing food and restaurant scene and the fact that we have nationally renowned restauranters who have moved back to St. Louis because of the abundance of opportunity, when you see all of this new energy, I believe we have finally reached that tipping point and the transformation we have been longing for is finally taking hold, and our best days are ahead of us. Yes, we have a hundred problems just like every other city in the United States, but we’re working hard to address them. Instead of letting those problems define us, let’s make St. Louis better for everyone. We have the opportunity to lead the nation forward by improving societal issues that have beset American cities for more than 200 years. Instead of looking at what we have lost, look at all we have gained. In downtown St. Louis alone, we have four stadiums. We have world-class theaters. We have an entertainment complex in Union Station. You have one of the most interesting and eclectic places—literally in the entire world—called City Museum. All within a 10-block radius. We just need more people to see the abundance that St. Louis has to offer—and I believe that starts with us. I believe St. Louisans are instrumental in helping us propel this transformation. I’d argue that the image that needs the most work is the image we have of ourselves. Let's start celebrating all that is right instead of focusing on all that is wrong. Let’s stop making apologies that we’re from St. Louis. Let’s be proud and vocal and have more swagger. Instead of lamenting the shortcomings of our past, let’s focus on the momentum we are creating today and the promising future in front of us. Sincerely, Brian Hall Chief Marketing Officer, Explore St. Louis

Dear Lou,

I wish that all native St. Louisans could see their city the way so many others do when they visit St. Louis for the first time.
I wasn’t born and raised in St. Louis. I grew up in New Hampshire and worked on the East Coast before relocating to St. Louis in 2007.
When I first came here, I saw St. Louis for what it is versus what it was in the past. I saw a destination that was rich with potential and approaching a tipping point.

I saw all the brick-and-mortar aspects of a city steeped in history with amazing architecture. I saw the nascent stages of innovation leading the way for St. Louis to become an innovation-based economy. I saw a wealth of education with nearly 30 colleges and universities. The raw ingredients were all here. With its high quality of life and affordability, St. Louis looked like a gem that had yet to be fully discovered and was fast approaching an urban renaissance.

I often feel that many St. Louisans suffer from a perceptual hangover, dwelling on what we once were, instead of being focused and open-minded about what we are becoming. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people lament over the airport or the number of corporations that used to be headquartered in Saint Louis that have since left.

You can't drive down the highway to the future by looking in the rearview mirror.

I think that too often we allow our problems to define us. I don't argue for a minute that we should ignore the real challenges we need to address and overcome. I do implore people, however, to have a balanced perspective.
The most satisfying and enjoyable moments in my work at Explore St. Louis are witnessing the surprise and delight of people visiting St. Louis for the first time—including people who had either low expectations or no expectations at all.

When so many people visit here, their jaws drop. They’re amazed how exciting and fun St. Louis is to discover and the amount of treasures around every corner. They’re blown away that we have a world-class zoo and museums that are free for all who visit. They see how affordable and accessible St. Louis is. They see opportunity and potential. They say things like, “I want to buy a house here… I want to have a second home here… Maybe I should move my company here.”

I’ve never been more bullish on St. Louis’ future than I am today.
When you look at the billions of dollars that have been invested in cultural and entertainment amenities such as Union Station, City Foundry, the Armory, St. Louis City SC and their new stadium, the Gateway Arch National Park, Forest Park, the Brickline Greenway—the list goes on and on—the momentum is undeniable.

When you look at our amazing food and restaurant scene and the fact that we have nationally renowned restauranters who have moved back to St. Louis because of the abundance of opportunity, when you see all of this new energy, I believe we have finally reached that tipping point and the transformation we have been longing for is finally taking hold, and our best days are ahead of us.

Yes, we have a hundred problems just like every other city in the United States, but we’re working hard to address them. Instead of letting those problems define us, let’s make St. Louis better for everyone. We have the opportunity to lead the nation forward by improving societal issues that have beset American cities for more than 200 years.

Instead of looking at what we have lost, look at all we have gained.
In downtown St. Louis alone, we have four stadiums. We have world-class theaters. We have an entertainment complex in Union Station. You have one of the most interesting and eclectic places—literally in the entire world—called City Museum. All within a 10-block radius.

We just need more people to see the abundance that St. Louis has to offer—and I believe that starts with us. I believe St. Louisans are instrumental in helping us propel this transformation. I’d argue that the image that needs the most work is the image we have of ourselves. Let's start celebrating all that is right instead of focusing on all that is wrong. Let’s stop making apologies that we’re from St. Louis. Let’s be proud and vocal and have more swagger.
Instead of lamenting the shortcomings of our past, let’s focus on the momentum we are creating today and the promising future in front of us.

Sincerely,

Brian Hall
Chief Marketing Officer, Explore St. Louis

YouTube Video UExIVW5WZG5OU2wyZGJkc3p5RmEwWHZKNUUzbmo0NUVQdS4yMDhBMkNBNjRDMjQxQTg1

"Dear Lou": Brian Hall

Dear Lou, When I first moved here at age 9, I had a major hate relationship with St. Louis. Coming from Moscow into the heat and humidity of August was a huge shock. I had a very bad attitude too. I missed my family and friends. You see, back then I was already a two-time refugee. I was born in Afghanistan in 1990, but I went to Russia at age 3 and stayed there for five years before coming to the United States. I really fought to hate St. Louis for a very long time, and I made good on my vow to leave as soon as I could. But I always found my way back. The pattern ended for good after I moved to Memphis in 2020. I was so homesick for St. Louis. I realized it’s the closest thing I know to a home. It’s the city I’ve lived in the longest, for 23 years. Most importantly, I realized that the things I thought I didn’t like about St. Louis were things that needed healing within me. All the trauma from having lived in a war zone, being a two-time refugee—those were the things bothering me. It was never the city. I know there are others who have similar experiences of not feeling at home anywhere because of the trauma they’re holding in their body. And I decided I want to be part of making the St. Louis region awesome for people like me. In Farsi, we have a quote that says, “Drop by drop, you get the ocean.” That’s how I view the work of building a better, healthier, thriving region. All of us need to reflect on what we see as St. Louis’ greatest challenge and then take the initiative to resolve it, step by step. For my part, I think segregation is a big issue. I would like to see St. Louis united, without any gaps or bridges between communities. I would like to see the diversity of the Festival of Nations be the everyday norm—all the foods, the scents, the sounds, the languages, the music. Hundreds of thousands of happy, joyous people in a multicultural, cooperative, inclusive region filled with opportunities. My whole job at the International Institute is to sell people on why they should move to St. Louis. I have all the metrics. Low cost of living, women-owned businesses, entrepreneurial opportunities, affordable housing, post-secondary education—those top the list. And we’re working on the things we’re missing, things like a culture of inclusivity. We have a rich history of philanthropy that even the country’s most successful cities can’t match. Before I accepted this job, I was an activist for 11 years. I was active in supporting Black Lives Matter, but if there was another cause that needed highlighting, I was excited to be there as a humanitarian, whatever part of the world was involved—Palestine, China, Syria, Egypt, Myanmar. Little did I know that my birth nation would fall to the Taliban (again!) like it did in August 2021. I felt pulled to volunteer for the Afghan Support Program, but I ended up becoming much more involved when I accepted this job at the International Institute in 2022. The Afghan Support Program has already made an impact. We have a newly opened community center. We’re publishing a newspaper. We’ve had 24 weeks of soccer programming. Our Chamber of Commerce is coming together. We have a team of leaders working to build the community. And we’ve offered scholarships and grants. My personal impact is being an Afghan woman who’s outspoken and brave and not caught up in the ideologies that brought us to this situation. I have a real focus on the women from my culture. I pay special attention to the girls who are about the same age I was when I came to St. Louis. They’re so observant about both cultures. I talk with them—truly entertaining their dialogue and asking them questions. I love and adore them because I see myself in those girls. When I arrived, I didn’t have any role models other than my mother. And she’s a bold, courageous, heroic person—for example, she went to Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban, and not only did she get out again in one piece, she brought both her parents with her. It was a miracle of God. But I didn’t have anyone else besides my mother to look up to. I want to empower more women like me so we can grow as a community. My message to my fellow St. Louisans is to activate yourself and those around you. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be a bystander or a complainer. Reach for unrealistic goals. It’s inspiring to see all the intentional work being done in St. Louis to create safe, healthy spaces where women of color can heal. But there’s still so much more that needs to be done. In the Afghan refugee community alone, thousands of people need us now. That’s my focus. I’m doing what feeds my soul. Moji Sidiqi International Institute Program Manager – Afghan Community Development Program

Dear Lou,



When I first moved here at age 9, I had a major hate relationship with St. Louis. Coming from Moscow into the heat and humidity of August was a huge shock. I had a very bad attitude too. I missed my family and friends.


You see, back then I was already a two-time refugee. I was born in Afghanistan in 1990, but I went to Russia at age 3 and stayed there for five years before coming to the United States. I really fought to hate St. Louis for a very long time, and I made good on my vow to leave as soon as I could. But I always found my way back.


The pattern ended for good after I moved to Memphis in 2020. I was so homesick for St. Louis. I realized it’s the closest thing I know to a home. It’s the city I’ve lived in the longest, for 23 years. Most importantly, I realized that the things I thought I didn’t like about St. Louis were things that needed healing within me. All the trauma from having lived in a war zone, being a two-time refugee—those were the things bothering me. It was never the city.


I know there are others who have similar experiences of not feeling at home anywhere because of the trauma they’re holding in their body. And I decided I want to be part of making the St. Louis region awesome for people like me.


In Farsi, we have a quote that says, “Drop by drop, you get the ocean.” That’s how I view the work of building a better, healthier, thriving region. All of us need to reflect on what we see as St. Louis’ greatest challenge and then take the initiative to resolve it, step by step. For my part, I think segregation is a big issue. I would like to see St. Louis united, without any gaps or bridges between communities. I would like to see the diversity of the Festival of Nations be the everyday norm—all the foods, the scents, the sounds, the languages, the music. Hundreds of thousands of happy, joyous people in a multicultural, cooperative, inclusive region filled with opportunities.


My whole job at the International Institute is to sell people on why they should move to St. Louis. I have all the metrics. Low cost of living, women-owned businesses, entrepreneurial opportunities, affordable housing, post-secondary education—those top the list. And we’re working on the things we’re missing, things like a culture of inclusivity. We have a rich history of philanthropy that even the country’s most successful cities can’t match.


Before I accepted this job, I was an activist for 11 years. I was active in supporting Black Lives Matter, but if there was another cause that needed highlighting, I was excited to be there as a humanitarian, whatever part of the world was involved—Palestine, China, Syria, Egypt, Myanmar. Little did I know that my birth nation would fall to the Taliban (again!) like it did in August 2021. I felt pulled to volunteer for the Afghan Support Program, but I ended up becoming much more involved when I accepted this job at the International Institute in 2022.


The Afghan Support Program has already made an impact. We have a newly opened community center. We’re publishing a newspaper. We’ve had 24 weeks of soccer programming. Our Chamber of Commerce is coming together. We have a team of leaders working to build the community. And we’ve offered scholarships and grants.


My personal impact is being an Afghan woman who’s outspoken and brave and not caught up in the ideologies that brought us to this situation. I have a real focus on the women from my culture. I pay special attention to the girls who are about the same age I was when I came to St. Louis. They’re so observant about both cultures. I talk with them—truly entertaining their dialogue and asking them questions.


I love and adore them because I see myself in those girls. When I arrived, I didn’t have any role models other than my mother. And she’s a bold, courageous, heroic person—for example, she went to Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban, and not only did she get out again in one piece, she brought both her parents with her. It was a miracle of God. But I didn’t have anyone else besides my mother to look up to. I want to empower more women like me so we can grow as a community.


My message to my fellow St. Louisans is to activate yourself and those around you. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be a bystander or a complainer. Reach for unrealistic goals.


It’s inspiring to see all the intentional work being done in St. Louis to create safe, healthy spaces where women of color can heal. But there’s still so much more that needs to be done. In the Afghan refugee community alone, thousands of people need us now. That’s my focus. I’m doing what feeds my soul.


Moji Sidiqi
International Institute
Program Manager – Afghan Community Development Program

YouTube Video UExIVW5WZG5OU2wyZGJkc3p5RmEwWHZKNUUzbmo0NUVQdS5ENDU4Q0M4RDExNzM1Mjcy

"Dear Lou": Moji Sidiqi

Dear Lou, Our history with you runs long and deep. For more than 120 years, we’ve been proud to call you, our home. And proud to power the quality of life for generations of St. Louisans. As a neighbor and an integral part of every St. Louis community, we believe the St. Louis region is only as strong as the communities within it. And that every community matters. When communities struggle, so does the greater region. It’s time to change this. It’s time to empower people, progress and prosperity, especially in our communities that have been underserved for far too long. And this means stepping up to make a meaningful difference in the lives of all families. It means investing in inclusive economic growth so good jobs are available to everyone. These challenges are too great for one person or group to handle on their own. But when St. Louis’ organizations and leaders combine our energy, we can create this thriving community. Together, we have the power. Let’s build a more sustainable future for the St. Louis community, once and for all.

Dear Lou,

Our history with you runs long and deep. For more than 120 years, we’ve been proud to call you, our home. And proud to power the quality of life for generations of St. Louisans.

As a neighbor and an integral part of every St. Louis community, we believe the St. Louis region is only as strong as the communities within it. And that every community matters.

When communities struggle, so does the greater region.

It’s time to change this. It’s time to empower people, progress and prosperity, especially in our communities that have been underserved for far too long.

And this means stepping up to make a meaningful difference in the lives of all families. It means investing in inclusive economic growth so good jobs are available to everyone.

These challenges are too great for one person or group to handle on their own. But when St. Louis’ organizations and leaders combine our energy, we can create this thriving community.

Together, we have the power. Let’s build a more sustainable future for the St. Louis community, once and for all.

YouTube Video UExIVW5WZG5OU2wyZGJkc3p5RmEwWHZKNUUzbmo0NUVQdS45RTgxNDRBMzUwRjQ0MDhC

"Dear Lou": Ameren

Dear Lou, My family is proof that you don’t have to be from a city to love it. My wife and I are native New Yorkers, and we didn’t know much about St. Louis before we relocated to the region a decade ago. All it took was one immersive weekend at places like Grant’s Farm, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Gateway Arch, and restaurants on The Hill for us to fall hard for St. Louis. And after we moved here, the more we discovered, the more we found to love. Our kids’ school. The sports. The food. I’m Italian and my wife is Chinese, and we are just in awe of the restaurants here that speak to our hearts through our stomachs. We’re big believers that you can’t just live in a community and take from it; you need to give back. So my wife and I joined boards and volunteered. I started a chess nonprofit in North St. Louis County in collaboration with the St. Louis Chess Club and inaugurated the Ascension Charity Classic PGA golf tournament at Norwood Hills Country Club. On the East Coast, St. Louisans have a reputation for working hard and being valuable employees, but they tend not to stick around out there. Now I understand why. I’m humbled to be able to contribute to all the things that are wonderful about this region through my energy and optimism. I tell people all the time that when you choose to live somewhere, you love it even more. Because I’m not from here, I have a different lens for viewing all the things that make St. Louis special. I’ve become an unofficial brand ambassador for the region—it’s the best-kept secret in the United States. Through my vocation as a marketing professional, I have a great platform to share that message. When I’m not working, my avocation is writing books about big-stakes decision-making. I’m especially passionate about the study of leadership at the presidential level. I look at how and why presidents made big, bold decisions—like Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal or Lyndon Johnson and civil rights. I study the things that motivate and inspire people to take on big challenges. I apply what I’ve learned authoring those books to day-to-day life by thinking about how to motivate and inspire stakeholders to achieve big things locally. In St. Louis, we need bold, forward-looking leadership that doesn’t turn a blind eye to challenges but tackles them with hope, optimism, and solutions. I’m a big believer that as a region, we’re only as strong as all the communities within it. It’s incumbent upon all of us to make each community strong for all its residents, because we’re competing with other strong metro areas—and it’s an intense competition—for jobs, young people, investment, and tourism. The key is public-private partnerships between local government, businesses, and nonprofit. We need to come together and work toward the same goals without getting distracted. We all have the right intentions. We just need to get aligned on a couple of critical things to flourish. First, we need to have an equitable and inclusive growth that fosters economic opportunity for everyone. Toward this goal, I’ve championed things like the Ascension Charity Classic, which raised more than $2.5 million in 2.5 years for the Urban League and other nonprofits. While the money is important, I’m even more excited about how the tournament has played out as a love letter to the St. Louis region that’s live on the Golf Channel for three days, eight hours a day. It reintroduces St. Louis to the rest of the country—because we don’t always put our best foot forward in the news. Second, we need to strengthen our urban core and ensure it’s a destination for people to work and live. This means addressing safety, infrastructure, and transportation. Third, transportation across the whole region needs to improve so there’s easy access for businesses and other travelers. Plans to expand and renovate the airport are a good step toward this goal. All three of these goals are interlinked and reinforce each other—and that’s key. We have to keep trying to create things in a very focused way, not trying to boil the ocean. If we can’t focus, we’re going to lose ground to other cities. I want to make sure St. Louis doesn’t just survive but flourishes. My children were both very enthusiastic about moving to St. Louis a decade ago. Now my son is a freshman at the University of Chicago, but he’s already talking about his life after graduation and his plans to move back to St. Louis. I love that his roots here go deep, and I hope every other newcomer also finds their connection to this wonderful region I’m proud to call home. Sincerely, Nick Ragone, EVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Ascension

Dear Lou,

My family is proof that you don’t have to be from a city to love it. My wife and I are native New Yorkers, and we didn’t know much about St. Louis before we relocated to the region a decade ago.

All it took was one immersive weekend at places like Grant’s Farm, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Gateway Arch, and restaurants on The Hill for us to fall hard for St. Louis. And after we moved here, the more we discovered, the more we found to love. Our kids’ school. The sports. The food. I’m Italian and my wife is Chinese, and we are just in awe of the restaurants here that speak to our hearts through our stomachs.

We’re big believers that you can’t just live in a community and take from it; you need to give back. So my wife and I joined boards and volunteered. I started a chess nonprofit in North St. Louis County in collaboration with the St. Louis Chess Club and inaugurated the Ascension Charity Classic PGA golf tournament at Norwood Hills Country Club.

On the East Coast, St. Louisans have a reputation for working hard and being valuable employees, but they tend not to stick around out there. Now I understand why. I’m humbled to be able to contribute to all the things that are wonderful about this region through my energy and optimism.

I tell people all the time that when you choose to live somewhere, you love it even more. Because I’m not from here, I have a different lens for viewing all the things that make St. Louis special. I’ve become an unofficial brand ambassador for the region—it’s the best-kept secret in the United States. Through my vocation as a marketing professional, I have a great platform to share that message.

When I’m not working, my avocation is writing books about big-stakes decision-making. I’m especially passionate about the study of leadership at the presidential level. I look at how and why presidents made big, bold decisions—like Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal or Lyndon Johnson and civil rights. I study the things that motivate and inspire people to take on big challenges.

I apply what I’ve learned authoring those books to day-to-day life by thinking about how to motivate and inspire stakeholders to achieve big things locally. In St. Louis, we need bold, forward-looking leadership that doesn’t turn a blind eye to challenges but tackles them with hope, optimism, and solutions.

I’m a big believer that as a region, we’re only as strong as all the communities within it. It’s incumbent upon all of us to make each community strong for all its residents, because we’re competing with other strong metro areas—and it’s an intense competition—for jobs, young people, investment, and tourism.

The key is public-private partnerships between local government, businesses, and nonprofit. We need to come together and work toward the same goals without getting distracted. We all have the right intentions. We just need to get aligned on a couple of critical things to flourish.

First, we need to have an equitable and inclusive growth that fosters economic opportunity for everyone. Toward this goal, I’ve championed things like the Ascension Charity Classic, which raised more than $2.5 million in 2.5 years for the Urban League and other nonprofits.

While the money is important, I’m even more excited about how the tournament has played out as a love letter to the St. Louis region that’s live on the Golf Channel for three days, eight hours a day. It reintroduces St. Louis to the rest of the country—because we don’t always put our best foot forward in the news.

Second, we need to strengthen our urban core and ensure it’s a destination for people to work and live. This means addressing safety, infrastructure, and transportation.

Third, transportation across the whole region needs to improve so there’s easy access for businesses and other travelers. Plans to expand and renovate the airport are a good step toward this goal.

All three of these goals are interlinked and reinforce each other—and that’s key. We have to keep trying to create things in a very focused way, not trying to boil the ocean. If we can’t focus, we’re going to lose ground to other cities. I want to make sure St. Louis doesn’t just survive but flourishes.

My children were both very enthusiastic about moving to St. Louis a decade ago. Now my son is a freshman at the University of Chicago, but he’s already talking about his life after graduation and his plans to move back to St. Louis. I love that his roots here go deep, and I hope every other newcomer also finds their connection to this wonderful region I’m proud to call home.

Sincerely,

Nick Ragone, EVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Ascension

YouTube Video UExIVW5WZG5OU2wyZGJkc3p5RmEwWHZKNUUzbmo0NUVQdS4yMUQyQTQzMjRDNzMyQTMy

"Dear Lou": Nick Ragone

Watch our explainer video to learn why a comprehensive, holistic model is essential for creating real change.

Who We Are

BEYOND HOUSING is a nationally recognized community development organization that works to strengthen families and transform under-resourced communities to create a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis region for all. Our comprehensive model is built on the understanding that strengthening families and transforming under-resourced communities isn’t simple—it’s complex and requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged effort.

Over the years, we have created the infrastructure of staff, partners, programs, and relationships that is essential for fulfilling our comprehensive model in order to create a stronger St. Louis—once and for all.

Our work brings civic leaders, targeted nonprofits, corporate partners, and residents together to create meaningful and lasting change and is focused within the 24:1 Community—a community comprised of multiple municipalities within the Normandy schools footprint in North St. Louis County.

In just over 10 years, Beyond Housing and its partners have raised and invested more than $175 million into the 24:1 Community.

$175,000,000+
raised and invested in the 24:1 Community since 2010
$86,700,000+
invested in construction projects for housing and economic development
619
affordable rental homes
$16,700,000
provided in home repair grants
$700,000+
raised and invested in rent and utility assistance, food, and essential supplies distribution, COVID-19 testing, and small business assistance since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic

A Model for Creating Meaningful
and Lasting Change

OUR COMPREHENSIVE MODEL for strengthening families and transforming under-resourced communities is based on our own experiences in community development over several decades, as well as learnings and data from other community development organizations and thought leaders across the country.

This model is wholly unique in the field of community development and combines key insights on the realities of under-resourced communities and the efforts and resources that are needed for creating lasting change.

Its effectiveness has been proven by the results achieved over the last 10 years, as well as by the lack of meaningful results produced by other transformation efforts.

Comprehensive

Transforming under-resourced communities isn’t simple—it’s complex. Because of this complexity, real change cannot be achieved by addressing a single area such as housing or education on its own—it requires a comprehensive, multipronged effort. This is why so many single-focused efforts fail to produce any meaningful results.

Two recent examples of this are Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million effort to improve schools in Newark, New Jersey and the Gates Foundation’s seven-year, nearly $1 billion initiative to improve education in several low-income communities. Despite generous funding and the best of intentions, both of these efforts failed to produce any meaningful results. We believe one of the primary reasons for this is a lack of understanding of how poverty impacts students and families—that what happens outside the classroom is even more of a factor as what happens within it.

Communities are ecosystems that require many things, each dependent on the other, to become successful places where people want to live.

 

Because of the breadth of challenges in under-resourced communities and their interdependent nature, our model is comprehensive and addresses entire communities by strengthening families, transforming the physical environment, and creating change at the systems level.

Holistic

Families and communities each have many needs that are interrelated and must be addressed as part of a greater whole.

Serving Families Holistically

People’s problems don’t exist in silos—they are interrelated. In order to help a parent earn a living wage we may also have to help them with transportation, childcare, or unmet health needs. Because of this, the following key impact areas necessary for thriving families are addressed in an integrated, holistic manner.

  • Housing
  • Health
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Financial Advising
  • Childcare
  • Transportation

Serving Communities Holistically

Communities are ecosystems that require many things, each dependent on the other, in order to thrive. They have many needs—from an adequate stock of affordable housing to quality schools, sound infrastructure, convenient access to goods and services, effective local government, and more—in order to become successful places where people want to live.

  • Transforming the Physical Environment
    • Removing unsafe, dilapidated homes
    • Constructing new and rehabbing existing homes
    • Economic development to bring in new businesses, create jobs, and provide access to essential goods and services from food to financial and health services
    • Improving municipal infrastructure from roads to sewers; city planning and beautification through parks, pedestrian walkways, and greenspaces
  • Creating Change at the Systems Level
    • Community Governance & Capacity Building: Partnering with municipal leaders and local government to create better financial efficiencies and quality of services to residents, while also coordinating municipal mergers, consolidation of courts, police departments, and other essential services
    • Advocacy: Advocating for the needs of the community with local and state government

Deep, Trusted Relationships

Change moves at the speed of trust. Creating real change requires an understanding of the community along with building deep, trusted relationships with residents, government officials, the business community, and other community stakeholders.

Building these relationships takes time, but they are critical for building trust which is essential given the amount of mistrust that exists from decades of unfulfilled promises, systemic racism, and broken systems.

Ask, Align, Act

We continually initiate conversations with residents and the greater community to identify priorities. Our model of Ask, Align, Act ensures that our actions are guided by the voice of the community. We ask for the community’s input to identify priorities, and then work to align resources and act toward fulfilling a common vision.

Built for Complex Challenges

Having a comprehensive model in itself is not enough. Creating real change also requires significant resources as well as a system to deliver those resources in an integrated, holistic manner.

Infrastructure of Staff, Programs, Partners, and Resources

Delivering a truly comprehensive model requires more resources than any one organization can deliver on its own. This is why we have invested so heavily over the years to create an infrastructure of staff, programs, and nonprofit partners with complementary skills and expertise.

Beyond Housing Staff and Programs

  • Housing Resource Coordinators (HRCs)
    HRCs run the Services Enriched Rental Housing program which provides affordable rental housing and supportive services including financial advising, homeownership, and referrals for employment, continued education, childcare, and more. The HRCs also manage Beyond Housing’s two senior living facilities which provide affordable housing and services for area seniors.
  • Family Engagement Liaisons (FELs)
    The FELs are part of our ongoing partnership with the Normandy school district. FELs work directly inside schools to serve as a liaison between home and school and assist students and families by removing barriers that can prevent children from being successful in school.
  • Community Health Workers (CHWs)
    The CHWs run the Community Health Program which helps individuals and their families manage chronic health conditions with a focus on type 2 diabetes and childhood asthma. These unmet health needs often create an additional barrier preventing families from making a living wage and becoming self-sufficient.
HRCs, FELs, CHWs, and other staff members work together to address the needs of each family in coordinated case management to ensure that needs are served holistically.
  • Economic Development
    Beyond Housing facilitates and manages large-scale commercial development projects to bring in new businesses, create jobs, provide better access to goods and services, and stimulate the local economy. The 24:1 Small Business Network supports entrepreneurs and small businesses in the 24:1 Community by connecting them to information, resources, and business networking events.
  • Municipality
    Staff work in partnership with local government officials to support municipalities through capacity building to improve services and efficiency of budgets to facilitating infrastructure upgrades from sewer systems to new parks, sidewalks, and more.
  • Youth Development
    The Pagedale Family Support Center provides youth development through after-school, summer, and athletic programs, as well as supportive services for adults including job training and referrals, a computer lab, monthly food pantry, and other services. The Viking Advantage program provides an Individual Development Account (IDA) matched savings program to help students save for college or vocational training, plus college counseling for local high-school students.

Partner Organizations and Additional Services

Staff work directly with a network of nonprofit organizations that provide complementary and mutually reinforcing services as well as corporate partners and anchor institutions including the Normandy Schools Collaborative, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Washington University.

Systems that Support the Integrated Delivery of Services and Resources

Equally as important, all of this must be coordinated with the help of systems that allow everyone to connect in order to deliver services in an integrated, holistic manner.

As an example, HRCs, FELs, CHWs, and other staff members work as a team with each family to address and serve needs holistically in coordinated case management. Resources are then aligned from our network of nonprofit partners.

Making Every Dollar More Effective

The comprehensive, holistic nature of this model combined with the infrastructure of staff, programs, partners, and services provides collective impact—an impact that is far greater together than each individual effort on its own.

This also makes each dollar invested exponentially more effective. Investments toward education or health, for example, achieve greater results because of the mutually reinforcing work being done in other interrelated areas which creates lasting change for generations to come.

Additionally, our new logic model, created in partnership with Washington University, maps the logical relationships between resources invested and activities within our comprehensive model. This enables us to measure the benefits or changes that result from these investments in order to track and optimize our efforts to achieve greater results moving forward.

Resources for Achieving Scale

Our model has delivered impressive results over the last 10 years, and we expect to achieve even greater results in the years ahead.

Transforming under-resourced communities doesn’t happen overnight, but things can always change if enough people want them to.

We believe that a better St. Louis is within our reach. The St. Louis area has the heart, talent, and resources to reinvent ourselves for the better. By pooling more resources and expertise from a wider coalition of partners, we can address our underlying issues to make this home of ours what we want it to be—once and for all.

A Track Record of Proven Results (2010-2020)

The following is a highlight of results and achievements over the last decade. Though we believe these results are impressive, we have continually refined our model and approach throughout the years and are confident this model will produce even greater results in the years ahead.

  • $175,000,000+
    raised and invested in the 24:1 Community since 2010

  • $86,700,000+
    invested in construction projects for housing and economic development

Housing and Infrastructure

  • $35,000,000
    invested in affordable housing construction

  • $16,700,000
    provided in owner-occupied home repair grants
  • $20,100,000
    increase in property values 
  • $35,000,000
    invested in affordable housing construction

  • 200+
    dilapidated homes demoed

  • 200+
    new affordable homes constructed

  • 619
    affordable rental homes currently occupied

  • $6,000,000+
    invested in new streets, improved infrastructure, and beautification in 2019 alone

Commercial/Economic Development

  • GROCERY STORE, TWO SENIOR HOUSING CENTERS, MIDWEST BANK CENTRE, 24:1 CINEMA, AFFINIA HEALTHCARE CLINIC, BJC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC, ANTI-PAYDAY LOAN CENTER, AND CREDIT UNION

  • $6,500,000
    second phase of our successful commercial and economic development in Pagedale with a new $6.5 million, 20,000-square-foot building opened in July of 2021, which is home to entrepreneur and minority-owned businesses

  • $35,100,000
    in commercial development

Education

  • 80%
    of students and families engaged with Family Engagement Liaisons in 2019 remained in their homes

  • 65%
    of student attendance maintained or improved in 2019

  • 54% to 81%
    growth in high school graduation rates from 2014 through 2017

  • 97%
    improvement in reading and math for children attending Pagedale Family Support Center

  • 93%
    of high school seniors in Viking Advantage college savings program enrolled in college

  •  7.1% to 62.5%
    increase in overall test performance from 2014 through 2017
  • 2013-2017
    period during which we assisted the Normandy school district in regaining accreditation
  • $970,252
    total college savings used toward post-secondary education since inception of the College Savings program

  • 2019
    Horace Mann Friend of Education Award from Missouri National Education Association

  • 2019
    Family Engagement Liaisons Program named a Merit Finalist in Mutual of America Community Partnership Awards

The comprehensive, holistic nature of this model combined with the infrastructure of staff, programs, partners, and services provides collective impact—an impact that is far greater than each individual effort on its own.

Personal Finance/Wealth Creation

  • $15,500,000
    in wealth creation (individual savings accounts, college savings, and down payment assistance for new homeowners)

  • 51%
    reduction in number of families being evicted or moving due to financial problems since inception of Housing Resource Coordinators (HRCs)

  • 65%
    of people served reporting increase in family income in 2019

  • 76%
    improved their self-sufficiency in 2019

  • 19
    moveouts in 2018 due to families becoming first-time homeowners

  • 2%
    annual increase in assessed property values

Health

  • Community Health Workers (CHWs)
    established in 2019 to help meet unmet health needs with a focus on chronic conditions of type 2 diabetes and childhood asthma

  • Improved access
    to healthcare     with the opening of Affinia Healthcare and BJC Behavioral Health clinics in 2019

  • 92%
    of participants in Community Health Program completed all primary and preventative care appointments

  • 82%
    of participants in Community Health Program did not visit an emergency room for primary care

  • 1st
    New Save a Lot grocery store—the first grocery store in Pagedale in 40 years—opened in 2010 providing access to fresh, healthy food in what was previously a food desert

  • 2016
    winner of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health prize

Government

  • 17
    local governments collaborating and saving over $1 million on public services

  • 13
    court systems consolidated into two main court hubs to create savings and improved services

  • 13
    police departments consolidated into two police forces

  • 1st
    municipal merger in the history of St. Louis County, merging Vinita Park into Vinita Terrace; a second merger is underway with the Village of Glen Echo Park and the City of Normandy

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