Neighborhoods are the backbone of City, as was often said by late Mayor Tom Henry.

As a City, we see neighborhoods as the smallest unit of democracy, it is people working together to vote and advocate for change. When neighborhoods are duly organized, the City has an effective channel of communication to hear feedback from residents and share relevant information with residents.

Looking through the lens of health, neighborhoods have been recognized as a crucial element of overall health and well-being. Therefore, the federal government has identified neighborhoods and the built environment as a priority for the Healthy People 2030 initiative.

Social connection, like that provided from being involved in an association or simply taking time to get to know a neighbor, can greatly increase health outcomes, as was highlighted in The Epidemic of Loneliness by the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy.

Neighborhood associations that are organized (i.e. meeting regularly with bylaws) and registered are eligible for special benefits with the city:

• Eligibility for grants, particularly the Neighborhood Improvement Grant, and programs such as the Fortify Neighborhood Accelerator Program.
• Up to two free dumpster days per year, as supplies last.
  • Neighborhoods can call to reserve dumpsters by calling 311 and asking to speak with the Solid Waste department.
• Establish a neighborhood liaison police officer
• Connection to neighborhood code and a neighborhood code officer
• Create a channel of communication between the city and county to learn about relevant issues and give feedback where necessary
• Involvement with the area regional partnership in your corresponding region.

One easy way to know what neighborhood you belong to is by searching your address in the datafortwayne.org address search filter, and then hover over the area with the black dot denoting your address, then a tag will pop up with the neighborhood's name.

There are several ways to determine if your Neighborhood Association is active:

1. Ask your neighbors! See if they know is managing the area, or if there are meetings, or when the last meeting was held.

2. Check for the neighborhood's name on the city's neighborhood registration list.

3. Search the web or Facebook for a possible neighborhood group or page

4. Reach out to your area partnership( SE, NE, SW, NW), contact information and a map to determine the appropriate partnership are available here.

5. If you still cannot find any information on your association, reach out to a member of the Department of Neighborhoods team (See the Who's Listening side bar for contact info).

1. Talk to your neighbors! See who is interested in being a part of a new neighborhood association.

2. Host a call-out meeting at a local public spot, library, house of worship, local business, etc. Share flyers as a way to get the word out.

At that meeting, ask people to: sign in with their preferred contact info, share their goals for the neighborhood, consider being a board member or helping write neighborhood bylaws (bylaws are the organizational documents that tell the who, what, when, why of the neighborhood: Who is eligible to be involved, what the association/officers can do, when the meetings are held and why the neighborhood is activating, etc.)

3. Search the internet for sample neighborhood bylaws, or ask a nearby neighborhood to use their bylaws as a guide/template.

4. Ask the Department of Neighborhoods to check out historical records for your neighborhood.

5. Ask for general help! Reach out to the Department of Neighborhoods using the survey below:

A Neighborhood Association is a community based, totally voluntary organization of residents who come together to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood.

• Membership is determined by bylaws but is usually open to all property owners, residents, and businesses in the neighborhood, and participation is voluntary; boundaries are established by the association in the bylaws.
• There is no legal authority to place liens, or require maintenance or design requirements beyond those established by City and/or County Ordinances.

VS.

Homeowners Associations are formal legal entities created usually when an area is platted or built to maintain common areas and enforce private deed restrictions. Most condominium and townhouse developments and many newer subdivisions have homeowners associations, but these are primarily created when the development is built.

• Membership is mandatory for all property owners within the boundaries of the HOA.
• Members are usually charged mandatory dues and can have liens placed on their property, depending on the bylaws.
• Homeowners associations have the legal authority to legislate maintenance and design standards in addition to those established by City or County ordinance.