DAVENPORT, Iowa — Created in 2021, the Davenport-based nonprofit Rejuvenate Housing aims to redevelop older neighborhoods by creating affordable housing opportunities within those communities.
"Our purpose is to acquire houses that are condemned, or abandoned and fix them up with the help of Quad Cities bank, and find families to move into the neighborhood. And I really think that'll help revitalize the central part of Davenport. And that's our goal," Rejuvenate Housing Treasurer, Ed Windborn said.
On Thursday, June 7, the organization closed on their first restored property on West 14th street in Davenport. The nonprofit was joined by Quad Cities Bank and Trust, which donated $25,000 toward home renovations for the project.
"We're excited that this project has been completed and it has been sold and closing will take place in the future here," One representative from Quad Cities Bank and Trust said. "Rejuvenate also has similar projects and neighborhoods and the Quad Cities. We are proud as a community bank to are partnered with Rejuvenate, and others like it to stabilize neighborhoods and to open access to affordable homes, and to make life a viable life here in the Quad Cities."
But Windborn said most of the renovation money went to fixing the structure of the house, rather than the aesthetics -- like drapery or carpeting.
"Really, the major renovations that we had to do was structural. So a lot of them aren't all that visual. But you know, the basement needed tremendous amount. And that's one reason it was it was actually condemned because of problems in the basement," Windborn said.
The nonprofit is set to begin renovation on a second Davenport home this August.