Struggling Detroit Communities Spark Launch of National Community Revitalization Alliance

DETROIT, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Responding to the plight of Detroit communities and other communities in America struggling to combat the impacts of a negative economy, Congressman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) and Deeohn Ferris, President of Sustainable Community Development Group, announced today the launch of the National Community Revitalization Alliance. The announcement was made at the Brownfields 2008 National Conference in Detroit, the largest, most comprehensive conference focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation.

Boasting the highest foreclosure rate in the country, wide scale divestment, and little economic development, Detroit epitomizes the negative social, environmental, and economic issues converging in cities and towns across the nation. Like many American families, Detroit residents have little capacity to combat the divestment and blight in their communities.

The Community Revitalization Alliance will seek, as a priority, to bring the rarely heard voices of these disadvantaged community residents to the highest levels of Washington, D.C. It will also seek to influence the federal planning policies that affect all struggling American communities, through the efforts of its alliance members -- a coalition of sustainable development and environmental justice stakeholders working to address equitable development, community revitalization, and environment and health issues.

"We need to have everyone working on these issues and the people who live and work in the community are indispensable to addressing poverty, health disparities and environmental injustices," said Congressman Conyers Jr.

"There is a direct relationship between environment and health, and the needs, health and vitality of a community. The reality is these issues: community quality of life, environmental justice and shared prosperity should be at the center of governmental decisions and programs. We look forward to getting the input of community leaders and experts to develop and articulate priority national policy recommendations," said Deeohn Ferris.

The Community Revitalization Alliance is a project of Sustainable Community Development Group, Inc. (SCDG), a not-for-profit corporation working with the public, private and community sectors to advance environmental sustainability, equitable development and global smart growth.

Visit: http://www.sustainablecommunitydevelopment.org

CONTACT: Deeohn Ferris of Sustainable Community Development Group, Inc., +1-252-200-2055, +1-202-637-2467, info@sustainablecommunitydevelopmentgroup.org