In an attempt to analyze the current state of housing in Birmingham, Alabama- specifically, the Bush Hills area-we decided to meet with the President of the Bush Hills Neighborhood, Ms. Walladean Streeter. 

She has fulfilled this position for four years and has been a Bush Hills resident for nearly fifty years, needless to say, we were honored to have the privilege to not only meet her but also talk with her about the area. An issue that has now been addressed by the Mayor, housing blight and its effects have been debilitating to the communities of Birmingham. For those who may be unaware of the definition of housing blight, it’s simply the presence of abandoned or vacant property. Ms. Walladean enlightened us on the past and current state of Bush Hills housing. The Bush Hills neighborhoods are old and built to be extremely stable, a quality that most houses don’t have these days. Ms. Walladean stresses that this rare, steadfast quality would be beneficial to young people who will seldom find it in neighborhoods elsewhere.  She explained to us about how deceased property owners often leave the property to their children who never take ownership of the property, thus creating a vacancy. She then informed us of the neighborhood’s current problems that were nonexistent when she moved here, such as lack of transportation, restaurants and grocery stores. When asked what the biggest difference in Bush Hills between now and when she moved here nearly fifty years ago, Ms. Walladean states that the overall sense of community has deteriorated.

Picture above, from left to right: Diamond Spears, Emma Palmer, Walladean Streeter, Campbell McAtte