Brick by Brick, Block by Block: Building Homeownership in Dutchtown
How St. Joseph's Housing Initiative is building homes in Dutchtown for first time buyers with CDA support.
By Michelle Kim, Washington University Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement 2025 St. Louis Fellow
Founded as a faith-based organization, St. Joseph's Housing Initiative (SJHI) has been completing gut rehabs and full renovations of affordable houses for first time home buyers for more than six years.
SJHI’s start in Dutchtown is deliberate. Dutchtown is one of the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods. It has low homeownership rates compared to renters. There are many longtime residents as well as many newcomers and immigrants. The buildings throughout are commonly brick and historic with flourishes by their artisan brick layers. And despite the architecture and density in the neighborhood, vacant or occupied-but-deteriorating buildings are common. Despite challenges like poverty and disinvestment, the area is rich with history, community, and commercial corridors like Meramec and Virginia. Seeing both the need and the potential, St. Joseph Housing Initiative (SJHI) stepped in to help.
Since its start in 2018, SJHI has completed 16 homes, most clustered in Dutchtown, with additional projects in Baden and Carondelet. Their approach is comprehensive, from property acquisition through organizations like Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to rebuild homes from the inside out. Each house, typically a three-bedroom home, is designed with families and generational wealth building in mind. The largest home to date, located on Virginia Avenue, is a four bedroom, three bath property expected to be completed this August with support from a Community Development Administration (CDA) Neighborhood Transformation Grant for housing production.
Front view of SJHI’s latest project on Virginia Avenue.
Side view of mural on SJHI’s Virginia Avenue project.
“Our lane is narrow and deep – we focus on single-family homes and equipping first-time homeowners with everything they need to succeed,” says Christy McCutcheon, Executive Director of SJHI. “We’re not just selling a house; we’re building a foundation for long term stability, equity, and community growth.”
SJHI’s work would not be possible without its dedicated volunteers. To date, more than 300 volunteers, with a core group of around 100 regulars, have contributed thousands of hours to home renovations.
Back view of SJHI’s latest project on Virginia Avenue where volunteer fence construction is underway.
“It’s incredible to see how many people – from individuals to major corporations – step up to help make these houses homes, “ says Annie Purcell, Outreach and Volunteer Manager. “Volunteers are the heartbeat of SJHI. They’re not just building fences – they’re building hope.”
Collaboration is central to SJHI’s success. The organization works closely with other local housing nonprofits such as DeSales Community Development and Lutheran Development Group, as well as the CDA to ensure families have access to affordable, safe, high-quality housing.
“At CDA, we believe housing is at the heart of neighborhood transformation,” says Naheul Fefer, CDA Executive Director. “ Organizations like SJHI are leading the way – turning vacant properties into homes that not only shelter families but also create equity and stability for generations to come.”
CDA’s Neighborhood Transformation Grant has funded three SJHI projects to date, including SJHI’s largest project on Virginia Avenue, which already has interested buyers. Each SJHI homeowner is provided wraparound support, including homeowner education classes, access to down payment assistance, and even overlooked essentials such as lawnmowers to maintain their new properties. SJHI’s support continues even after the purchase of a home, through their First Neighbor program, which matches current neighborhood residents with new homeowners to build relationships and a sense of community. Collectively, SJHI’s 16 homeowners have already built around $300,000 in equity, demonstrating the long-term value of their mission.
While challenges such as unpredictable renovation costs and contractor shortages remain, SJHI is committed to steady, impactful growth. With 4 new properties on the horizon, the organization continues to work one home at a time, ensuring that neighborhoods like Dutchtown not only have more homeowners but stronger, more connected communities.
“We want to be good neighbors, not just developers,” says McCutcheon. “Every house we renovate is part of a bigger story of hope, stability, and community pride.”
About the Community Development Administration (CDA): The CDA serves as the City of St. Louis' hub for federal, state, and local funds, implementing the Mayor's economic justice agenda. By funding public and nonprofit entities, the CDA supports a wide range of initiatives, including public services, affordable housing development, blight eradication, and other community development activities.
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