Deerfield Beach has been selected to join Love Your Block, a national program run by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. The city is one of 25 new local governments from 20 states in the latest round, according to the city.
Deerfield Beach will receive $70,000 to help residents clear vacant lots, reclaim public space and improve their neighborhoods. The program also provides expert support and a dedicated Love Your Block Fellow to help the city build trust with residents.
Mayor Todd Drosky said the initiative will help improve areas of the city that need attention and bring neighbors into the work at the grass roots level.
Since it began in 2009, the program has helped 50 local governments engage more than 88,000 residents in 33 states, according to the Bloomberg Center. Participating cities have removed more than seven million pounds of trash and cleaned more than 550,000 square feet of graffiti. A 2021 Urban Institute study found that participating municipalities saw gains in social cohesion, civic participation and trust between local government and residents.
Other cities joining this round include Albuquerque, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Honolulu. More information is available on the Johns Hopkins program website.
