“We entered this program to keep our home for our family,” Darius Franklin said. “We didn’t enter this program just so we could fix it up, make it look nice and get a check. This house is more than just monetary value to us.”
The 1906 home in the West End is owned by his grandfather and is home to multiple generations of family who see Rooted as an opportunity to protect and build upon their assets, to ensure that future generations can benefit from their family’s legacy and remain in their home on Oakley Place.
Rooted: Cultivating Black Wealth in Place is a new initiative developed through Invest STL’s work in policy design, activating and testing innovative approaches to longstanding challenges neighborhoods and residents face. Rooted is focused on helping West End and Visitation Park residents build wealth so that they can afford to stay and grow in their neighborhood. To learn more about Rooted and see pictures of the neighborhoods check out this article from STL Today – St. Louis Post-Dispatch, click here.