A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HOMEOWNERSHIP Emporia’s housing challenge runs deeper than construction. With 65% of residents renting rather than owning, Southside Housing Development Corporation CEO Dianna Bowser tackles the problem through comprehensive support systems that address financial literacy alongside brick and mortar. “We are a nonprofit community development much more than it’s ever been,” Beck notes. “They offer homeownership classes there, meetings, and event venue space. It has vibrant colors that attract people directly to downtown.” Johnson envisions boutique restaurants joining the existing delicatessen along Main Street. The recent announcements of Waffle House and The Twisted Crab signal renewed commercial interest, even as the community works through recent industrial losses. 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 07
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