Removing mountains of trash, free home repairs for people in need, a vacant lot turned into a park, or thousands of neighbors working together: What would your city look like if you had the coaching, resources, and dedicated staff to bring residents together to revitalize neighborhoods?

Share your vision.

Apply before Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. to join the largest-ever cohort in the history of the Love Your Block movement at publicinnovation.jhu.edu/love-your-block/.  

What is Love Your Block?

Established and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, Love Your Block is a grant program that helps U.S. mayors and cities strengthen neighborhoods through resident-powered improvement projects. Love Your Block builds on the successful legacy of Cities of Service, which has helped hundreds of municipalities engage residents as a leading voice in transforming communities since its launch by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2009. 

Since 2009, Love Your Block has reached more than 36,000 community members who have revitalized more than 3,800 public spaces, creating nearly 765 art displays, cleaning 116,000 square feet of graffiti, and removing 6.3 million pounds of trash across 58 cities nationwide. Recent participating Love Your Block cities include Albany, New York; Duluth, Minnesota; Erie, Pennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; Jackson, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Shawnee, Oklahoma; and White Plains, New York.

How does it work?

This winter, up to 20 U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more will be selected to participate in the next cohort of Love Your Block. Winning cities will receive:  

• Up to $100,000 each to support local mini-grants for neighborhood revitalization
• Embedded staff members including a Love Your Block Fellow and an AmeriCorps VISTA, who work with mayors and city leadership to engage community members and advance local priorities
• Training and coaching from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University to support the design, development, and execution of Love Your Block in your city

How do cities apply?

Interested U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 residents or more must attend one of two informational webinars prior to submitting their application. Applications are due before 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, December 15, 2023, at publicinnovation.jhu.edu/love-your-block.

About the Love Your Block Movement

“Love Your Block helps cities hone one of the most important skills required to drive innovation in cities and city halls – the ability to center resident voices in every effort,” said Amanda Daflos, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins. “The program builds on the successful legacy of support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and answers the common challenges cities face in partnering which include funding, staff support, and the innovation expertise necessary to sustain resident-led change.”

From Love Your Block Mayors and Cities:  

• In Erie, PA, the city removed 31,000 pounds of trash and cleared 13,000 acres of land with the help of 1,025 volunteers through 80 community-led mini-grant projects. Expanding the program’s impact in the city, Mayor Joe Schember recently led efforts to secure $70,000 in American Rescue Plan Act and Community Service Block Grant funding to sustain the initiative for residents. Speaking about the program’s impact, the Mayor said: “In 2023, Love Your Block expanded its initiative to provide small home repairs to four neighborhoods in the East Side area. We envision the Love Your Block expansion as a comprehensive, equitable, impactful, and innovative approach to revitalize our communities and get resources into the hands, hearts, and homes of those who need it the most.”
  
• In Salt Lake City, UT, with the support of 3,657 volunteers the city cleared 448 acres of land and removed 71,000 pounds of trash through 31 community-led mini-grant projects. Mayor Erin Mendenhall engaged the city council to activate $300,000 of local funds to sustain the program and expand its impact.
• In Jackson, TN, the city helped install 31 new features and repairs to resident homes and plant 65 trees while cleaning 84 acres of more than 20,000 pounds of trash. The Love Your Block team’s AmeriCorps VISTA was installed as the city’s first Neighborhood Services Director, adding permanent civic engagement capacity to city staff.
  

Learn more and apply to join the Love Your Block movement at publicinnovation.jhu.edu/love-your-block