To prepare for Nehemiah Action, CAJE convenes every November to choose which challenges to tackle in the coming year.
Co-chair Mike Scavuzzo said while they’ve always focused on affordable housing, they’ll be focusing on a different aspect of the same community need in 2023.
“This year happens to be ‘safe housing for renters’ … (and) dealing with landlords,” he said. “So they will be talking to officials about living conditions in some of these properties.”
At the action event a CAJE representative will publicly ask local officials to commit to working on problems of focus. Such officials include the mayor, representatives from the police department and city council.
CAJE was officially formed in 2003, so this is their 20th year. In this time they’ve worked on improved bus routes to Evansville’s north side, pushed for drug treatment court, jail diversion programs and sought affordable housing.
It will be held at All Saints Catholic Parish at 704 N. First Avenue in Evansville.
“…which happens to be one of the parishes that's a founding church of CAJE,” said Scavuzzo. “And it's Pastor Jay Davidson, (he) will be one of the people being honored. So it's kind of unique.”
Founding pastors, many who are still alive, will be honored at the event.