The Project was started in 1961 by the Albina Neighborhood Council in conjunction with the Portland Development Commission as a response to urban renewal efforts which focused on demolition and led to displacement. The Project was a rehabilitation effort that provided access to information and home improvement loans to residents within a project area roughly bounded by Skidmore, Vancouver, Fremont, and Mississippi. The Albina Neighborhood Improvement Committee (ANIC) was notable for its high level of community involvement, the multi-racial character of the group, and the number of African American board members serving. The group organized neighborhood events such as community clean-ups, tree plantings, youth programs, social gatherings, and regular council meetings to discuss the project. ANIC regularly published a newsletter and also successfully lobbied the city for infrastructure improvements such as new streetlights and more parks, as well as repairs to streets, sidewalks, and alleyways. The program was so popular that more than 1000 residents petitioned the city council to include nearly the whole of Lower Albina in the Project area, though the City Council only acquiesced to a northward expansion to Blandena, adding another 13.5 blocks in 1969. The project ended in 1972 after helping residents gain access to $1.2 million in loans and grants. Visit City of Portland Archives for more - http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/record/7159414