As populations change and shift throughout the country, communities struggle with aging or obsolete housing stock that is no longer attractive to young families or is inaccessible to older homeowners. The Affton Community Betterment Association, the Community Partnership Project of University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Architectural Studies, and University of Missouri Extension have come together to help this community plan for these changing needs in housing.
The goals of the Affton Housing Initiative are to:
- Address housing issues common to first-suburb communities
- Educate homeowners on remodeling projects that will enable them to stay in their home
- Create opportunities for homeowners to learn from each other
- Link University of Missouri architectural studies students to real "clients"
- Share lessons learned with other communities
The community of Affton, Missouri, is located in south St. Louis County, just adjacent to the County and city of St. Louis border (separate jurisdictions). Affton is an unincorporated area, an approximate four square mile area. It is considered a “Census Designated Place” by the U.S. Census in order to draw demographic data.
Population
Nearly 50,000 people live in Affton. The population has continued to increase, albeit slightly, over the last two decades. The Affton area represents about five percent of St. Louis County’s population.
Age
According to the US Census, Afton has the highest percentage of residents age 65 or older in the entire state of Missouri. According to the Social Security Administration, there are over 10,600 social security recipients that are aged 65 or over. Affton accounts for nearly eight percent of the population in St. Louis County receiving social security. Currently, approximately 26 percent of the population is under the age of 18.
Immigrant Population
The immigrant population has steadily grown in the Affton area over the last several years as St. Louis continues to be an entry point for Bosnian refugees and immigrants into the U.S. There are estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,100 New American Bosnian residents in the Affton community. The top non-English languages spoken in the Affton and Bayless School Districts are: Bosnian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Malayalam, Arabic, and Croatian.
Education
Affton is served by two school districts – the Affton School District and the Bayless School District. The Affton School District’s student population has dropped slightly over the last several years. There are approximately 2,500 students currently enrolled. However, the Bayless School District has seen a steady increase. Bayless currently has approximately 1,600 students enrolled.
Housing
Data from the 2005 U.S. Census estimates indicate that 75 percent of the total housing stock, including multi-family and single family, is owner-occupied; 22 percent is renter-occupied; and three percent is vacant. Affton’s oldest housing stock is located in areas closest to the city of St. Louis. The majority of homes were built in the 1950s or earlier with two bedrooms and one bathroom floor plans. Many homes are 1,200 square feet or smaller.
*Source: U.S. Census
The Affton Community Betterment Association is a resident based nonprofit organization that is working to strengthen the Affton community by connecting residents to resources. ACBA defines the Affton area as the 63123 ZIP code, and all parts of the Affton and Bayless school districts. The ACBA is made up of several committees including housing, education, finance, development, and public relations. In addition to the work the individual committees are doing, ACBA provides benefits to the community by hosting quarterly community forums. ACBA also works closely with St. Louis County government to address needs in the community.
Through the Partnership, ACBA and the Affton community are leading the local conversation on what to do with first-suburban communities in transition. The partnership is focusing their efforts on the following community education programs to help residents identify and make improvements to their homes that will enable them to stay in the Affton community.
Housing Symposium
In September 2007, with the support of the Community Partnership Project and University of Missouri Extension, the Affton Housing Committee held a housing symposium for Affton stakeholders including banks, realtors, community residents, business owners, and St. Louis County Government. Eric Piper, an architect from Kansas City and the designer behind the First Suburbs Coalition Idea Book, served as a guest speaker and facilitated the discussion on how Affton can modernize its housing stock in order to remain a community of choice.
Community Forum
Last June, ACBA held a community forum on housing. The forum served as a community conversation for homeowners to identify specific issues related to Affton as a first-suburb. Facilitated by Ronn Phillips, Arch.D., associate professor and state specialist with the University of Missouri Architectural Studies program, this well-attended forum began an important conversation. Four home remodeling needs were identified as common to Affton homeowners: kitchen remodel, carport conversion to an enclosed garage, curb appeal and drainage issues, and adding a bedroom or bathroom to a basement.
Housing Clinics
As a follow-up to the Community Forum, four housing clinics were designed based on the common home remodeling needs identified. University of Missouri architectural studies students worked with selected homeowners to examine their remodeling issue. After visiting each homeowner to view their home remodeling project, they presented their recommendations regarding solutions, materials, labor costs and design ideas in a seminar format open to the public.
The clinic topics were: kitchen remodel, adding a bedroom or bathroom to the basement, garage conversion, and curb appeal. The four housing clinics, held in October and November 2008, were well attended by residents in the Affton area and were sponsored by community businesses.
The Community Partnership Project of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and University of Missouri Extension have been active in the Affton community for the last several years. In 2005, the Community Partnership Project received a prestigious New Directions grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to tackle issues that Affton residents and leaders say may threaten the community’s future. The Affton Community Partnership, funded by the grant, brought together the resources of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Missouri Extension, and Affton community partners and residents to develop projects to address community needs. The partnership focused its efforts on three key areas: welcoming new Americans to the Affton community, supporting Affton’s ilder residents, and building capacity to bring about change.
This exciting initiative and partnership in Affton is a great opportunity for both students and faculty to get engaged. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Kara Lubischer, community development specialist, via e-mail at
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or by calling (314) 516-6392.
Community Partnership Project 
Affton, a first suburb, is struggling with many of these same issues. At the 2000 U.S. Census, over one-third of Affton's head of household population was age 65 or older--the highest percentage of seniors in the state of Missouri. Nationally, the percentage of elderly in first suburbs is increasing at a quick rate and is higher than central cities and newer suburbs. Also similar to national trends, the Affton community has a large percentage of immigrants. There are estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,100 New American Bosnian residents in the Affton community. 
