The pavement that divides the University of Georgia campus from the Parkview neighborhood community center is narrow -— a two-lane street at most. But the perception of separation between the two communities could be an ocean.
The Center, affiliated with a federally subsidized affordable housing development run by the Athens Housing Authority (AHA), is located immediately adjacent to the UGA campus. According to the demographic information in 2017, 91.2% of its residents are African American, the vast majority of whom fall well below the federal poverty line.
The neighborhood's community center used to be a hub of activities but sat empty for a number of years. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the Department of Language and Literacy Education developed a partnership with the Athens Housing Authority and the College of Education to enhance literacy skills for youths in the neighborhood.