Good Neighbor Initiative

The Good Neighbor Initiative is a collaborative partnership between the University, Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, EmPowerment Inc, the Jackson Center, and other community partners. The initiative began in 2004 with an effort by the Chapel Hill Police Department to make door-to-door visits to student-rental properties in the Northside and Pine Knolls neighborhoods that had been trouble spots for loud noise and disruptive behavior. The idea was to talk to students before the academic year got underway about the local laws and ordinances that, if followed, would reduce the likelihood of problems between neighbors and visits from the police.

Over time, the geographic scope of the initiative has grown to include Northside, Pine Knolls, Cameron-McCauley neighborhoods, as well as Lloyd-Broad in Carrboro, North Street, Davie Circle, and the Dawes Street/Coolidge St areas. We have also added several partners, including EmPowerment Inc., UNC-Chapel Hill, the Downtown Partnership, the Chapel Hill Town Planning Dept, the Town of Carrboro, the Jackson Center and many others.

The Good Neighbor Initiative has grown to include over 70 volunteers participating in the door-to-door walk, with over 1200 homes visited, and a Community Cookout at the Hargraves Community Center to bring student and non-student residents together in the spirit of community. GNI is about promoting positive living experiences in those neighborhoods where students and non-students live in close proximity.