St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO)

The St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO) is a membership-based network of neighborhood organizations and their leaders from across the St. Louis region.
SLACO serves and is led by neighborhoods from across the St. Louis metropolitan area that focus on:

• Neighborhood Capacity Building
• Community Empowerment
• Neighborhood Advocacy
• Communication and Networking

Our purpose is to:

• To improve the general quality of life in specific neighborhoods in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
• To organize and form new neighborhood organizations.
• To strengthen existing neighborhood organizations.
• To serve as an umbrella organization for existing and new neighborhood organizations.
• To coordinate the activities and efforts of existing and new neighborhood organizations.
• To foster the development, rehabilitation, construction, operation and management of low income housing.
• To promote urban renewal, neighborhood stabilization and community initiatives in an effort to alleviate poverty.

History

For over 40 years, SLACO has supported neighborhood-based organizations in the region and for 24 years has spearheaded the Regional Neighborhoods Conference.
These efforts bring together leaders from across the community to learn from one another about addressing neighborhood issues and implementing programs that stimulate, grow and sustain neighborhood organizations. In addition, since 1980, SLACO has partnered with local developers to construct more than 500 units of safe and affordable housing.