McComb-Veazey (McV) is one of Lafayette’s oldest urban core neighborhoods. Most of the original homes were built in the first half of the 20th century to house railroad workers. Now a predominantly African-American neighborhood, McV remains a very diverse community. Many residents have lived in the area for their entire lives and have strong family ties throughout multiple generations. McV is also home to the largest concentration of blighted and adjudicated properties in the city of Lafayette. The area includes over 200 parcels of land currently on the adjudicated property list. The area also has three business corridors: Simcoe Street, Surrey Street and Twelfth Street consisting of a number of popular restaurants, bars and small neighborhood grocery stores.

The McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie and McComb-Veazey Community Development Corporation (CDC) comprise a coalition of engaged residents, organizations, local nonprofit leaders, and individuals connected to local government and community planning, working to improve the quality of life in McComb-Veazey. The Coterie is a quasi-governmental committee that develops community plans and

engagement, and the CDC acts as the nonprofit implementation arm for the Coterie, managing grant funds and projects. The Coterie, which is celebrating its 15th year, was originally convened by the Lafayette Consolidated Government in 2006 to co-develop a neighborhood plan in response to the I-49 Connector project, and the CDC was created in 2015 to provide a nonprofit funding stream to the Coterie for its programming and organizing activities.