Residents in the College, John and Locust Street area are banding together to fight deterioration of the student-dominated fifth ward neighborhood.

A steering committee met Wednesday night to discuss what improvements could be made to the area.

“To some people this is their permanent home,” said Paul Rogers, president of the group temporarily named Fifth Ward North.

In September, the group met to air frustrations about the College, John and Locust Street area where many students find low-cost housing.

They decided Wednesday to draw a charter of the group’s objectives by January. Overcoming the neighborhood’s polarization, safety, beautifying lawns and houses and appreciating historical values are some their goals.

Rezoning, or making the neighborhood a “single-family haven,” is not the goal, he said.

Also, the possibility of enrolling houses in the organization would “identify who lives in the area and get a healthy dialogue going,” said 5th Ward Alderman Bessie Chronopoulous.

“I know many kids in the neighborhood who would like to come,” said Tracy Blegen, an NIU student who lives on Locust Street. “We all want to live in a nice place,” Blegen said.