In graduate research on encounter groups I found that group members discovered a sense of community that made them come alive. Many did not want to go home. It is not easy to maintain that level of trust but it is possible. Block parties, open houses, shared gardens, even throwing your neighbor's newspaper on the porch when they are out of town is a step in that direction. We will have to be patient in building community.
Community takes months, even years, to build.
Trust must be developed and that takes time. If there is some way that you would like to reach out to your immediate neighbors, some idea you have, and you would like to get an opinion of how it might work please call. I have been thinking about this for a long time. I have passed out flyers on my block for three years and organized several projects. Some worked and some didn't.