13 communities awarded grants to begin grassroots efforts to revitalize housing, communities
WASHINGTON, DC – January 10, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that 13 communities across the U.S. will receive $3.6 million in Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. (See attached list (PDF)and project summary for this all of the grantees (PDF).)
“All across the country, local planners are serious about rolling up their sleeves to transform distressed neighborhoods into choice neighborhoods,” said Donovan. “These communities can now begin the comprehensive planning needed to turn distressed housing and long-neglected neighborhoods into viable and sustainable mixed-income communities that support positive outcome for families.”
Building on nearly 20 years of success through HUD’s HOPE VI Program, Choice Neighborhoods links housing improvements with a wider variety of public services including schools, public transit and employment opportunities. The program is a centerpiece of the Obama Administration’s interagency Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, a collaboration between HUD and the Departments of Education, Justice, Treasury and Health and Human Services. With support from the White House Domestic Policy Council and White House Office of Urban Affairs, the interagency partnership supports local solutions for sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with the affordable housing, safe streets and good schools all families need.
As a result of partnerships like these, the Obama Administration is making it easier for local leaders who are working to redevelop neighborhoods to also access support for cradle-to-career educational programs through the Education Department’s Promise Neighborhoods initiative, public safety strategies through the Justice Department, and community health center improvements through the Department of Health and Human Services.
HUD received 71 submissions for FY 2011 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants from communities across the U.S. Successful applicants demonstrated their intent to transform neighborhoods while leveraging outside investments and other federal dollars to plan for high-quality public schools, outstanding education and early learning programs, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs and well-functioning services. HUD is focused on directing resources to address three core goals – housing, people and neighborhoods.
The communities awarded the planning grants announced today will build the capacity needed to undertake a successful neighborhood transformation and create a choice neighborhood. These grants enable communities to create a comprehensive Transformation Plan, or road map, to transform distressed public and/or assisted housing within a distressed community. This Federal support provides a significant incentive for the local community to take critical steps to create viable neighborhood transformation.
Recently, HUD announced Partner.HUD.gov, an innovative online platform to spotlight comprehensive information about grantees and top-tier applicants with the hope that others will consider providing resources. This web portal is intended to provide information funders and other local stakeholders can use to support applications that HUD deemed promising, but was unable to fund. The site also offers communities greater access to similar work happening around the country and provides best-practice models that might help shape their efforts. Today’s 2011 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant recipients and the eight competitive runners-up, will be featured on Partner.HUD.gov next week.
Congress approved the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative with the passage of HUD’s FY 2010 budget, and in FY 2011 authorized HUD to use $65 million to provide competitive grants to assist in the transformation, rehabilitation and preservation of public housing and privately owned HUD-assisted housing. Congress recently appropriated $120 million for Fiscal Year 2012. Choice Neighborhoods builds on the successes and lessons of HUD’s HOPE VI program and widens the traditional pool of eligible applicants beyond public housing authorities to include local governments, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit developers (who apply jointly with a public entity).
| AWARDEE | CITY | STATE | EXISTING PUBLIC AND/OR ASSISTED HOUSING SITE | TARGETED NEIGHBORHOOD/AREA OF TOWN | AMOUNT FUNDED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority | Cincinnati | OH | English Woods | Fairmount | $201,844 |
| Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority | Cleveland | OH | Cedar Extension | Central Choice | $300,000 |
| Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority/Ohio State University/City of Columbus/National Church Residences | Columbus | OH | Poindexter Village | Near East Side | $300,000 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Little Rock | Little Rock | AR | Sunset Terrace/Elm Street | Southeast of Downtown | $300,000 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Meridian | Meridian | MS | George M. Reese Court | East End | $242,500 |
| Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation | Opa-Locka | FL | The Gardens | Nile Garden | $300,000 |
| Rockford Housing Authority | Rockford | IL | Fairgrounds Valley | Fairgrounds/Ellis Heights | $300,000 |
| Housing Authority of the County of Sacramento | Sacramento | CA | Twin Rivers | River District-Railyards | $300,000 |
| Housing Authority of Savannah | Savannah | GA | Robert Hitch Village and Fred Wessels Homes | East Savannah Gateway | $300,000 |
| City of Springfield/Springfield Housing Authority | Springfield | MA | Marble Street Apartments, Concord Heights, Hollywood Apartments I&II | South End | $300,000 |
| Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority | Suffolk | VA | Parker Riddick/Cypress Manor | East Washington Street | $255,656 |
| District of Columbia Housing Authority/Kenilworth Parkside Resident Management Corporation | Washington | DC | Kenilworth Courts/Kenilworth Parkside Resident Management Corporation | Parkside-Kenilworth | $300,000 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Wilson/City of Wilson | Wilson | NC | Whitfield Homes | Center City | $200,000 |
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the
need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build
inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and
http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at
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Contact:
Donna White
(202) 708-0685
