Expanding on its commitment to redevelop severely distressed assisted housing and revitalize neighborhoods, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded more than $5 million to communities in four states.
Funded through HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program, the grants will help local leaders craft comprehensive, homegrown transformation plans, according to a news release.
HUD is awarding Choice Neighborhood Planning grants to the following communities:
HUD's Choice Neighborhoods program promotes a comprehensive approach to transforming neighborhoods struggling to address the interconnected challenges of distressed housing, inadequate schools, poor health, high crime and historic disinvestment.
Choice Neighborhoods is focused on replacing distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.
Other goals are to improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education; and improving safety, good schools and commercial activity in communities.
Grantees may use a portion of the funds to build momentum and attract additional investment. Eligible uses of these funds include recycling vacant property into community gardens, pocket parks, or farmers markets; beautification, place-making and community arts projects; homeowner and business façade improvement programs; neighborhood broadband or wi-fi; fresh food initiatives and gap financing for economic development projects.
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