Communities in Alabama, Nebraska, Georgia and New Jersey awarded planning grants
WASHINGTON – (RealEstateRama) – Expanding on its commitment to help local communities redevelop severely distressed HUD assisted housing and revitalize neighborhoods, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $5 million to four communities.
Funded through HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program, these grants will help local leaders to craft comprehensive, homegrown plans to revitalize and transform these neighborhoods.
HUD is awarding Choice Neighborhood Planning grants to the following communities:
| State | Lead Recipient (Co-Recipient, if applicable) | Target Housing Address | City | Amount |
| Alabama | City of Huntsville (Co-Recipient: Huntsville Housing Authority) | Butler Terrace & Butler Terrace Addition, 206 Seminole Drive |
Huntsville | $1,300,000 |
| Nebraska | City of Omaha (Co-Recipient: Omaha Housing Authority) | Southside Terrace Garden Apartments, 5529 S. 30th Street |
Omaha | $1,300,000 |
| Georgia | Housing Authority of the City of Rome (Co-Recipient: City of Rome) | John Graham Homes, 101 E 13th Street |
Rome | $1,250,000 |
| New Jersey | Trenton Housing Authority (Co-Recipient: City of Trenton) | Donnelly Homes, 875 New Willow Street |
Trenton | $1,300,000 |
| TOTAL | $5,150,000 |
Read local summaries of the grants announced today.
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 three core goals:
- Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.
- People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education; and
- Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.
Through Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants, local governments, housing authorities, residents, nonprofits, tribal authorities, private developers, school districts, police departments, and other civic organizations create a common vision and develop effective strategies to revitalize their neighborhood. The resulting Transformation Plan lays the foundation for revitalizing the distressed public and/or assisted housing units, transforming the surrounding neighborhood, and promoting opportunities for families.
In addition, grantees may use a portion of these funds for “Action Activities” 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.
