HUD Awards $3.6M in Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan recently announced that 13 communities across the U.S. will receive $3.6 million in Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. HUD received 71 submissions for the fiscal year (FY) 2011 grants from communities.

The grants are intended to provide the Choice Neighborhoods better means to link housing improvements with a wider variety of public services including schools, public transit, and employment opportunities. They enable communities to create a comprehensive Transformation Plan, or road map, to transform distressed public and/or assisted housing within a distressed community.

"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."

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 FY 2012.

Here's a list of housing authorities that will be receiving grant money:

Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority $201,844
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority $300,000
Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority $300,000
Housing Authority of the City of Little Rock $300,000
Housing Authority of the City of Meridian $242,500
Opa-Locka Community Development Corp. $300,000
Rockford Housing Authority $300,000
Housing Authority of the County of Sacramento $300,000
Housing Authority of Savannah $300,000
City of Springfield/Springfield Housing Authority $300,000
Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority $255,656
District of Columbia Housing Authority $300,000
Housing Authority of the City of Wilson $200,000