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About GWC
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (GWC) initiative, spearheaded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), represents a progressive step in neighborhood revitalization policy, evolving from the HOPE VI public housing revitalization program initiated in 1993. Initially, HOPE VI allocated funds for local leaders to revamp some of the nation’s most distressed public housing and establish stable mixed-income communities.
Choice Neighborhoods advances beyond HOPE VI by expanding the scope of properties and activities eligible for resources. Its objective is to fortify redevelopment as a more comprehensive anchor for fostering neighborhood stability and attracting increased investment. While housing was the primary focus, empirical evidence demonstrates that GWC redevelopment has correlated with declines in poverty, crime, and unemployment rates, along with rises in income and property values. Additionally, it has stimulated investment, facilitated business growth, and generated local employment opportunities.
Latest News
Draft Transformation Plan Submitted to HUD – Share Your Feedback!
We’re excited to share that the Draft Transformation Plan for the GWC Gateway Community was officially submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on June 11, 2025! This milestone marks a major step forward in creating a stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive Gateway neighborhood. The draft plan is the result
Selma Housing Authority Aims to Transform GWC Homes
From the West Alabama Newsroom– The Selma Housing Authority announces a federal grant — to create a plan to improve the quality of life of people who live in public housing. For the next two years the Selma Housing Authority — will be working to create — and build support
Selma Secures $500K Grant to Provide Affordable Housing
SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – An affordable housing crisis is playing out all across the country. In cities like Selma, a place to call home is oftentimes a dream that always seems out of reach. But thanks to new federal funding, it might just become a reality. “We have been working
Draft Transformation Plan Submitted to HUD – Share Your Feedback!
We’re excited to share that the Draft Transformation Plan for the GWC Gateway Community was officially submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on June 11, 2025! This milestone marks a major step forward in creating a stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive Gateway neighborhood. The draft plan is the result
Selma Housing Authority Aims to Transform GWC Homes
From the West Alabama Newsroom– The Selma Housing Authority announces a federal grant — to create a plan to improve the quality of life of people who live in public housing. For the next two years the Selma Housing Authority — will be working to create — and build support
Selma Secures $500K Grant to Provide Affordable Housing
SELMA, Ala. (WSFA) – An affordable housing crisis is playing out all across the country. In cities like Selma, a place to call home is oftentimes a dream that always seems out of reach. But thanks to new federal funding, it might just become a reality. “We have been working
PEOPLE
Improve the outcome of the households living in the target housing related to income and employment, health, and education.
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.
NEIGHBORHOODS
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.
Choice Neighborhood Initiative Planning Grant
Our Vision
To offer better housing options for residents, enable mixed-income housing opportunities, and remove the perceptual barriers separating Carver and its residents.
Selma serves as the gateway to the Black Belt and is the largest city in central Alabama between Montgomery and the Mississippi border. This beautiful historic city has many structures dating back to the 1800s and is the second oldest city in the state. Selma’s history spans from the “Civil War to Civil Rights” with the city serving as the starting site for the historic Selma-to-Montgomery March.
GWC Homes is
IMPORTANT HISTORY
George Washington Carver Homes is important to the history of Selma’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. The public housing complex was the neighborhood backdrop of Brown Chapel AME Church, which served as a meeting place and hub for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
The stark complex was designed to be separate from its downtown surroundings and so it remains today.
