Selma Housing Authority and city of Selma have received a $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods grant from the USDA to revitalize George Washington Carver Homes.
Selma will use the funds to create a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plan to redevelop severely distressed public housing, improve outcomes for residents, and bring new amenities to high-poverty neighborhoods.
The funding is part of $7 million announced by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Sept. 15 that will go to communities of all sizes from small cities, such as Selma, to larger urban areas, such as Albuquerque, NM, and Oklahoma City, OK.
The Choice Neighborhoods program has a three-pronged “Housing, People, and Neighborhood” approach that includes the redevelopment of distressed properties and supportive services related to the residents’ health, education, and income while investing in economic development and neighborhood improvement projects. A two-year Planning Grant will allow the new awardees to create and build support for a comprehensive “Transformation Plan” that addresses the program’s Housing, People, and Neighborhood goals.
“Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plans lead to real results for public housing communities,” said Richard Monocchio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. “Planning Grants are a great first step to bringing partners and significant resources to distressed communities – and they better position communities to pursue the funding necessary to bring a community’s vision to life.”
Choice Neighborhoods is a critical tool to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing. Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grantees will complete over 37,000 mixed-income units across 52 cities. Overall, the Choice Neighborhoods program has led to new businesses, parks, and grocery stores, while resident incomes are increasing across most cities, sometimes doubling. Given the program’s transformative reach, HUD continues to encourage eligible communities of all sizes to pursue a Choice Neighborhoods grant.
