surrounding neighborhood is characterized by poverty, lack of jobs, troubled public schools, and poor quality housing, which included, until its demolition in 2009, the University Homes public housing development.
The Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA), the Choice Neighborhoods grantee and its partners have a vision of transforming the area into a “wonderful College Town area, which will rival the great college towns across the country.” The Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan, in conjunction with Morehouse School of Medicine’s Promise Neighborhoods planning effort, will provide the organizational structure to implement holistic community development in the Atlanta University Center neighborhood, including a master plan for redevelopment of the former University Homes public housing development and a “community service model” to create a stable foundation for cradle-to- college educational opportunities.
“It has long been evident that the only way to end the generational human failure caused by public housing was to replace the projects with healthy neighborhoods complete with successful schools and vibrant retail and recreational amenities,” said AHA CEO Renee Lewis Glover. “We’re proud to be part of the Obama Administration’s efforts. This planning grant is a step in revitalizing one of the most historic neighborhoods in Atlanta and the nation, the cradle of African-American higher education. The Atlanta University Center, as a result of this work, soon will be surrounded with a model community.”
The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is a centerpiece of the Obama Administration’s interagency Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative — a collaboration between the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, Justice, Treasury and Health and Human Services to support the ability of local leaders from the public and private sectors and attract the private investment needed to transform distressed neighborhoods into sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with the affordable housing, safe streets and good schools every family needs.
The six finalists for CN Implementation Grants have already undertaken the comprehensive local planning process and are ready to move forward with their Transformation Plan to redevelop their target neighborhoods. HUD will publish a second Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) shortly to give these finalists the opportunity to assemble and submit a more detailed application for the approximately $61 million in available funding. HUD will award these grants by the end of September.
Congress approved the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative with the passage of HUD’s FY 2010 budget, allowing HUD to use $65 million in funding to provide competitive grants to assist in the transformation, rehabilitation and preservation of public housing and privately owned HUD-assisted housing.
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