On August 1, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman announced the awarding of a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) grant for $50 million to the Wilmington Housing Authority and the City of Wilmington to redevelop and revitalize the Riverside public housing development.
“By leveraging HUD funding with private and public resources from other federal agencies, the city of Wilmington is breathing new life into a community that has meant so much to the people of this city,” said Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman.
One day later in Miami, Florida, HUD Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management, Michele Perez, announced the awarding of a CNI grant for $40 million to Miami-Dade County to redevelop and revitalize the Cutler Manor public housing in the Goulds area.
“If we want to operationalize equity, we must be bold and courageous, accept local assessments, and invest in those communities that have articulated their choices on how to center the needs of the people, their housing and their neighborhoods,” said Perez. “This $40 million investment does just that.”
The CNI Grants fund the creation of new mixed-income housing communities, improve economic development opportunities, and support wide-scale community revitalization efforts that focus on the three areas of “Housing, People, and Neighborhood.”
The new grantees will join a committed group of 44 other Choice Neighborhoods sites nationwide that have collectively invested more than $6.3 billion into historically disinvested communities.
The eight new awards have leveraged an additional $3 billion in public and private commitments to make their larger Transformation Plan a reality.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said “The Wilmington Housing Authority and the City have demonstrated their commitment to neighborhood revitalization, having undergone a comprehensive local planning effort to redevelop the Riverside public housing property and the Northeast neighborhood. This public investment, which represents the maximum amount for grants targeting smaller housing developments, will give local officials the resources they need to achieve their vision for Northeast Wilmington.”
“Miami-Dade County has demonstrated its commitment to neighborhood revitalization, having already undergone a comprehensive local planning effort to redevelop the Cutler Manor and the surrounding Goulds neighborhood. This public investment, which represents the maximum amount for grants targeting smaller housing developments, will give local officials the resources they need to achieve their vision for Goulds,” Fudge added.
The previous week, Secretary Fudge announced the awarding of (CNI) Grants totaling $370 million to seven other communities throughout the country.
The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants will help revitalize and transform the distressed public and/or assisted housing and neighborhoods across the country, while also providing residents with services focused on income, health, and education.
“HUD’s mission is to improve lives and strengthen communities,” said Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles.
“This $50 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant is a once-in-a-generation investment in the City of Wilmington and the State of Delaware that will leverage over $400 million through public and private resources, give hundreds of families a great place to live, and create a new and vibrant community in the Northeast part of the city,” he concluded.
As HUD leaders travel nationwide, engaging with local communities, they strive to create a brighter and more inclusive future, fostering a stronger nation that provides housing and economic opportunities to every individual.
Photo courtesy of Cutler Manor.