Grant Details

The purpose of Choice Neighborhoods grants is to enable comprehensive approaches to community development centers on housing transformation. The program aims to transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable mixed-income neighborhoods with access to economic opportunities by revitalizing severely distressed public and assisted housing and investing and leveraging investments in well-functioning services, effective schools and education programs, public assets, public transportation and improved access to jobs. 

Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants support the implementation of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans that are expected to achieve the following three core goals:

• 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. Housing transformed with the assistance of Choice Neighborhoods should be:
  • Well-Managed and Financially Viable. Developments that have budgeted appropriately for the rental income that can be generated from the project and meet or exceed industry standards for quality management and maintenance of the property.
  • Mixed-Income. Housing affordable to families and individuals with a broad range of incomes including low-income, moderate-income, and market rate or unrestricted.
  • Energy Efficient, Climate Resilient, and Sustainable. Housing that has low per unit energy and water consumption and is built to be resistant to local disaster risk.
  • Accessible, Healthy, and Free from Discrimination. Housing that is well-designed, meets federal accessibility requirements and embraces concepts of visit ability and universal design, has healthy indoor air quality, has affordable broadband Internet access, and is free from discrimination.
• People: Improve educational outcomes and intergenerational mobility for youth with services and supports delivered directly to youth and their families. People that live in the neighborhood, with a primary focus on residents of the housing targeted for revitalization, benefit from:
  • Effective Education. A high level of resident access to high-quality early learning programs and services so children enter kindergarten ready to learn and quality schools and/or educational supports that ultimately prepare students to graduate from high school college- and/or career-ready.
  • Income and Employment Opportunities. The income of residents, particularly wage income for non-elderly/non-disabled adult residents, increases over time.
  • Quality Health Care. Residents have increased access to health services and have improved physical and mental health over time.
  • Housing Location, Quality, and Affordability. Residents of the target housing who, by their own choice, do not return to the development have housing and neighborhood opportunities as good as or better than the opportunities available to those who occupy the redeveloped site
• Neighborhood: 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. Through investments catalyzed with Choice Neighborhoods, the neighborhood enjoys improved:
  • Housing Quality and Variety. The housing in the neighborhood has a lower vacancy/abandonment rate, is high quality and well-maintained, and has an appropriate mix of rental and homeownership units to meet resident needs. The neighborhood better supports families with a broad range of incomes.
  • Economic Opportunity. The neighborhood attracts and maintains a diverse mix of businesses and employers to create meaningful jobs and economic opportunities for residents, respond to local needs, and address long-term disinvestment.
  • Community Assets and Amenities. The neighborhood includes community amenities found in higher opportunity areas, such as grocery stores and fresh food options, retail goods and services, financial institutions, medical and health facilities, parks and greenspace, public transit, high-quality early learning programs, and good public schools.
  • Community Confidence. The neighborhood image reflects a healthy, livable, and equitable community that honors its history and embraces a positive outlook for the future. There is an enhanced sense of place and a visibly improved built environment. Long term-residents choose to stay and have the supports to do so, and new residents likewise choose to live in the revitalized neighborhood.
  • Public Safety. Residents feel safer in their homes and spending time in the revitalized community and the neighborhood has lower crime rates than prior to redevelopment

This federal partnership supports locally driven solutions for transforming distressed neighborhoods using place-based strategies to address the interconnected challenges of poor quality housing, inadequate schools, poor health, high crime, and lack of capital.