In conjunction with President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new housing proposal on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $325 million to 15 cities and housing authorities as part of the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant program.
The sum is roughly in line with annual allocations of funding for the Choice Neighborhoods program, which began in 2010 under the Obama administration. According to HUD’s website, the initiative received $350 million in both the 2023 and 2024 federal budgets.
The new funding includes additional money to eight cities and housing authorities that have already received funding. In addition to federal funding, the program also receives money from the private sector.
The program awards grants for the revitalization of distressed HUD-backed public or assisted housing, while also addressing neighborhood businesses, services and schools. In budget requests during his presidential term, former president Donald Trump proposed cutting the program altogether.
“Since the beginning of this administration, President Biden has prioritized lowering housing costs by building new homes and investing in communities,” HUD acting secretary Adrianne Todman said in a statement. “We are excited to announce the Choice Neighborhoods funding here in Las Vegas, which marks a transformative step towards uplifting our communities.
“This funding is not just an investment in buildings and infrastructure — it’s an investment in people. By enhancing housing options, this administration remains committed to building neighborhoods where everyone has the chance to thrive.”
The cities and housing authorities that are new grantees are the Chattanooga Housing Authority in Tennessee ($50 million); the Huntsville Housing Authority in Alabama ($50 million); the Houston Housing Authority in Texas ($50 million); Miami-Dade County in Florida ($40 million); the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority in Las Vegas ($50 million); the Syracuse Housing Authority in New York ($50 million); and the Trenton Housing Authority in New Jersey ($15.6 million).
The cities and housing authorities receiving additional money in the new funding round are Phoenix ($2.5 million); Shreveport, Louisiana ($2.5 million); the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority in Cleveland ($2.5 million); the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority in Louisiana ($2.5 million); the Housing Authority of the City of Camden in New Jersey ($2 million); the Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem in North Carolina ($2.5 million); Lewiston Housing Authority in Maine ($2.5 million); and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Virginia ($2.5 million).
