Choice Neighborhoods Initiative

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
Name	Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
Established	2010
Agency	United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
Type	Federal grant program
Jurisdiction	United States

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is a federal urban renewal grant program launched to transform distressed public housing and surrounding neighborhoods by coordinating housing redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization, and supportive services. It builds on earlier programs such as Hope VI, draws on partnerships among local housing authorities, nonprofit organizations like Enterprise Community Partners and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and involves municipal leaders from cities such as Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. The Initiative leverages funding streams from federal agencies including the Department of Education, Department of Transportation, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Background and Origins

The initiative was announced during the administration of Barack Obama and authorized through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to replace and expand upon the principles of Hope VI and address concerns raised after the 2008 financial crisis and the foreclosure surge in neighborhoods like Detroit and Cleveland. Its conceptual lineage traces to urban policy debates involving thinkers associated with Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and practitioners from Habitat for Humanity and Enterprise Community Partners. Early pilot projects were informed by research from scholars at Harvard University and Princeton University and by demonstrations such as the Moving to Opportunity experiment and the transit-oriented development projects in Portland, Oregon.

Program Structure and Components

The Initiative emphasizes three core components: housing, people, and neighborhood. The housing component focuses on demolition, rehabilitation, and new construction of affordable units in coordination with housing authorities like the New York City Housing Authority and Chicago Housing Authority. The people component funds supportive services from partner agencies such as HUD Exchange grantees, local Department of Education programs, workforce development entities like America’s Job Centers, and health providers including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-linked initiatives. The neighborhood component coordinates investments in infrastructure, public safety partnerships with local police departments like the New York City Police Department, parks and recreation projects linking to National Park Service programs, and transit investments tied to agencies such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Funding and Implementation

Grants are awarded through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity administered by HUD. Typical awardees include consortia of housing authorities, municipal governments, nonprofit developers such as Rockefeller Foundation partners, philanthropy like Ford Foundation initiatives, and private investors including Wells Fargo and Bank of America through community reinvestment partnerships. Funding strategies layer HUD Choice Neighborhoods grants with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits administered by state agencies, HOME Investment Partnerships Program allocations, Community Development Block Grant funds from municipal programs, and New Markets Tax Credit transactions involving entities like Enterprise Community Investment. Implementation requires relocation plans coordinated with federal regs from HUD and interagency memoranda with the Department of Transportation for transit improvements.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations have been conducted by research organizations including the Urban Institute, Abt Associates, and academics from Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley. Reports examine outcomes in housing stability, crime reduction measured via partnerships with local police departments like Chicago Police Department, employment outcomes using data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, and education outcomes linked to Department of Education-funded programs. Case studies point to neighborhood revitalization in cities such as Baltimore, Seattle, and Philadelphia, with mixed evidence on resident displacement, changes in property values tracked by county assessor offices, and long-term health outcomes studied in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Criticisms and Challenges

Scholars and advocacy groups including National Low Income Housing Coalition, civil rights organizations like ACLU, and local tenant unions have raised concerns about gentrification, insufficient replacement of deeply affordable units, and the adequacy of supportive services. Critics cite examples where implementation involved complex financing a la Tax Increment Financing arrangements that favored private developers such as large multifamily firms, and where coordination challenges arose between municipal planning departments and housing authorities. Legal disputes have involved fair housing claims litigated through federal courts and engagements with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Justice. Implementation hurdles include navigating procurement rules tied to federal grants, aligning permits with local planning commissions, and sustaining services beyond grant periods with philanthropy from entities like Kresge Foundation.

Notable Projects and Case Studies

Notable awardees and projects include transformations in Baltimore’s East Baltimore neighborhood associated with partnerships among Johns Hopkins University and local developers; the rehabilitation of New York City developments in collaboration with the New York City Housing Authority and nonprofit developers; Seattle’s projects involving the Seattle Housing Authority and transit investments with Sound Transit; and Chicago initiatives coordinated by the Chicago Housing Authority with philanthropic support from organizations such as the MacArthur Foundation. International comparisons reference urban regeneration efforts in London and Toronto that informed best practices on mixed-income development and community engagement.

Category:Housing in the United States Category:Urban renewal