In conjunction with new housing proposals announced by President Joe Biden on Tuesday, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $325 million to 15 cities and housing authorities as part of the Select Communities Implementation Grants program.
The funding is broadly consistent with annual funding allocations for the Choosing Communities program, which was launched in 2010 under the Obama administration. The program receives $350 million in both the 2023 and 2024 federal budgets, according to the HUD website.
The new funding includes additional funding to eight cities and housing departments that already received funding. In addition to federal funding, the program also receives funding from the private sector.
The program provides grants to revitalize distressed public or assisted housing supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development while also addressing neighborhood businesses, services and schools. Former President Donald Trump proposed cutting the program entirely in budget requests during his presidency.
“Since taking office, President Biden has prioritized lowering housing costs by building new homes and investing in communities,” Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Adrian Todman said in a statement. “We are pleased to announce Choice Neighborhoods funding in Las Vegas, marking a transformative step for our community.
“This funding is not just an investment in buildings and infrastructure, it’s an investment in people. By increasing housing options, this administration remains committed to building communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The new grantees to the Department of City and Housing are chattanooga housing authority Tennessee ($50 million); this Huntsville Housing Authority Alabama ($50 million); this houston housing authority Texas ($50 million); Miami-Dade County, Florida ($40 million); this Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority Las Vegas ($50 million); this Syracuse Housing Authority New York ($50 million); and Trenton Housing Authority New Jersey ($15.6 million).
Cities and housing authorities receiving additional funding in the new round are Phoenix ($2.5 million); Shreveport, Louisiana ($2.5 million); this Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Cleveland ($2.5 million); this East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority Louisiana ($2.5 million); this Camden Housing Authority New Jersey ($2 million); this Winston-Salem Housing Authority North Carolina ($2.5 million); lewiston housing authority Maine ($2.5 million); and Norfolk Regeneration and Housing Authority Virginia ($2.5 million).
