Choice Neighborhood Grant Award
2012 – Rockford is one of 13 Communities nationwide awarded grants by HUD to begin grassroots efforts to revitalize housing and communities.
Choice Neighborhoods grants transform distressed neighborhoods and public and assisted projects into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods. A strong emphasis is placed on local community planning for access to high-quality educational opportunities, including early childhood education.
Choice Neighborhoods grants build upon the successes of public housing transformation under HOPE VI to provide support for the preservation and rehabilitation of public and HUD-assisted housing, within the context of a broader approach to concentrated poverty. In addition to public housing authorities, the initiative will involve local governments, non-profits, and for-profit developers in undertaking comprehensive local planning with residents and the community.