WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., introduced legislation Thursday, June 12, to permanently authorize and expand the Choice Neighborhoods Program, according to a news release from Blunt Rochester’s office. The legislation is also expected to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.
The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act is a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that focuses on redeveloping distressed neighborhoods into mixed-income, mixed-use communities. The program was established in 2010 and, according to the release, has awarded $1.8 billion in competitive grants to local governments and community organizations across the country.
A recent HUD report cited in the release states that each dollar in Choice Neighborhoods funding has leveraged an average of $7.34 in additional investment for housing redevelopment in the communities studied.
According to Blunt Rochester’s office, the program has contributed to the development of more than 21,000 new housing units in 52 communities nationwide, including in Wilmington, Delaware.