HUD Funded Subdivision Brings Hope to Local Families Reflects Vision of Late Area Leader

This simple brick sign welcomes new homeowners to Cordell Heights. The eight homes in this subdivision were built in part with HUD HOPE VI funding. The families occupying these homes have qualified for mortgages to help pay for them, and these former public housing residents are now homeowners.

The eight homeowners pictured below will soon move into eight newly constructed homes in the Cordell Heights subdivision in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The construction of these homes represents the last phase in a comprehensive revitalization of the old McKenzie Court Public Community that was funded in part with $20 million in HUD HOPE VI grant funds. While the project created over 144 new units of rental housing, the eight houses in this subdivision are really the jewel of the whole project.

This subdivision was the vision of the late Cordell Wynn, a distinguished, gentlemen of vision who served as President of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for over 15 years. During his time as President the school more than doubled in enrollment. But Dr. Wynn’s vision extended well beyond the boundaries of the Stillman College campus. Under his leadership Stillman College became involved in the community in unprecedented ways. One of his commitments outside the field of education was to find ways to improve housing opportunities for low income families. As a part of this commitment he served on the Board of Directors of the Tuscaloosa Housing Authority as one of his many civic commitments.

Ribbon Cutting of new Cordell Homeowners

Dr. Cordell Wynn

Dr. Wynn did not take his appointment to the Housing Authority Board as some kind of honor, he took it as a call to work. According to his daughter Sonja one of the unique things about her father was, "My father believed in investing in people. He saw the human potential in every individual and wanted to find ways as an individual, as well as, as a representative of Stillman College to invest in that human potential in positive ways. In that respect he would be very pleased to see people who never had the opportunity to become homeowners, get the opportunity, not only for this generation but for the next as well. I think also that seeing this subdivision completed would bring great joy to him, as it is a project he fought hard to encourage be done."

###