HUD designates Housing Authority of Birmingham District's Campus of Hope as the First EnVision Center in Alabama

HUD SE Region Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett congratulates two Campus of Hope EnVision Center Culinary Arts students along with chief instructor and mentor Chef Clayton Sherrod. Housing Authority of Birmingham District Campus of Hope EnVision Center Ribbon Cutting with Denise Cleveland-Leggett, HUD SE Region Administrator in the center and to her left Michael Lundy Housing Authority Executive Director and community leaders helping cut the ribbon to Alabama's first HUD EnVision Center. EnVision Center celebration kicks off with local dignitaries and HUD SE Region Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett leading the way with the Woodlawn High School marching band providing music adding to the festivities to the opening ceremony of the Campus of Hope EnVision Center.

Celebration to mark the occasion kicks off with marching band, parade, community fair and tour

The sight and sounds of the Woodlawn High School Marching Band helped punctuate the day's events as the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District's (HABD) Campus of Hope was designated the first EnVision Center in the State of Alabama on November 6, 2019 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Denise Cleveland-Leggett, HUD Southeast Regional Administrator and Michael O. Lundy, President/CEO of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District along with community members and stakeholders took part in the announcement and as the celebration kicked off with the opening day parade accompanied by the Woodlawn High School marching band. Following the parade, the celebration continued with the start of the official program at 1:00pm announcing the Campus of Hope as an EnVision Center, followed by a special Campus of Hope EnVision Center video, ribbon cutting and a tour of the campus.

"As we work to succeed in helping more families become self-sufficient, more families will be able to access the housing assistance they so desperately need," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett. "EnVision Centers bring hope, opportunity, and a platform of stability from which long-term success for thousands of families in this area can ultimately benefit…The Housing Authority of Birmingham and the City has much to be proud of based on the vision and leadership of Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Lundy and Mayor Randall Woodfin."

HABD President/CEO Michael O. Lundy said, "Receiving the EnVision Center designation is something my staff worked hard to achieve and we're beyond thankful for the national recognition. This shining endorsement from HUD is comparable to getting a gold seal for our program. It is such an honor and privilege to receive national recognition for the work we're doing to break the cycle of generational poverty and generational dependency on public housing. My vision for the Campus of Hope began with the desire to provide more than affordable housing for low-income families and individuals and to connect them with resources to assist in moving up and out of public housing. The many supportive services offered are designed to give residents what they need to help put them on a path of financial and housing independence."

HUD's EnVision Centers are premised on the notion that financial support alone can't solve the problem of poverty, and that collective efforts across a diverse set of organizations, both public and private, are needed to help low-income individuals and families rise out of it. The programs offered are based on the EnVision Center's four pillars: economic empowerment, educational advancement, health and wellness, and character development.

HABD EnVision Center partners are The U.S. Army, Birmingham City Schools, The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center, Lawson State Community College, The Dannon Project, Maranathan Academy, Church of the Highlands, No More Martyrs, Aletheia House, Girls Inc, Hopewell Church, American Heart Association, Birmingham Healthy Start Plus, AIDT, Boy Scouts of America, TC Counseling & Consulting Services, and Oak Tree Ministries.

View HUD video designating the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District's (HABD) Campus of Hope the first EnVision Center in the State of Alabama at:  https://youtu.be/EC-P1Lif3N4

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