HUD DESIGNATES FLORIDA ENVISION CENTER IN JACKSONVILLE
Sulzbacher Village is the first Florida EnVision Center selected to serve as a hub to help former homeless women and low-income families become self-sufficient

JACKSONVILLE, FL - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Southeast Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett today officially designated Sulzbacher Village in Jacksonville as an EnVision Center. This designation serves as a critical component of Secretary Ben Carson's signature EnVision Center initiative to offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need.

"As we implement Secretary Carson's vision of hope and opportunity to help more families become self-sufficient, Sulzbacher Village is a good example of things done right," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett. "The combination of effective leadership, public-private partnerships, supportive services and job training have been key to transforming good ideas into reality and positively changing the trajectory of many lives."

Following a highly competitive selection process, Sulzbacher was selected to spearhead the EnVision Center initiative in Jacksonville. The designation is one of the newest of only 32 communities designated across the country as an EnVision Center, and the first in the state of Florida.

"Sulzbacher is a vital partner in our efforts to end homelessness in our community and I am incredibly proud of their designation as one of the few HUD EnVision Centers in the nation," said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. "This designation recognizes Sulzbacher's focus on empowering Jacksonville families with financial empowerment education and programs that help them move up and out of poverty."

"We are thrilled and honored to have been designated as a HUD EnVision Center", said Cindy Funkhouser, Sulzbacher President and CEO. "Our vision of Sulzbacher Village began as a place where women and families could live in a peaceful, respectful setting, and be wrapped in supportive services and opportunities for self-sufficiency. To make this happen, we engaged community partners across every sector, public, private and corporate. To see our dream become a reality has been so rewarding, and now to be recognized by HUD really affirms our efforts. With the EnVision Center designation, we can now say with confidence that Sulzbacher Village truly is a national model for how to address homelessness."

Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers are centralized hubs that serve as an incubator to support four key pillars of self-sufficiency - (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership.

In Jacksonville, partnerships with key organizations such as Department of Veteran Affairs, Goodwill Job Junction, First Coast Security, Links, Florida Institute of Education, Gateway Community Services, Florida State College, Child Guidance, The Partnership for Child Health, NyWes, and First Coast No More Homeless Pets, will assist in providing job and academic training, wellness services and character building to the Jacksonville women and families striving to reach self-sufficiency.

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and https://espanol.hud.gov.

You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Carson on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.