HUD Secretary Martinez Visits Ft. Wayne

Secretary Mel Martinez with Mayor Graham Richard (left) and Congressman Mark Souder (right) at the opening of the new Liberty Square housing development.

On April 30, 2002, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Mel Martinez, visited Fort Wayne, Indiana to commemorate the opening of the new Liberty Square housing development. The Secretary said, "Concentrating on home ownership strengthens families and communities, and Liberty Square is a wonderful example of what can happen when HUD works with local communities and their nonprofit and private sector partners."

Liberty Square is a historically significant neighborhood that was decimated by crime and underwent urban renewal in the 1960's. This new revitalization of the neighborhood is a $1.5 million project, and includes the construction of 13 new homes along with street, alley, curb, and sidewalk reconstruction.

The Ft. Wayne Neighborhood Housing Partnership (FWNHP) is the developer. Liberty Square is the result of a five-year collaboration between FWNHP, and several other partners including the City of Ft. Wayne, which provided $110,000 out of their HUD Community Development Block Grant funds.