St. Louis - On behalf of HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Region VII Regional Administrator Jason Mohr announced today three EnVision Center designations in St. Louis, MO. One of Secretary Carson's signature initiatives, EnVision Centers will offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency, thereby making scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance. Read more about HUD's EnVision Center Demonstration.

Regional Administrator Mohr and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson made the announcement with leaders of Better Family Life, Friendly Temple, and Flance Early Learning Center, the EnVision Center demonstration communities named today.

"The launch of these EnVision Centers will further opportunities for families to become self-sufficient and prosper," said Regional Administrator Mohr. "Never before have federal agencies, state and local governments, the private sector, the faith-based community, and non-profits groups come together, at this level of coordination, to advance economic opportunity and self-sufficiency."

"The City of St. Louis is proud that Friendly Temple, Better Family Life, and Flance Early Learning Center have been designated EnVision Centers by the Department of Housing and Urban Development," added Mayor Krewson. "These organizations have deep roots and great histories of service in the community. This local-federal partnership will serve the whole St. Louis region by better connecting people in need to federal resources to move them out of poverty."

Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers will be 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.

Through results-driven partnerships with organizations such as: federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies, EnVision Centers will leverage public-private partnerships to connect HUD-assisted households with services that offer pathways to self-sufficiency.

Prior to grand openings each demonstration community receiving the EnVision Center designation will convene with their local stakeholders and resident councils to assist in the selection of services to be offered at the Center, as a means of ensuring that many voices are heard and the needs identified are addressed. HUD will develop tools to track and measure resident outcomes of EnVision Center participants and services - the goal of which is to ensure the EnVision Centers are able to achieve and monitor progress against the goals of the program.

The EnVision Center demonstration communities announced today include:

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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.

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