Housing Authority of Winston-Salem Receives $500,000 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Planning Grant

Left to right (HUD Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones and Congressman Mel Watt (D-NC 12 District)

The Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem (www.haws.org/) was recently the recipient of the Choice Neighborhood Planning grant of $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a recognition ceremony in the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood attended by over seventy five local community, state and federal leaders.

HUD Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones recognized the Winston-Salem Housing Authority, local community leaders and the city for this outstanding achievement.

"This planning grant will enable education, employment and revitalization in this community" said Jones. "You were chosen because we loved the bold vision and loved the chances of success in this area."

Congressman Mel Watt (http://watt.house.gov/) of North Carolina (D-NC 12th District) added, "We're not just talking about transforming a house. We are transforming communities using a house as a focal point. The vision here is to transform the visual agent of the community, but more importantly, connect residents to education and to jobs to revitalize the neighborhood."

Local area event attendees

HUD selected the Housing Authority as a recipient of a Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant to support the development of a comprehensive neighborhood Transformation Plan for Cleveland Avenue Homes, a traditional public housing community within the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood. The transformation of the community will be one key element in the greater Cleveland Avenue Neighborhood MasterPlan Initiative. The goal is to create a sustainable community where families can live, learn, work and play.

"This StepUp Housing provides wrap-around services to address a myriad of needs (within this community)" said Mayor Allen Joines (www.cityofws.org/departments/mayor/meet-the-mayor). "On behalf of the 238 thousand citizens of Winston-Salem, thank you for this investment to our city."

The Housing Authority is one of only 9 (nine) grant recipients out of 52 (fifty-two) applicants from across the nation. A total of $4,374,000 was awarded to the nine recipients.

Planning Grants assist communities in developing a successful neighborhood transformation plan by helping to build the support necessary for successful plan implementation. The Transformation Plan will serve as the guiding document for the revitalization of housing, people and the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood as a whole. Community partnerships will also place a priority on educational and economic resources for the area.

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