HUD
No. 03-40 Adam Glantz (212) 264-1100 |
For
Release Tuesday November 18, 2003 |
HUD AWARDS $6.87 MILLION TO 20 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO REVITALIZE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS
Rochester Institute of Technology and the State University at Cortland Receive HUD Funding
NEW YORK - Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Mel Martinez today announced $6.87 million in grants to 20 colleges
and universities to help harness their physical and economic resources - and
the knowledge, creativity and energy of faculty and students - to create stronger,
healthier neighborhoods near their campuses. In New York
State, the Rochester
Institute of Technology received a $399,939 grant, while the State University
of New York College at Cortland received a $150,000 grant. (Grant summaries for
the New York schools are below.)
The recipients of the Community Outreach
Partnership Centers (COPC) grants are in: Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
South
Carolina, Texas, and Washington.
"The recipients of these grants are key members of their communities, and this support will further enable them to support innovative community partnerships that strengthen the economic and social infrastructure of nearby distressed neighborhoods," Martinez said.
The program is designed to help 2- and 4-year colleges and universities develop and sustain effective community partnerships. Administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships in the Office of Policy Development and Research, COPC is a peer-reviewed, competitive program that provides 3-year grants of up to $400,000 to help universities, colleges, community colleges, and technical institutes play an active and visible role in community revitalization.
The funding helps colleges and universities
to provide technical assistance, training and applied research to community-based
groups and local governments. The funded activities are selected and designed
jointly by the schools and neighborhood groups. Through these projects, students
learn about local neighborhoods and
neighborhood residents gain access to the
knowledge and resources of the higher education institutions.
For the grants
awarded today, $3.98 million in New Grants will go to nine institutions just starting
their activities.
Six previous COPC winners will receive some $900,000 in New
Directions Grants to undertake new activities or work
in new neighborhoods. The
remaining $1.98 million in funding will go to five institutions as Futures Demonstration
Grants.
A total of 175 applications for COPC funding were received this
year. President Bush has proposed $8 million in
funding for the grants in his
fiscal year 2004 budget.
Schools were selected for the grants based on: extent of community need; quality of activities described; level of neighborhood and local government participation; the funds each school expected to contribute or raise from other sources; and commitment to the program.
HUD is the
nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among
minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans,
supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with
AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well
as
enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its
programs is available on the Internet.
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Community Outreach Partnerships Center
New Grant Program Summaries
Recipient: Rochester Institute of Technology
Grant
Amount: $399,998
Address: 141 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY
14623
Contact/Phone: Ann Howard/(585) 475-5104
Rochester Institute
of Technology and the North East Neighborhood Alliance, a collaborative, resident-driven
planning initiative representing three neighborhoods in the City of Rochester,
New York, propose the RIT-NENA Community Outreach Partnership Center as an expansion
of a successful three-year comprehensive community development partnership. RIT
will use its COPC grant to fund the following four initial program areas, as potential
solutions to the priority need areas identified by residents of the target neighborhoods:
1) housing; 2) economic development; 3) neighborhood revitalization and capacity
development; and 4) neighborhood planning. The overarching goal is to build local
self-reliance for individuals, families and neighborhoods. The RIT-NENA COPC
reflects
this philosophy. The COPC will serve as a complement to other neighborhood revitalization
activities
through which a number of partners will gather to develop and implement
outreach and research activities designed
to support the goal of self-reliance.
New Direction Grant Program Summaries
Recipient: State
University of New York College at Cortland
Grant Amount: $150,000
Address: 35 State Street PO Box 9 Albany, NY 12201
Contact/Phone:
Dr. Craig Little/(607) 753-2470
SUNY Cortland will use its COPC New Directions grant to fund a project targeted in the "East End", the highest need neighborhood in the city of Cortland. The program's goals are to expand and focus the network of partners and acquire the resources necessary to trigger a transformation in the physical, social and economic character of this neighborhood. The work plan reflects four areas of effort: 1) community planning-capacity building of both residents and agencies in meeting current and future local needs; 2) partnerships that address urgent and long term housing needs; 3) collaboration with the county departments of social services and health to improve the quality of life for residents and; 4) an applied research agenda supporting linkages between the SUNY Cortland and the community.