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

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.