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HUD Archives: News Releases


HUD No. 98-263
Further Information:For Release
In the Washington, DC area: 202/708-0685Tuesday
Or contact your local HUD officeJune 30, 1998

CUOMO PRAISES BLUE RIBBON "BEST PRACTICES" WINNERS

City, State Leaders Meeting in Charlotte, NC, to Exchange Ideas

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today lauded leaders from cities, counties and states across the country who received John J. Gunther Blue Ribbon "Best Practices" awards and are gathered at a symposium in Charlotte, NC, to share ideas and information about their winning strategies for HUD-funded programs.

"Winners of these awards are doing an excellent job working in partnership with HUD and can serve as national models," Cuomo said. "We are calling attention to the good work they are doing because we want to help communities around the country learn from their success."

Named after the late John J. Gunther -- who was Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 1961-1987 -- the "Best Practices" Awards honor state and local governments that do a superior job administering HUD-funded programs. The awards recognize a wide range of outstanding and innovative work to expand affordable housing, create jobs, strengthen local economies, fight housing discrimination, reduce homelessness, increase homeownership and accomplish other goals to improve life in America's communities.

This year marks the second year the Gunther "Best Practices" awards have been given out, and 277 communities were honored for outstanding program management. Winners are meeting this week in Charlotte, NC, to exchange ideas and showcase their working models of successful programs. Leaders from states, counties, citites and municipalities are working together at the symposium to learn how to more efficiently and effectively use federal funds provided through HUD.

Secretary Cuomo said the exchange of ideas and practical information in Charlotte is part of HUD's commitment to restoring the public's trust by working collaboratively with local governments. HUD also is taking unprecedented steps to make information available to through state-of-the-art technology, streamlined distribution and other reforms that are part of Cuomo's HUD 2020 overhaul of the agency.

"We're using the newest technology to help find solutions to some of the oldest problems facing America's communities," Cuomo said. "We're creating a national town square in cyberspace where a mayor in California can learn from the success of a mayor in Florida."

Top HUD officials, including Acting Deputy Secretary Saul Ramirez and Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research Bill Apgar, are addressing the Best Practices Symposium taking place at the Convention Center in downtown Charlotte. For a complete schedule of week-long events, contact Jessica Christie at HUD Public Affairs 202-708-0685.

HUD stands ready to help states, towns and cities around the nation learn from the successes of the communities winning Gunther Awards. Detailed descriptions of the winning programs will go on HUD's web site - www.hud.gov - and will also go to all of HUD's 81 field offices to make them easily accessible to HUD staff and local government officials. By using a keyword search, an official from one city can look up successful programs in a particular category - such as homeless assistance - in all winning cities on the web site. The official can then learn about strategies that have proven successful for dealing with homelessness in other communities, and apply this knowledge to help local homeless people.

Award winners were chosen by HUD program offices and field offices around the country.

HUD Blue Ribbon "Best Practices"
1998 Gunther Award Winners

Alabama

Bessemer; Birmingham

Alaska

State of Alaska; Anchorage

Arizona

Maricopa County; Phoenix; Yuma

Arkansas

Pine Bluff; Little Rock

California

Alameda County; Alhambra; Bakersfield; Bellflower; Cathedral City; Chula Vista; Contra Cost County; Daly City; El Monte ; Fontana; Fresno; Glendale; Huntington Park; Kern County; Los Angeles; Montabello; Oakland; Oxnard; Petaluma; Redwood City; Rosemead; San Barbara County; San Bernardino County; San Buenaveno; San Diego; San Francisco; Santa Clara Consortium; San Jose; San Luis Obispo County; San Mateo County; Santa Barbara; Vacaville; Ventura County

Colorado

Boulder; Colorado Springs; Denver; Greely; Lakewood; Loveland; Colorado State

Connecticut

New Haven; Norwalk; Norwich

Deleware

Wilmington

District of Columbia

Washington/DC

Florida

Boca Raton; Bradenton; Broward County; Cape Coral; Daytona Beach; Delray Beach; Escambia County/Pensacola; Freeport; Hialeah; Hollywood; Jacksonville; Miami-Dade County; Pinellas County/Clearwater; Tallahassee; Tampa; Volusia County

Georgia

Albany; Atlanta; Cobb County; Columbus; DeKalb County; Fulton County; Gwinnett County; Macon; Savannah; State of Georgia; Warner Robins

Hawaii

Honolulu City & County; Maui County

Illinois

Chicago; Champagne-Urbana; DuPage County; Joilet; Springfield; Village of Arlington Heights

Indiana

Anderson; Bloomington; Evansville; Fort Wayne; Indianapolis; Kokomo; New Albany; State of Indiana

Iowa

Iowa City; Des Moines

 

Kansas

 

Kansas City; State of Kansas; Topeka

Kentucky

Covington; Jefferson; Louisville; Owensboro

Louisiana

Alexandria; Baton Rouge; Jefferson Parish; Lafayette County; Monroe; New Orleans; Shreveport; State of Louisiana; Terrebonne Parish

Maryland

Baltimore

Massachusetts

Boston; Cambridge; Chicopee; Haverhill; Lawrence; Lowell; Quincy

Michigan

Ann Arbor; Southeastern Michigan Council; Detroit; Flint; Kalamazoo; Muskegon; Oakland County; Pontiac; Royal Oak Township; Southfield; Waterford Township

 

Minnesota

Dakota County; Minneapolis; Minnetonka; St. Paul;

Missouri

Joplin; Kansas City; St. Louis

Nebraska

Lincoln; Omaha

Nevada

Reno and Sparks/ NV

New Hampshire

Manchester

New Jersey

Bergen County; Burlington County; Gloucester County; Camden/Philadelphia; Elizabeth; Essex County; Hamilton; Jersey City; Morris County; New Brunswick; Newark; North New Jersey; Orange; Trenton

New Mexico

Albuquerque; Los Lunas; Santa Fe

New York

Hempstead; Kingston/Newburgh; Long Island City; Mount Vernon; Nassau Urban County; New York; City of New York; Rochester; State of New York; Suffolk County; Westchester County

North Carolina

Charlotte; Greensboro; Rocky Mount; Winston-Salem

North Dakota

Fargo; Grand Forks

Ohio

Akron; Bowling Green; Cleveland; Columbus; Middletown; Montgomery Count; Newark; Toledo; Warren

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Oregon

Eugene; Portland

Pennsylvania

Allentown; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Bucks County; Delaware County; Erie; Harrisburg; Liverpool; Luzerne County; Philadelphia; State of Pennsylvania; Westmoreland County

Puerto Rico

Municipality of San Juan; Municipality of Vega Baja

Rhode Island

Woonsocket

South Carolina

Anderson; Charleston; Columbia; Denmark/Voorhees Col; Greeville; Greenville County; Rock Hill; State of South Carolina; Sumter

South Dakota

State of South Dakota

Tennessee

Chattanooga; Knoxville; Memphis; Nashville; Oakridge; Shelby County; State of Tennessee

Texas

Amarillo; Beaumont; Bryan; Dallas; Edinburg; El Paso; Fort Worth; Harris County; Hildago County; San Antonio; State of Texas; Tarrant County; Waco

Utah

Orem; Salt Lake County

Vermont

Burlington

Virginia

Bristol; Charlottesville; Greater VA Peninsula; Hampton; Norfolk; Virginia Beach

Washington

Bellevue; Kennewick; Richland; Seattle; Snohomish County; Spokane; State of Washington

West Virginia

Huntington; Charleston; State of West Virginia

Wisconsin

Beloit; Dane County; Janesville; Madison; Milwaukee; Racine; State of Wisconsin; Wausau

Wyoming

Casper; Cheyenne

Content Archived: January 20, 2009

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