CUOMO ANNOUNCES HUD BEST PRACTICES AWARDS TO 100 ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today announced Best Practices Awards to 100 organizations and projects around the nation for their outstanding and innovative use of HUD assistance to better serve families and communities.

"These are HUD's equivalent of the Academy Awards, given for an outstanding performance in service of the American people," Cuomo said. "The award winners can serve as models to groups in other communities working to build affordable housing, spark economic development, create jobs, fight housing discrimination, expand homeownership, and help homeless people become self-sufficient."

The 100 award winners - selected from more than 3,000 nominees - received their Best Practices Awards today from HUD Deputy Secretary Saul Ramirez at HUD's 1999 Best Practices and Technical Assistance Symposium in Kansas City, MO. More than 3,000 people participated in the symposium, called "Building a Better Tomorrow," which began Wednesday and concluded Saturday.

The Best Practices Awards were given in these categories: Fighting for Fair Housing, Increasing Affordable Housing and Homeownership, Reducing Homelessness, Promoting Jobs and Economic Opportunity, Empowering People and Communities, and Restoring Public Trust.

A HUD best practice is defined as a program or project, management tool, or technique that fulfills at least two of the following characteristics:

• Generates a significant positive impact on those it is intended to serve or manage.
• Can be replicated in other areas of the country, region, or local jurisdiction.
• Demonstrates the effective use of partnerships among government agencies, non-profit organizations, or private businesses.
• Displays creativity in addressing a problem, and demonstrates effective leveraging of resources.

The four-day Best Practices Symposium attracted participants representing federal, state and local governments, universities, community based organizations, and faith-based groups.

Symposium workshops provided technical assistance on a range of housing and community development programs.

Content Archived: January 20, 2009