WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today announced $7.5 million in grants to 24 colleges and universities nationwide to help harness their physical and economic resources -- and the knowledge, creativity, and energy of their faculty and students -- to create stronger, healthier neighborhoods near their campuses.

The recipients of the Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) grants are in: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

"These institutions are already key members of their communities, and these grants will further help them to support innovative partnerships between university and community that help strengthen the economic and social infrastructure of distressed neighborhoods," Cuomo said.

The Community Outreach Partnership Centers Program is administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships (OUP). Established in 1994, OUP is a catalyst for joining colleges and universities with their communities in a shared search for answers to pressing urban problems.

HUD’s annual COPC grants, awarded on a competitive basis, help colleges and universities provide technical assistance, training, and applied research to community-based groups and local governments. The activities are chosen and designed jointly by the schools and neighborhood groups. Through these projects, the students learn about their communities and neighborhood residents gain access to the knowledge and resources of the higher education institutions.

For the grants awarded today, $6.4 million known as New Grants will be made to 16 institutions (out of 87 applicants) just starting their activities. Eight previous COPC winners (from 28 applications) will be awarded about $1.2 in New Directions Grants to undertake new activities or work in new neighborhoods.

A total of 115 colleges and universities competed for COPC funding this year, totaling $36 million in requested programs. Because of the interest in the successful program, President Clinton has proposed doubling funding for the grants in his Fiscal Year 2001 budget to $15 million. Despite the high demand for the program, the HUD 2001 fiscal year budget approved by the House this year includes just $8 million in funding for COPC grants next year. The budget bill is now before the Senate.

Cuomo noted that the selection of three community colleges in this year’s group shows the value HUD places on these institutions as local revitalization partners.

The grants announced today will go to:

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. Community colleges, four-year colleges and universities are eligible to apply.