ABOUT CNI

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) leverages public and private dollars to support locally-driven strategies meant to address neighborhoods struggling with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing.

The program fosters collaboration between local leaders, residents, stakeholders, and developers to design and implement a plan (Transformation Plan) to revitalize distressed public housing and the surrounding neighborhoods. Through the Choice Neighborhoods program, critical neighborhood improvements are made, and communities are transformed.

With this grant, the City of Augusta and AHA will work with the Allen Homes Resident Council and many other local stakeholders, schools, business owners, and nonprofits to create and implement a Transformation Plan for Allen Homes. The comprehensive CNI planning process will focus on three main elements: People, Housing, and Neighborhood.

The City of Augusta and the Augusta Housing Authority (AHA) decided to pursue the Choice Neighborhoods program because it leverages significant public and private dollars to address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation.

Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders, including public housing authorities, city, county, state, and federal government, schools, police, local business owners, nonprofits, service providers, and private developers, come together to create and implement a comprehensive revitalization plan. The program transforms neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant property, housing, green space, businesses, services, and schools.