HUD awards Birmingham $50 million grant to uplift Smithfield community

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced Wednesday the awarding of Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grants totaling $370 million to eight communities throughout the country. These awards support communities that have undergone a comprehensive local planning process and are ready to implement their “Transformation Plan” to redevelop the neighborhood.

Secretary Fudge made the announcement in Birmingham, Alabama, where she presented a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grant of $50 million to the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District and the City of Birmingham.  For decades, Birmingham’s Smithfield area was a thriving African American community, replete with creative character. But several factors led to the community’s decline, beginning with mortgage redlining and racial zoning in the 1930s; the construction of Interstates 65 and 20 in the 1950s, which cut off the area from Birmingham’s Central Business District; and a lack of investment in schools and infrastructure.

The Choice Neighborhood plan for neighborhood investment reflects the City of Birmingham and Housing Authority of the Birmingham District’s philosophy of ‘Putting People First’ with input from residents and community stakeholders.

“This investment represents HUD’s commitment to creating new housing for Birmingham residents and communities across the country,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “When we envision the future of public housing investment, we think of programs like Choice Neighborhoods. These awards promote the innovative collaboration needed to tackle the affordable housing crisis. A community-driven, whole-of-government approach to neighborhood revitalization is what leads to impactful changes in the neighborhoods that need it the most.”

The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants will help revitalize and transform the distressed public and/or assisted housing and neighborhoods across the country, while also providing residents with services focused on income, health, and education.

Click the button below to watch the press conference with Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Mayor Randall Woodfin, and other leaders, officials, and members of the Smithfield community.

The Smithfield community is about to embark on a journey that will transform lives.

For some, that journey can be hard to imagine. So, allow us to introduce you to Ava.

Ava and her family are along for the ride. Click the button below to watch Ava's story and see the vision of where the impact of this investment and the support of her community will take her.

Want to know more about plans for Smithfield?

Click the buttons below to visit smithfieldchoice.org to learn more.