The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in a press release Wednesday the awarding of Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grants. CNI Grants total to $370 million. HUD awarded the grants to eight communities throughout the country, including the Magic City. HUD said these awards support communities that have undergone a comprehensive local planning process and are ready to implement their “Transformation Plan” to redevelop the neighborhood.
HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge also traveled to Birmingham this week, presenting a CNI Grant of $50 million to the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District and the City of Birmingham. HUD in an online statement said for decades, Birmingham’s Smithfield area was a thriving African American community, replete with creative character. However, HUD said, several factors led to the community’s decline, including 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.
Thank you @SecFudge! This $50 million investment in our community will be transformative for our people.
— Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) July 28, 2023
Birmingham is on the move. pic.twitter.com/JLC7DXp2V9
“This investment represents HUD’s commitment to creating new housing for Birmingham residents and communities across the country,” Secretary Fudge said in a press release. “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.”
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in an online statement said the grant will bring roughly 1,100 new affordable housing units, investment toward the city's neighborhood infrastructure and an estimated $242 million in investment for the area. Woodfin said the grant will also help revitalize the Smithfield community.
HUD in a press release said CNI Grants fund the creation of new mixed-income housing communities, increase economic development opportunities and help support wide-scale community revitalization efforts that focus on the three areas of “Housing, People, and Neighborhood.” The new grantees will join a group of 44 other Choice Neighborhoods sites nationwide that have collectively invested more than $6.3 billion into historically disinvested communities. The eight new awards have leveraged an additional $3 billion in public and private commitments to make their larger Transformation Plan a reality.
This Smithfield resident is excited about the visit by @SecFudge and the $50 million @HUDgov grant!
— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) July 26, 2023
Together, we’re revitalizing our neighborhoods, investing in our communities, and making Birmingham and even greater place to live! ✨ pic.twitter.com/mDGj9nUrhO
Below is a table listing Birmingham and the seven other cities that have received a CNI Grant:
| Lead Recipient / Co-Recipient (if applicable) | Amount |
| City of Tucson, AZ | $50,000,000 |
| Housing Authority of the Birmingham District / City of Birmingham, AL | $50,000,000 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta / City of Atlanta, GA | $40,000,000 |
| Lake Charles Housing Authority / City of Lake Charles, LA | $40,000,000 |
| Housing Authority of the City Pittsburgh / City of Pittsburgh, PA | $50,000,000 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | $40,000,000 |
| Philadelphia Housing Authority / City of Philadelphia, PA | $50,000,000 |
| Wilmington Housing Authority / City of Wilmington, DE | $50,000,000 |
| Total Award Amount | $370,000,000 |
Over the coming days, HUD said its representatives will visit the communities receiving the awards to elevate HUD’s commitment to community investment.