Ten new neighborhoods join 63 previous grant winners under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
Jen Kinney reports on the announcement of $8 million in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.
"Severely distressed neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Nashville and Newport News, Virginia, are among 10 communities HUD announced Tuesday will receive a share of $8 million in grants to fund affordable housing and economic development projects," according to Kinney. "Four neighborhoods — in Dayton, Louisville, Phoenix and Shreveport — will receive additional funding to implement aspects of their plans."
Neighborhoods in Asbury Park, New Jersey; Brownsville, Texas; Sanford, Florida; and Shreveport, Louisiana round out the list of awardees. The ten new Choice Neighborhoods join 63 previous grant award winners. HUD added a new wrinkle to the Choice Neighborhoods program in November 2016, announcing the creation of "planning and action grants."
In 2015, the Urban Institute released a study into the effect of Choice Neighborhoods grants, finding a need for deeper collaboration between public housing authorities and other local officials.
FULL STORY: 10 New HUD Choice Neighborhoods to Split $8 Million

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
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Invasive Insect Threatens Minnesota’s Ash Forests
The Emerald Ash Borer is a rapidly spreading invasive pest threatening Minnesota’s ash trees, and homeowners are encouraged to plant diverse replacement species, avoid moving ash firewood, and monitor for signs of infestation.
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