1. MODIFYING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO PREVENT YOUTH VIOLENCE
Third Annual Summit on Preventing Youth Violence | September 27, 2013

2. A Need for Comprehensive Community Development
Housing is more than a unit structure. Where we live determines if our children attend schools with high college placement rates or low graduation rates. Housing determines economic success, if we have jobs, parks, and grocery stores.
Neighborhoods with concentrated poverty face interconnected challenges – housing decay, crime, disinvestment, health disparities, poor educational opportunities, limited transportation options, and lacking economic opportunities. We need a coordinated response to address these challenges.
HUD’s strategic plan states that housing should be used as a platform to improve quality of life. Choice Neighborhoods is rooted in this fundamental principle.
Intro—paint a picture that all of these issues are interconnected and we can’t address crime without truly addressing other areas, such as homeownership, education, local business etc. etc. A great line to use here is the one Mindy says about how a zip code tells us a child’s chances of succeeding in school or climbing the economic ladder.

3. HOPE VI and Public Housing Reform
The National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing was established in 1989 to address deteriorating public housing nationwide.
Public housing was deteriorated, poverty was concentrated, and crime was increasing.
The Commission found it would cost $33 billion to preserve the current housing stock.
Rehabilitation would not address physical design and social conditions.
Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) was launched to
Eliminate distressed housing by developing mixed income housing
Increase resident self-sufficiency by providing supportive services
Louisville
Chicago
Talk about how HUD started to reimagine how we comprehensively started to address poverty.

4. A Proven Model of Success
HOPE VI at a Glance
Revitalized
260 communities
Created
53,950 replacement units
Built
39,960 affordable and market rate units
Leveraged
$1.80 for every $1 investment
Redevelopment of one large, distressed housing project
Outcomes
Evidence and Estimates
↑ Property Values
Boosts home values, generating $6.5 million in local revenue over 20 years
↓ Operating Costs
$3.9 million less in federal subsidies over 20 years
↓ Crime Rates
$170,000 per year in public sector savings
Crime rates decreased up to 93% across communities
Jobs
1 job created for every $110,000 invested in construction
Multiplier Effects
Return of private capital, business, and market forces
Example: $856+ million investments in Centennial Place (Atlanta)
This would be a good slide to give a narrative on a HOPE VI– Centennial Place in Atlanta seems to be a perfect example. I have text and stats for you.

5. What Is Choice Neighborhoods?
Best of HOPE VI
Revitalize distressed public housing
Leverage other funding
Encourage mixed-income, mixed-use communities
Catalyze neighborhood investment
Provide supportive services
Lessons & Innovations
Address other HUD–assisted housing
Engage new stakeholders
Focus on the broader neighborhood
Improve critical community assets, such as schools and public safety
Reinstitute planning grants
Choice Neighborhoods moves beyond the successful HOPE VI model. A priority of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Choice Neighborhoods is designed to transform neighborhoods of concentrated poverty with severely distressed public and/or assisted housing into viable mixed-income communities with high-quality services and assets.
Choice Neighborhoods focuses on three core goals: Housing, People, and Neighborhood.
Paint a picture that yes HOPE VI was successful, but it didn’t focus on neighborhoods as a whole. Choice is how we move forward and address the challenges communities face in a comprehensive manner.

6. Transforming Communities
Housing | Transforming Distressed Public Housing
Create mixed-income housing
Create energy-efficient units
Physically and financially viable over time
One-for-one replacement on all public housing units
People | Supporting Positive Outcomes for All
Promote quality education
Build healthy and safe communities
Provide employment opportunities
Reduce crime and increase sense of safety
Ensure original residents have the right to return
Neighborhood | Transforming Neighborhoods of Poverty
Create mixed-income neighborhoods
Improve community assets, including developmental, physical, commercial, social and recreational assets
Improve transit infrastructure and retail development
Housing
Neighborhood
Choice
Neighborhoods
Talk about housing, people, and neighborhood focuses.
People

7. Choice Neighborhoods Today
Choice Neighborhoods Grants
Grants Awarded from 47
Planning Grants 9
Implementation Grants
$244 million
In Choice Neighborhoods grant funding
Housing
9,375
Total units planned or built among implementation grantees
2,772
Replacement units for original public housing units
People
2 jobs for every $100,000
Invested on implementation grants
Creating
Cradle-to-career education pipelines for children
Promoting
Community-oriented policing for safe communities
Providing
Real job training opportunities for all skill levels
Improving
Resident health, well-being, and quality of life

8. Choice Neighborhoods Today
Choice Neighborhoods Grants
Neighborhood
Building
Retail and grocery stores
Connecting
Transit opportunities to connect to jobs and amenities
Improving
Schools to improve educational outcomes
Rehabilitating
Homes surrounding public housing and HUD–assisted sites
Leveraging
$2 billion
In matching funds
Partnerships
Strategic partnerships between Public Housing Authorities, HUD–assisted properties, local governments, federal government agencies, private investors, foundations, Chambers of Commerce, universities and colleges, local school districts, community health organizations, local police departments, workforce investment boards, faith-based organizations, community organizations, and social service providers

9. Promoting Safety, Health, and Well-Being Through Design
Building upon the success of HOPE VI, Choice Neighborhoods continues to use and expand on several New Urbanism design standards:
Community Engagement: Engage residents, neighbors, civic leaders, politicians, developers, and local institutions throughout the process of designing change for neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods: Build compact, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that encourage the use of open space.
Diversity: Provide a broad range of housing types that bring people of diverse ages, races, and incomes into authentic communities capable of building personal and civic bonds.
Infill Development: Reclaim and repair blighted and abandoned areas within existing neighborhoods by using infill development strategically.
Mixed Use: Promote the creation of mixed-use neighborhoods that support the functions of daily life: employment, recreation, retail, and civic institutions.
Streets: Neighborhoods should have an interconnected network of streets and public open space that promote defensible space.
Safety and Civic Engagement: The relationship of buildings and streets should enable neighbors to create a safe and stable neighborhood by providing “eyes on the street” and encourage interaction and community identity.
Dwelling as Mirror of Self: Recognize the dwelling as the basic element of a neighborhood and as the key to self-esteem and community pride.

10. Public Safety Enhancements: HUD/DOJ Collaboration
Interagency Collaboration – “Working Smart”
PSE – DOJ transfer of $2 million to HUD via an Interagency Agreement
Reduce Part 1 violent crime, illegal drug activity, and gang activity in neighborhoods where crime is almost double the citywide rate
Young men between the ages of are disproportionately likely to be the victims or perpetrators of neighborhood violence
Range of strategies to modify the Choice Neighborhoods built environment:
Blight and abandoned property reduction – infill housing
Increased monitoring with cameras and lighting
Defensible entry
Deconcentration of poverty
Building relationships between youth and local law enforcement
Increased resident neighborhood watch/engagement
Youth recreation, trauma counseling, life skills development
Employment and entrepreneurship for ex-offenders
Boston – Quincy Corridor
Chicago – Woodlawn
New Orleans – Iberville/Tremé
San Francisco – Eastern Bayview

11. Conclusion
Choice Neighborhoods will rebuild and preserve public and assisted housing as part of HUD’s commitment to using housing as a platform for improving quality of life.
Choice Neighborhoods recognizes that the challenges our communities face are interconnected. If we want to truly address youth violence, we need to address our housing, schools, local economies, and each additional factor that builds a healthy community.
Choice Neighborhoods will catalyze and leverage coordinated investments to improve community assets.
Our hope is that some of the most distressed communities across the country will realize this opportunity to use the tools of Choice Neighborhoods to build the foundations for viable neighborhoods of opportunity and choice.

12. HUD Points of Contact www.hud.gov/cn choiceneighborhoods@hud.gov
Pamela Lawrence
Community and Neighborhood Revitalization Specialist &
Public Safety Enhancement Grant Administrator
(202)
Maria–Lana Queen
HUD Liaison, Federal Interagency Youth Initiatives &
Community and Supportive Services Grant Manager