Breaking Silos through Choice Neighborhoods

In the Choice Neighborhoods NOFA, HUD emphasizes the importance of building partnerships to ensure successful planning and implementation of efforts to transform communities. Significantly, this need for collaboration is not just focused upon the communities that will be potential applicants. HUD states that it intends to work with other federal agencies to leverage and build upon other funding streams and interventions to ensure the success of place-based solutions. Further, HUD will work to create incentives for communities to focus on the same geographic area and apply for funding from more than one source.

One step towards that commitment is moving forward with the Choice Neighborhoods Pre-Notice promise to use Choice funds as a leverage for other public investments.The Choice Neighborhoods NOFA gives a competitive advantage to Choice Planning Grant Applicants that have received a Promise Neighborhoods Planning Grant by setting aside four Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants for those that receive Promise Neighborhoods Planning Grants for the same target neighborhood. Communities that have made leveraging federal and state dollars a priority for financially sustaining their work will be well-positioned to maximize this grant opportunity.

Further, HUD prioritizes the importance of working with the community during planning and implementation. Two of the eleven requirements of the Transformation Plan focus on engaging community members and organizations in planning and increasing access to services. Communities that have already developed the necessary relationships and partnerships will be able to quickly mobilize and draw upon these relationships in the planning and implementation phases.

For CSSP's overview of the Choice Neighborhoods NOFA, please click here.

More information is also available on HUD's website.