Choice Neighborhoods Grant

About the Program

In St. Louis, the Choice Neighborhoods initiative encompasses the following five neighborhoods:

1. Carr Square
2. Columbus Square
3. Downtown West
4. Old North St. Louis
5. St. Louis Place

These neighborhoods are targeted for holistic community improvement, leveraging public and private resources to create vibrant, mixed-income communities that offer residents improved quality of life and access to opportunities.

The Choice Neighborhoods program supports locally driven strategies to address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach. This initiative is HUD’s signature place-based strategy to address unrecognized challenges in distressed neighborhoods by comprehensively investing in people and neighborhood assets.

The City of St. Louis was awarded $29.5 million in 2016 for the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant for the Near North Side neighborhood. This transformative plan includes creating nearly 700 new and rehabbed affordable and mixed-income housing units, along with a new community center. The plan also focuses on increasing home ownership and providing micro-lending, along with promoting health, education, public safety, social services, job training, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood enhancements.

The City, Urban Strategies, Inc., and their partners presented a strategic community plan to create 695 new mixed-income housing units; repurpose historic but blighted properties into housing, retail, and commercial uses; increase access to loans for small businesses and homeowners; improve access to healthy foods; and offer evidence-based education and employment opportunities.

The Choice Neighborhoods program focuses on three key elements:

1. Housing: Redevelop severely distressed public housing and/or HUD-assisted housing projects.
2. Neighborhood: Invest in and catalyze economic development-related improvements to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood.
3. People: Improve the lives of residents by providing services and supports that promote self-sufficiency and economic mobility.

Key Partners

• Primary Grantee: City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA)
• People and Neighborhood Partner: Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI)
• Housing Partner: McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS)

Specific Programs

The Choice Neighborhoods program encompasses several specific initiatives designed to address various aspects of community revitalization:

• Housing Rehabilitation: Grants and assistance for refurbishing existing housing stock to improve living conditions and increase housing affordability.
• Community Services: Programs aimed at providing educational, health, and employment services to residents to enhance their quality of life.
• Economic Development: Initiatives to attract and support businesses within the neighborhood, creating jobs and fostering economic growth.
• Public Safety: Efforts to reduce crime and improve safety through community policing, improved lighting, and other safety measures.
• Green Spaces and Recreation: Projects to create and enhance parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Microloan Program: The Justine Petersen Microloan Program offers loans to residents and businesses in the Near North Side Choice Neighborhood Initiative neighborhoods. There are no fees, interest, or collateral requirements on the loans, and residents may apply for up to $10,000.

Near North Side Journey

2014 Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant Award (HUD)

The Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant aimed at creating a transformational plan to revitalize the Near North Side neighborhood. Over 150 meetings were conducted to drive the planning process, collaborating with a cross-functional team of local leaders, residents, and community partners.

2015 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Award (DOJ)

The Criminal Justice & Neighborhood Safety Grant aimed at reducing crime in the Near North Side neighborhood. Identified three crime reduction strategies between 2017-2019, leading to a 33% - 57% decrease in overall crime. Violent crime saw a significant 30% reduction during the same period.

2016 Choice Neighborhood Initiative Award (HUD)

The Choice Neighborhood Initiative Grant aimed at the implementation of the transformational plan to revitalize the Near North Side neighborhood. The primary focus areas are people, neighborhood, and housing.

Historical Context

The Near North Side neighborhood of St. Louis is located in what was the Village of North St. Louis, founded in 1816. The City of St. Louis absorbed the village in 1841 when its city limits expanded. The area remained primarily white European until post-Civil War reconstruction, when its population more than doubled due to African Americans migrating from the South.

In the 20th century, the Near North Side was hit hard by decades of out-migration, industrial decline, slum clearance, and urban renewal. In the 1950s, the area was declared a slum and became subject to large land clearance and urban-renewal efforts. During the 1950s-60s, entire city blocks were razed and divided into large parcels. This area has a long history of public housing, including the infamous Pruitt-Igoe development, which was demolished in the 1970s. The area experienced stark disinvestment over the 20th century despite several revitalization attempts.

People

Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI) is leading the effort to connect individuals to resources, partners, and opportunities, creating a pathway towards a stable and thriving life for all children and families in the Near North Side. To create successful and thriving neighborhoods with equitable pathways to social and economic mobility for families, USI plans and coordinates a thoughtful network of supports that operate concurrently with the Near North Side’s Choice Neighborhoods community revitalization efforts during the planning, redevelopment, and sustainable life cycles.

Family Support: Our comprehensive Family Support Service increases the access that Near North Side families have to community resources that break down barriers to self-sufficiency and economic mobility. We link children and families to an array of self-sufficiency support programs, such as workforce education, public safety initiatives, mental and physical health resources, and resident leadership development.

Opportunities

The Near North Side Choice Neighborhoods team offers many different opportunities for residents and partners. See what’s available:

• Historical Interpretative Signage RFP
• Murals, Mosaics, Bus Shelters, Basketball Court Projects

Impact

The Choice Neighborhoods program has made significant strides in improving the lives of residents and the community:

• Economic Mobility: Since 2020, the average household income has risen from $12,804 to $26,817.
• Education: Since 2020, there has been a 21.6% increase in developmental screenings for youth aged 0-5 to prepare them for early education learning.
• Health & Wellness: Since 2020, there has been an 11.5% increase in households with health insurance.
• Housing Stability: Since 2020, there has been a 47.6% decrease in the risk of eviction.

(Current data as of 9/1/2023)

News and Updates

Stay informed about the latest developments and success stories from the Choice Neighborhoods program:

• May 2024: The CDA announced the completion of the second phase of housing rehabilitation in the Choice Neighborhoods area, providing over 100 families with newly renovated homes.
• April 2024: A new community center opened its doors, offering a variety of services including job training, health screenings, and after-school programs for children.
• March 2024: The CDA received additional funding to expand the economic development initiatives, aiming to attract more businesses and create job opportunities for residents.
• March 2024: Call for Artists - Murals, Mosaics, Bus Shelters, Basketball Court Projects in the Near North Side as part of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative.

For more news and updates, visit our News Section.