The project is an implementation study of HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). CNI builds on lessons learned from previous redevelopment programs on how to transform communities with concentrated, distressed public and assisted housing and extreme poverty into healthy, mixed-income communities with quality affordable housing; high-performing schools, services, and transportation; and access to jobs. CNI provides approximately $30 million to grantees over five years to support rebuilding efforts. At its core, the initiative seeks to:

1. Transform distressed public and assisted housing into energy efficient, mixed-income housing that is physically and financially viable over time;
2. Support positive outcomes related to health, safety, employment, mobility, and education for families and their children who live in the target developments and the surrounding neighborhood; and
3. Transform poor neighborhoods into viable, mixed-income areas with access to well-functioning services, high-quality public schools and education programs, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs.

The research seeks to document baseline conditions in the Choice Neighborhoods, describe the revitalization efforts in those neighborhoods, and document the early outcomes of these efforts. Questions will be addressed using a variety of data collection techniques, including intensive document review, respondent surveys, analysis of secondary data sources, site visits/scans, and in-person interviews with key stakeholders that have been involved in planning and implementing the CNI in HUD-selected sites.