Throughout much of the U.S., the overall lack of affordable housing combined with ongoing problems in addressing older, obsolete, and rundown housing stock have created a housing crisis that is having an impact on the economic health of communities and on the quality of life for community residents and their families. As local governments struggle with how best to address these interlinked issues, it has become clear that traditional approaches to neighborhood and community planning are not producing the desired results for residents.

To address this, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] launched the Choice Neighborhoods Program. This comprehensive approach to neighborhood planning takes into account the economic and social needs of residents in public and assisted housing beyond those of their physical environment. This report covers a three year study done on three smaller cities (Salisbury, North Carolina, Suffolk, Virginia, and Norfolk, Virginia) that received funding from the Choice Neighborhoods Program. 

This report was researched and written by researchers at ICMA. Cory Fleming, senior project manager, and Hannah Wolford, analyst, coordinated the study and contributed to the report. The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Learn more about the 4 factors in successful transformation planning here.