WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) announced that the City of Tucson was selected as a recipient of a $50 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City of Tucson will use the funds to revitalize the Thrive in the ‘05 neighborhood located within miles from Tucson’s downtown core and along the area of original settlement with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Rep. Grijalva has been a leading proponent of securing federal funds for the project, writing a letter of support to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge for the City of Tucson. Earlier in the process, he urged HUD to consider equitable changes to the funding opportunity to ensure housing for older adults and those with disabilities, such as the Tucson House, qualified.
“This HUD grant is a transformational investment in our community. I’m proud to support this vital surge in funding to a neighborhood that is an essential building block of Tucson to ensure its legacy as a thriving, multigenerational community carries on,” said Rep. Grijalva. “The City of Tucson has created a comprehensive plan that prioritizes the neighborhood remains affordable, sustainable and resilient as well as honors the shared history and cultural identity of those who call it home. I commend the city and Mayor Romero for their years of inclusive planning, engagement and look forward to working with them to see this project become reality.”
“This transformative grant will benefit Tucsonans for years to come,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “I want to thank Congressman Grijalva for championing this $50 million dollar grant to modernize the Tucson House and invest in the Thrive in the 05 area. The Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant will create more housing through three new developments, bring much needed improvements to small businesses in the area, and deliver services that invest in the health, employment, and educational opportunities of the residents in this part of our City. This is a huge win for ALL of Tucson and the result of strong collaboration necessary to bring federal dollars home.”
Tucson’s project is anchored around redeveloping the Tucson House, a 17-story public housing site, to provide mixed-use, mixed-income development that will allow the older residents to age in place while invigorating the historical Oracle/Miracle Mile Corridor. The plan sets out to deconcentrate poverty, while providing community improvement and support services for residents across four goal areas of housing, neighborhoods, people, and workforce development.
The Choice Neighborhoods program is designed to leverage public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Projects chosen are meant to improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and children’s education and create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.