Choice Neighborhoods (CN) is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that supports the transformation of neighborhoods facing concentrated poverty into places of opportunity. It builds on the earlier HOPE VI program, which began in 1993 and focused on redeveloping the nation’s most distressed public housing.
While HOPE VI created stable, mixed-income communities, Choice Neighborhoods takes this work even further. The program expands the focus beyond housing to include the entire neighborhood—its schools, businesses, services, and the people who call it home. The goal is to create strong anchors for community growth that attract investment, improve safety, and open pathways to economic opportunity.
Across the country, CN communities have seen reductions in poverty, crime, and unemployment, alongside rising home values, business growth, and stronger local economies.
Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality, mixed-income homes that are well-managed, sustainable, and integrated into the surrounding community.
Help residents thrive by improving access to education, job training, employment, and health programs that support long-term success and stability.
Create the conditions for lasting neighborhood reinvestment by improving safety, schools, parks, and local businesses—making the area a place where families want to live, work, and grow.