Winston-Salem State University and Tennessee State University will launch research centers to study housing and community development challenges and opportunities in underserved areas
Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $5 million to Winston-Salem State University and Tennessee State University to establish Research Centers of Excellence. HUD’s Research Centers of Excellence (COEs) conduct research projects on topics of strategic interest to HUD and produce research that provides evidence-based solutions to housing, community development, economic development, or built environment challenges in underserved communities. This builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic record in Federal investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – totaling more than $16 billion.
“Universities are anchors in their respective communities; they serve as economic drivers and thought leaders,” said Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “To build the knowledge and insights we need to drive housing policy, there’s no better place to look to than our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “Today, I’m proud to build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to HBCUs, providing funds to establish research centers that will inform our next generation of policy ideas.”
Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman announced these awards today at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, one of several states to receive a major disaster declaration from President Biden in the wake of Hurricane Helene, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
“I am deeply saddened by the devastation and tragic loss of life caused by Hurricane Helene. My thoughts are with those enduring the immense challenges brought on by this disaster,” said HUD Acting Secretary Todman. “Under President Biden and Vice-President Harris’s leadership, the federal government is committed to ensuring that families receive the assistance they need to rebuild and recover. HUD is committed to assisting state and local leadership on their long-term recovery.”
With support from HUD, each new Center of Excellence will anchor its research around a unique set of challenges that currently impact America’s housing industry.
Winston-Salem University will conduct and share research on housing and community development needs and solutions for under-resourced rural communities with historically marginalized population.
Tennessee State University will study displacement and relocation from gentrifying neighborhood in the Greater Nashville Region and the efficacy of HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher in meeting the housing needs of vulnerable populations in the region.
“The Center of Excellence (COE) program at HUD is designed support evidence-based, data-driven, and community-informed policymaking and program improvements at the local, state, and national levels,” said Solomon Greene, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. “HUD is proud to forge new partnerships with HBCUs and invest in innovative and actionable housing and community development research that can help shape policy and deliver better outcomes for communities.”
This award expands HUD’s portfolio of COEs for Minority Serving Institutions. In 2023, HUD expanded its Research Centers of Excellence program to include Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), awarding a total of $10.5 million in grant awards to four HSIs. HUD has also previously awarded $11 million to three other HBCUs including, Howard University, North Carolina A&T University, and Texas Southern University. HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) has a website that includes information about previous awards that support seven Research Centers of Excellence at HBCUs and HSIs.