Centralized hubs to help HUD-assisted households become self-sufficient
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson traveled to his hometown of Detroit today to announce the first round of ‘EnVision Center’ designations in 17 communities around the nation. One of Secretary Carson’s signature initiatives, EnVision Centers will offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency, thereby making scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance. Read more about HUD’s EnVision Center Demonstration.
Secretary Carson and Detroit Mayor Michael Duggan met with public housing residents, community leaders and other stakeholders at Life Remodeled’s Durfee Innovation Society, among the first group of demonstration communities named today.
“Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someone’s head,” said Secretary Carson. “These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish.”
Mayor Duggan added, “EnVision Centers are about bringing services to people in neighborhoods and I am thankful that our partners at HUD chose Detroit to open the first one in the country. This new center will help make the most of these services and facilities that serve the community.”
Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers will be centralized hubs that serve as an incubator to support four key pillars of self-sufficiency— (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership.
Through results-driven partnerships with organizations such as: federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies, EnVision Centers will leverage public-private partnerships to connect HUD-assisted households with services that offer pathways to self-sufficiency.
After the groundbreaking each demonstration community receiving the EnVision Center designation will convene with their local stakeholders and resident councils to assist in the selection of services to be offered at the Center, as a means of ensuring that many voices are heard and the needs identified are addressed. HUD will develop tools to track and measure resident outcomes of EnVision Center participants and services – the goal of which is to ensure the EnVision Centers are able to achieve and monitor progress against the goals of the program.
The EnVision Center demonstration communities announced today include:
| State | City | Housing / Community Partnering Organization | Municipal Partnering Agency |
| California | San Diego | San Diego Housing Commission & San Diego Workforce Partnership | City of San Diego |
| Connecticut | Hartford | Hartford Housing Authority & Catholic Charities | City of Hartford |
| District of Columbia | Washington | District of Columbia Housing Authority | District of Columbia |
| Illinois | Chicago | A Safe Haven Foundation & All Chicago Making Homelessness History | City of Chicago |
| Kansas | Kansas City | aSTEAM Village, Kansas City Kansas Housing Authority | City of Kansas City, Kansas |
| Kentucky | Bowling Green | Housing Authority of Bowling Green & WROTE, Inc. | City of Bowling Green |
| Michigan | Detroit | Detroit Housing Commission | City of Detroit |
| Detroit | Life Remodeled | City of Detroit | |
| Inkster | Inkster Housing Commission | City of Inkster | |
| Missouri | Kansas City | aSTEAM Village, Kansas City Missouri Housing Authority | City of Kansas City, Missouri |
| New Jersey | Phillipsburg | Community Prevention Resources of Warren County & Phillipsburg Housing Authority | Town of Phillipsburg |
| North Carolina | Hickory | Western Piedmont Council of Governments Regional Housing Authority | City of Hickory |
| North Dakota | Grand Forks | Grand Forks Homes, Inc. & Grand Forks Housing Authority | City of Grand Forks |
| Ohio | Youngstown | United Returning Citizens Inc & Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority | City of Youngstown |
| Oklahoma | Choctaw Nation | Choctaw Nation & Choctaw Nation Housing Authority | City of Poteau |
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Housing Authority | City of Philadelphia |
| Texas | Fort Worth | Fort Worth Housing Solutions | City of Fort Worth |
| Washington | Spokane | Spokane Area Workforce Development Council & Spokane Housing Authority | City of Spokane |
To learn more about Secretary Carson’s EnVision Center demonstration, please visit HUD.gov/EnVisionCenters.