By: Shannon Watkins, HUD Region IV Public Affairs Officer

Thursday, August 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Housing Authority a $40 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant to redevelop the Bowen Homes community. The General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Dominique Blom and Deputy Regional Administrator Tiffany Cobb were joined by Congresswoman Nikema Williams and Mayor Andre Dickens to announce the award. Also in attendance were partners from the State, including Commissioner Christopher Nunn, Field Office Director Shea Johnson and the Georgia HUD team, project developers, and residents. The day started off with a tour of Roosevelt Hall and the Bowen Homes neighborhood. Roosevelt Hall is an 18,000 square-feet, two-story brick building that is the only remaining structure of the former University Homes, the first public housing development in the nation for African Americans.

The Bowen Homes public housing community was built in 1967 in suburban northwest Atlanta to house families displaced by downtown urban renewal. By 2007, severe structural deficiencies across the property and a declining quality of life for residents prompted Atlanta Housing to relocate all residents. Bowen Homes was demolished in 2009, starting further neighborhood disinvestment. However, recognizing the opportunity to use the Bowen Homes site to catalyze investment and preserve housing affordability, Atlanta Housing used a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant to reengage residents and community members to develop a neighborhood stabilization plan.

“I am thrilled Atlanta is receiving this Choice Neighborhoods award,” said HUD General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Dominique Blom. “The City of Atlanta, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Bowen community stakeholders have demonstrated a commitment to neighborhood revitalization, having undergone a comprehensive local planning effort to redevelop Bowen Homes.  This investment will give the community the resources they need to achieve their vision for a vibrant neighborhood rooted in the personal history of its residents.”

These funds will help the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Housing achieve their goal of revitalizing the Bowen Homes and Bowen area neighborhood. This program is a signature piece of HUD’s work to ensure everyone in this country, especially those left behind or left out, have access to a home and opportunities. HUD's mission is to improve lives and strengthen communities,” said Deputy Regional Administrator Tiffany Cobb. “This $40 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant is a historic investment in the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia that will leverage over $332 million through public and private resources, provide hundreds of families with a great place to live, and create a new and vibrant Bowen Homes community.”

Programs like Choice Neighborhoods help organizations like Atlanta Housing make a difference. The housing plan will build 756 units on the former Bowen Homes site.  This includes 251 Choice Neighborhoods, including Faircloth to RAD replacement units, and 505 additional affordable and market rate units.

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