CHOICE Neighborhood market study helps advance revitalization plan

Client background

Major City’s Housing Authority

The business challenge

The Choice Neighborhood program is developed and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public housing and catalyzing critical improvements in neighborhood assets, vacant property, housing, businesses services, and schools. Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants are awarded to housing authorities to create a comprehensive neighborhood “Transformation Plan” for the selected housing project and surrounding neighborhood.

A Housing Authority for one of the largest, most prosperous cities in the United States was awarded a Choice Planning Grant for a target neighborhood with two aging public housing projects. Years of significant divestment plagued the historic neighborhood and left resident and business outcomes significantly lagging those across the city.

The Housing Authority engaged Baker Tilly to conduct a market analysis identifying key opportunities and reinvestment strategies to advance their Transformation Plan and equitable outcomes for the neighborhood.

Strategy and solution

To support the Housing Authority’s Transformation Plan, Baker Tilly conducted a comprehensive, data-driven market analysis aligned with CHOICE’s three main goals of housing, people, and neighborhoods. The analysis identified four opportunities to close the health and wealth disparities between the neighborhood and the city: housing stabilization, through the development of complex housing types; enhanced transportation connectivity; strengthened supportive services to empower wealth-building within the neighborhood; and improved access to healthy food options within the community. As a result of analysis, the Housing Authority was well-positioned to implement the Transformation plan for neighborhood revitalization and pursue additional funding opportunities.