In December 2016, Boston received $30M from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support the Whittier Choice Neighborhoods Initiative in Roxbury. These federal funds will leverage $260M in public and private investment to redevelop Whittier Street public housing; the existing 200 units will be replaced at current levels of affordability and new mixed-income townhouses and apartments will be added on site and in the neighborhood.
TACC provides technical assistance to the Boston Housing Authority to align Whittier Choice with local assets and needs. During the planning phase, TACC conducted a resident needs assessment of workforce development and upward mobility, provided neighborhood data collection and mapping, and helped facilitate the community engagement process. For the application, TACC identified local initiatives and partnerships for both the neighborhood and people strategies that aligned with city and federal funding priorities.
Over the five-year grant, TACC will help to implement three components of the initiative: a state-designated cultural district and related investments in anchor cultural facilities and connectivity; a small business plan to support subsidized retail and coworking spaces as well as increased access to loans and credit enhancement; housing mobility services to expand residential choice for households that will need to relocate when Whittier is redeveloped.