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In December of 2022, the Harrisburg Housing Authority (HHA) and the City of Harrisburg were awarded a HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant for the South Harrisburg Neighborhood. HHA and the City are working with local residents and a variety of community stakeholders – including nonprofits, faith-based organizations, anchor institutions, supportive services agencies, businesses, and others – to create a forward-looking Transformation Plan with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Plan will be centered on the redevelopment of HHA’s Hoverter Homes, which includes 223 units of low-income housing. The CN Plan will seek to replace 100% of those housing units within the neighborhood, or in other areas of opportunity as part of new mixed-income developments.

background

The past decade has seen significant revitalization throughout the City, especially in the Downtown and Midtown areas. The promise of gainful employment in an affordable, walkable community has attracted transplants from across the country. Despite these positive changes, Harrisburg continues to face significant challenges, particularly within the city’s African American and Latino communities. Constructed in 1940, the Hoverter Homes’ 15 buildings are in poor to fair physical condition and require significant rehabilitation and retrofit to render the structures viable as safe and sanitary housing. Because of its physical boundaries, South Harrisburg is somewhat isolated from the rest of the city. Land use in the South Harrisburg area is complicated by naturally occurring and manmade environmental conditions. A wide range of structural deficiencies exist relative to the onsite buildings and site infrastructure.

However, the community includes numerous assets that can be connected and leveraged to improve the quality of life for local residents. The neighborhood is strategically located between downtown Harrisburg and the Harrisburg International Airport. It includes a portion of the Capital Area Greenbelt, a 20-mile loop through and around Harrisburg. Other South Harrisburg assets include Foose Elementary School, Sylban Heights Science Charter School, Putnam, Phoenix, and Cloverly Heights Parks. The Heart Church Ministry and several other houses of worship, the City of Harrisburg Public Works Department, and Hall Manor Pool (which is being converted to a $8m splash pad) are also located within the neighborhood, which has been designated as a Federal Opportunity Zone.

process

People

Housing

Neighborhood

planning team

The planning process will be led by the Harrisburg Housing Authority (HHA) in cooperation with the City of Harrisburg. The creation of the Plan will be overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and coordinated by COLLABO. The Choice planning team commits to working directly with residents, non-profit organizations, and local businesses to create a Plan that reflects the vision and aspirations of the entire community.

HUD

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; and build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.

City of Harrisburg

The City of Harrisburg is a town with a rich history that spans more than 200 years. As the capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the county seat for Dauphin County, we attract thousands of people to our city to live, work and play.

Harrisburg Housing Authority

The Harrisburg Housing Authority’s mission is to serve the needs of low-income, very low-income and extremely low-income families in the City of Harrisburg. Additionally, HHA will maintain the availability of decent, safe and affordable housing in its communities; ensure equal opportunity in housing; promote self-sufficiency and asset development of families and individuals: and improve community quality of life and economic viability.

COLLABO

COLLABO is a dynamic planning and urban design practice leading innovative and equitable neighborhood revitalization projects that generate positive results and improve the lives of local residents. We make a difference and create a lasting impact through authentic collaboration, early action and community empowerment.

Vireo

Vireo aims to make a real impact, bringing life to open spaces and contributing to the livability and economic success of communities. The firm’s city planners, landscape architects, designers, and artists listen to the people who care about the places in their lives and create ways to make their cities more vibrant, welcoming, inclusive, and reflective of the people who live and work there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative?

The HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CN) employs a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. The program helps communities by revitalizing distressed public (and/or assisted) housing while investing and leveraging investments in:

Well-functioning services and public assets
High quality public schools/education programs
High quality early learning programs/services
Public transportation and mobility
Improved access to jobs

The CN will ensure that current residents will be able to benefit from this transformation by preserving affordable housing or providing residents with the choice to move in to affordable and accessible housing in another existing neighborhood of opportunity.

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is focused on three core goals:

Housing: Transform distressed public and assisted housing into energy efficient, mixed-income housing that is physically and financially viable over the long term.
People: Support positive outcomes for families who live in the target developments and the surrounding neighborhood, particularly outcomes related to residents’ education, health and recreation, safety, employment, and mobility; and
Neighborhood: Transform distressed neighborhoods into viable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to well-functioning services, high quality public schools and education programs, high quality early learning programs and services, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs.

Where does Harrisburg fit in?

The HHA and the City of Harrisburg are required to develop and implement a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy, or Transformation Plan. This Plan will become the guiding document for the revitalization of the public (and/or assisted) housing units while simultaneously directing positive transformation of the surrounding neighborhood. To successfully develop and implement the Transformation Plan, HHA will work with Hoverter Homes residents, public and private agencies, community and philanthropic organizations, neighborhood residents, and other identified individuals and stakeholder groups to gather and leverage resources needed to support the strategic and financial sustainability of the Plan.

What happens now?

The planning process will kick off early 2023, and will be completed in late 2024.

How is The South Harrisburg community unique?

The South Harrisburg Neighborhood was selected for its tremendous opportunities and strategic location between downtown Harrisburg and the Harrisburg International Airport. The neighborhood includes a large number of public housing units, in addition to single-family homes and market-rate and affordable rentals. Though the community faces many challenges, it includes numerous assets and opportunities that can be leveraged to improve the quality of life for local residents. These include the Capital Area Greenbelt, Foose Elementary School, Putnam and Cloverly Heights Parks and the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg. The neighborhood has been designated as a Federal Opportunity Zone to help promote reinvestment.

What do we hope to achieve with the Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant?

The grant will be used to bring the community and planning partners together to create a viable and actionable Transformation Plan for the South Harrisburg community, which can be implemented utilizing a variety of local, state and national resources. The grant will also be utilized to develop and construct a catalytic early action project that will benefit all residents of the community.

Hoverter Homes includes 233 units of low-income housing built in 1940. The CNI Plan will seek to replace 100% of those housing units within the neighborhood, or in other areas of opportunity as part of new mixed-income developments.

How will we work with the community?

When residents are genuinely at the center of a planning process, a unique outcome unfolds. Relationships become the focal point of the work. This is because for residents, planning is personal – it’s about their children, their families, their homes, their neighbors and their streets. It is about making their day-to-day lives better in real time. As we envision, design, and seek to implement the investment and physical changes necessary to revitalize the community, local residents will be engaged from day one, so that they can help to assume a leadership role in the process.

How can this benefit the neighborhood in the short-term?

The planning team will dedicate grant funds to identify and build an “Early Action Project” in the Summer of 2023 that will have an immediate positive benefit for the community. We need your involvement to help come up with these important ideas!

Does the planning process include construction of new housing?

No, this process ONLY involves planning and the implementation of smaller “Early Action Projects.” Construction of housing, retail, and other larger improvements would happen later based on community input and available resources.

What is the CNI Implementation Grant?

Following completion of the CN Plan, the HHA will be eligible to apply for a CNI Implementation Grant, which could provide approximately $30 and $50 million towards Housing, People, and Neighborhood Initiatives.

Are there resident hiring opportunities as part of this process?

Yes, if awarded the grant, we will be looking to identify a set of Community Ambassadors to assist with resident engagement, data gathering and Plan feedback. Ambassadors would be provided a stipend for their effort.