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Choice Neighborhoods
by amha-user
INVESTMENT IN SUMMIT LAKE
The Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant is AMHA’s second federal grant directed toward the Summit Lake neighborhood. The other grant is the Jobs Plus program.
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CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS
Since the award of a $450,000 FY 2020 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant in December 2020, the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, along with the City of Akron as a co-grantee, have been hard at work listening to and learning from the Summit Lake community. This includes identifying the changes residents want to see and developing a vision that mirrors their desired future for the community.
As we enter our second year of the planning process, the planning team is building out the strategies and actions to move the community towards its preferred future, which will be captured in a comprehensive communityinformed “transformation” plan. In addition to plan development, several neighborhood investments will be happening in the coming months that directly address residentidentified concerns. The investments include pedestrian safety improvements, testing of mid-block greenways, exterior home repair programs and community clean-ups led by the Summit Lake CDC, and creation of a new community gathering space adjacent to Summit Lake Apartments and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. These improvements further the work that was started by the Akron Civic Commons initiative and are a sign of the bright future and changes to come in the Summit Lake community. “We at AMHA are extremely excited to be a partner in this ongoing movement to bring back the vibrancy and energy of Summit Lake, including reimagining Summit Lake Apartments into an affordable, mixed-income community ,” says Debbie Barry, AMHA'S Deputy Director.
We will continue to develop and refine the plan based on community feedback through mid-December 2022, at which point, we look forward to celebrating its completion with the community. Next steps include identifying the resources needed to implement the plan, including applying for up to $40,000,000 through HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant program.
