Developing Choice Neighborhoods: An Early Look at Early Implementation in Five Sites

The overarching goal of the Choice Neighborhoods program is to redevelop distressed assisted housing projects and transform the neighborhoods surrounding them into mixed-income, high-opportunity places. This interim report is the work of a team including the Urban Institute (UI) and MDRC. It provides a preliminary view of the first five Choice implementation sites: Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle. The report’s principal objective is to introduce the Choice program, describe selected conditions in the first five sites selected for Choice implementation grants, summarize these sites’ transformation plans, and describe early progress in program implementation.