The Choice Neighborhoods Program, also referred to as "Choice," leverages public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders come together to create and implement a plan that revitalizes distressed HUD housing and addresses the challenges in the surrounding neighborhood. The program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant properties, housing, businesses, services, and schools. In 2015, PD&R completed an evaluation of the first round of Choice Implementation Grant awardees: the Quincy Corridor neighborhood in Boston, the Woodlawn neighborhood in Chicago, the Iberville/Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, the Eastern Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco, and the Yesler neighborhood in Seattle. In late 2019, PD&R initiated a follow-up evaluation of these same grantees. This evaluation will include surveys, collection of qualitative data, and analysis of administrative data to assess long-term outcomes and understand how Choice affected People, Housing, and Neighborhood. As of April 2024 the follow-up study is complete, and the final report is under review by HUD; the report is expected to be published in the summer or fall of 2024.

Note: The status of this project is ongoing.