HUD to Present Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) Funding to Benefit Preservation Square
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Great Plains Regional Administrator, Ulysses “Deke” Clayborn, alongside the City of St. Louis, McCormack Baron Salazar, Urban Strategies, Inc., and other local officials, will gather on Tuesday, April 9th, at 10 am to celebrate a momentous occasion. They will be presenting a prestigious award to Preservation Square of up to $16,000,000 through HUD’s groundbreaking Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP).
The GRRP stands as a pioneering initiative, marking the first time HUD has concurrently invested in energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, climate resilience, and low embodied carbon materials in HUD-assisted multifamily housing.
This significant award supports the Housing component of the Near North Side Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) transformation. Choice Neighborhoods are built on the premise that healthy neighborhoods begin with high-quality, well-maintained housing, and supported by linking residents with appropriate services, improved schools, public transportation, and access to jobs.
The community, through the City of St. Louis and the nonprofit Urban Strategies, Inc., received a Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) Planning Grant in 2014 that kicked off a comprehensive community-engagement process. The transformation plan became the basis for a 2016 application for a $29.5 million competitive CNI Implementation Grant. In 2016, the City of St. Louis was awarded the grant out of a pool of forty other city applicants.
HUD's commitment to fostering sustainable communities is further underscored by the allocation of GRRP awards for 109 properties, which collectively house over 12,600 very low-income households, seniors, and persons with disabilities. These properties represent the heart of HUD's efforts to ensure equitable access to safe and resilient housing.