Commission authorizes city to join GHA as co‑applicant for HUD Choice Neighborhoods $26M implementation grant

The Gainesville City Commission voted unanimously Feb. 19 to authorize the city manager to execute a partnership agreement allowing the Gainesville Housing Authority (GHA) and a private co‑developer to apply for HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods implementation grant.

GHA staff told commissioners the federal program emphasizes three pillars — housing, people and neighborhood — and requires a signed partnership agreement as part of the application package. Malcolm Connor of GHA described an eight‑year implementation term and said the current award cycle could total up to $26,000,000, of which about $19.5 million would be directed to housing, roughly $2.6 million to critical community improvements and $3.9 million for supportive services. Connor said the focus site for the application is Lake Terrace in East Gainesville and that the authority is proposing an initial phase concentrated there.

City manager staff recommended approving the agreement and said multiple city departments are already working on elements of the application. Commissioners pressed for coordination with nearby institutions and neighborhood stakeholders; Commissioner Chestnut asked that the school board be briefed given likely impacts on neighborhood students and families. Staff and GHA representatives said outreach has included resident ambassadors and neighborhood meetings and pledged additional coordination before final implementation.

Connor described leveraged projects the application will cite for scoring, including ongoing and proposed developments in East Gainesville, and said a state funding opportunity could allow the team to pursue a larger initial phase (potentially 240 units at Lake Terrace) instead of a smaller start. He also said some proposed community improvements — a walking/bike trail to connect Cone Park to the new development and park improvements — could be included in the neighborhood portion of the grant.

Following discussion, Commissioner Chestnut moved to authorize the city manager or designee to execute the partnership agreement and related documents, subject to city attorney review; the motion passed unanimously. The resolution authorizes staff to proceed with the application and required three‑party documentation but does not themselves commit the city to outcomes beyond the forms required by HUD for application completeness.

Next steps: staff said the application deadline is early March and that city attorneys and managers will continue to review the partnership language before final submission. The commission did not approve any subsequent project‑level design or funding commitments at the meeting.