Chattanooga Housing Authority’s One Westside is one of six programs selected, grant will support Westside’s Transformation Plan which will redevelop Chattanooga’s oldest public housing community.
Chattanooga, Tenn. (July 16, 2024) – Today, Mayor Kelly celebrated Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Housing Authority being selected for a $50 million HUD Choice Neighborhood grant for One Westside.
This $50 million investment from the federal government will be leveraged by more than 2x to bring investment to the Westside. One Westside is a $1 billion effort that will build new affordable housing to replace obsolete housing units one-for-one, while also building a mix of new housing types to spark new vibrancy, commercial activity and economic opportunity across the Chattanooga Housing Authority’s 115-acre footprint. The plan was developed with input from 82 percent of Westside’s more than 2,000 residents. Besides the dedicated affordable units, the creation of more than 1,000 new units of housing in downtown Chattanooga will ease the pressures that are raising housing prices in our city.
“This is a historic day for a special part of our community. I ran a business in this area, which used to be an economic hub for thousands of Chattanoogans employed at the plants and mills along the river,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “What should be an engine of our city’s prosperity instead became a rusted out shell. That’s why revitalizing this area and lifting up the folks who call the Westside home has been a huge priority of my administration. With the help of this grant and the revenue generated by The Bend, we’re going to fundamentally transform this neighborhood for the better, continuing to provide affordable housing for its current residents and creating additional housing to help fight the national affordable housing crisis.”