U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-3) announced today an appropriation of $3 million to be used in the Westside community, Chattanooga’s oldest public housing neighborhood.
Built in 1940, the community is home to more than 1,500 households whose median income is less than $15,000 annually. The area has a poverty rate of 87% and has experienced a 40% increase in domestic violence and a 65% increase in violent crime since the start of the pandemic.
Westside Evolves, a collaborative neighborhood planning initiative led by the Chattanooga Housing Authority, Chattanooga Design Studio, City of Chattanooga, Westside residents, and other stakeholders, has been working since 2020 on plans to provide one-for-one housing replacements that will be critical to the future of the area.
Members of the planning team met with Rep. Fleischmann last winter to share the plan for the area and to ask for consideration of funding. The funds will be used for the planning and renovation of the James A. Henry School and Shelia Jennings Park, a historical pieces of the community. Once complete, the center will house 100 Head Start seats for three-to-five year-olds living in the area along with classrooms for training, a health clinic, and other social, recreational, and educational opportunities.
Rep. Fleischmann noted, “Making these funds available will provide a foundation for the future of Chattanooga’s oldest public housing community. The programs and educational efforts they will be able to offer in the renovated school will provide a pathway to a sustainable future for many of the families living there.” He added, “I am pleased to provide dollars that will literally transform the future for so many.”
As the request for the federal appropriation was being developed, the Westside Evolves planning team was also developing requests for the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.
“The James A. Henry School is located in the heart of the neighborhood and is a central part of the Westside Community Evolves neighborhood redevelopment plan. Named for Howard High School’s first African-American principal, the school closed its doors in 1980; however, it still has a vital role to play in the future of the neighborhood. I am proud that the dollars provided through this appropriation will be the first step toward a bright future for this neighborhood,” said Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.
The Chattanooga Housing Authority recently shared the community’s Transformation Plan with members of the Chattanooga City Council. The adoption of the plan by the Council is critical as CHA moves forward with plans to apply for a HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant in the fall. A vote of support by the Chattanooga City Council to adopt the plan and to provide additional funding for the project is anticipated in the coming weeks.
CHA Executive Director Betsy McCright said, “The Transformation Plan sets a vision, goals and priorities for the long-term future of the Westside neighborhood. The plan lays out an ambitious long-term road map for the equitable, sustainable and holistic revitalization of the community with extensive input from the families who live there.”
County Commissioner Warren Mackey said, “The future of Westside is being driven by residents, many of whom have multi-generational ties to the community. Over 82% of the residents in the Westside participated in surveys to guide the planning efforts. The renovation of the James A. Henry school and the Shelia Jennings Park is a significant first step; however, the process is far from complete. We look forward to seeing the CHA maximize the investment being provided to apply for a successful HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant later this year.”
The CHA plans to begin working on the project immediately.