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Spokane Among the First Round of 'Envision Center' Designations

Julie Happy, 509.625.7773

Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 1:52 p.m.

Today, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson traveled to his hometown of Detroit to announce the first round of ‘EnVision Center’ designations in 17 communities around the nation. EnVision Centers will offer HUD-assisted families access to support services that can help them achieve self-sufficiency, thereby making scarce federal resources more readily available to a greater number of households currently waiting to receive HUD assistance.

“Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someone’s head,” said Secretary Carson. “These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish.”

Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers will be centralized hubs that serve as an incubator to support four key pillars of self-sufficiency— (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership.

Through results-driven partnerships with organizations such as: federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies, EnVision Centers will leverage public-private partnerships to connect HUD-assisted households with services that offer pathways to self-sufficiency.

“We are very excited Spokane has been chosen for this first round of EnVision Centers, “said Community, Housing and Human Services Director, Kelly Keenan. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to leverage existing partnerships and further streamline and coordinate access to services.”

After the groundbreaking each demonstration community receiving the EnVision Center designation will convene with their local stakeholders and resident councils to assist in the selection of services to be offered at the Center, as a means of ensuring that many voices are heard and the needs identified are addressed. HUD will develop tools to track and measure resident outcomes of EnVision Center participants and services – the goal of which is to ensure the EnVision Centers are able to achieve and monitor progress against the goals of the program.

The EnVision Center demonstration communities announced today include:

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.

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