City of Birmingham

Birmingham Offers Help to Renovate Homes in Blighted Neighborhoods

Mayor Randall Woodfin announces program to fight blight by providing money for home repairs. (Source: Daniel Roth, Mayor’s Office)

Two big economic development projects in Birmingham may pay off for city neighborhoods. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced a program Wednesday to spend $1 million on home renovations in blighted neighborhoods.

The program will improve 100 homes in 100 days. Woodfin said the money comes from the sale of two city properties: a downtown parking deck after the grocery delivery company Shipt expanded, and the site of a new data center planned near Sixth Avenue South in North Titusville.

Those sales generated $1.6 million, city officials say. Some of it also will go toward demolition and administration of the home repair program.

Low-income residents or senior citizens who own their homes can apply for assistance. Woodfin said the city will offer up to $10,000 for each approved home.

“Our plan is to bundle our work to transform entire blocks instead of renovating one home on a street, which would otherwise be surrounded by blight,” Woodfin said.

The program’s initial phase will focus on five neighborhoods. Woodfin said there could be similar programs in the future.

The city is partnering with Neighborhood Housing Services for the renovation program. Interested applicants should contact NHS at 205-328-4292 or via email at neighborhoods@birminghamal.gov. Laborers interested in working on the renovations also should contact NHS.

 

BirminghamWatch and Alabama Public Radio station WBHM have partnered to share original reporting.