Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan 

Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (Winston Salem, NC) 

The Cleveland Avenue Homes are an aging public housing development owned and managed by the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS). In 2013, HAWS was awarded a HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Planning Grant to revitalize the neighborhood where the Homes are located. Renaissance is responsible for creating the Transformation Plan that is required of CNI planning grantees.

The plan focuses on three overarching elements as drivers of community transformation- People, Neighborhood, and Housing. To address these topics, Renaissance has applied a number of technical, analytical, and outreach methods including a neighborhood and resident needs assessment, surveys of physical and social assets, issues and opportunities mapping, stakeholder engagement and coordination, site analysis and conceptual site planning, developing and applying economic and demographic profiles, and housing market studies. 

The CNI Transformation Plan is a resident-led initiative; community outreach and engagement are critical factors to plan development. Renaissance worked closely with a local non-profit, Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods (NBN), to reach a broad cross-section of the community through neighborhood social events, a door-to-door resident needs survey, development of a website, community visioning workshops; and the convening of resident and stakeholder committees.

The technical inputs, along with community and stakeholder feedback, helped us craft a set of transformation strategies that the community can implement to achieve their stated visions and goals. We also developed conceptual site designs, and a housing development strategy as part of the Transformation Plan submitted to HUD.