Chattanooga lands $50 million grant for One Westside affordable housing

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly celebrates a big haul for the One Westside program.

HUD has chosen the Chattanooga Housing Authority for a $50 million Choice Neighborhood grant.

The city will use the grant to double their money for the new One Westside housing push to replace obsolete units.

Chattanooga officials are planning on creating a thousand new housing units in the downtown area to relieve housing prices.

There are two thousand people now living in the One Westside area, which is west of downtown near the River.

“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.”

(Courtesy: One Westside)