HUD SECRETARY BEN CARSON DESIGNATES THE BEDFORD HOPE CENTER AS NEW ENVISION CENTER

PITTSBURGH, PA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced the latest HUD EnVision Center designation, located at the Bedford Hope Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s (HACP) Bedford Hope Center is owned and operated by HACP and located within the historic Hill District neighborhood’s Bedford Dwellings public housing community.

Since implementation of HACP’s HUD HOPE VI Grant 20 years ago, the Center has been the heart of the community and a ‘one stop’ resource for all HACP residents – public housing, housing choice voucher, project-based voucher housing, and Section 3 residents.

“EnVision Centers were derived from the belief that HUD’s true measure of success is not how many individuals we can bring on to our assistance programs, but how many families we can lift out of poverty and set on the path to self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “EnVision Centers aim to empower Americans to stand on their own by providing people the tools they need to succeed, all located in one centralized hub.”

Partnerships include an intergovernmental agreement with the local Department of Human Services. Current federal programs are Family Self Sufficiency (FSS), Resident Opportunity Self Sufficiency (ROSS) and Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives.

The Bedford Hope Center includes:

• Property management office
• Resident-Self Sufficiency staff
• Audio/video production studio – possibly one of a kind in the nation
• Computer lab
• Child- care center
• After school programs
• Conference rooms
• Classroom space
• Resident employment programs
• Tax assistance
• Financial literacy programs
• Mental health services