HUD Seeks Nominations For Second Annual “Woodson Awards”

HUD to honor states and local communities for working to promote affordable housing

December 16, 2005, WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced HUD is seeking nominations from states and local communities for the second annual Robert L. Woodson, Jr. Award. The purpose of this awards program is to recognize local communities for their outstanding leadership in reducing excessive or unnecessary regulations that effectively discourage the production of housing that is affordable to working families.

Last June, Jackson honored 14 communities with the “Woodson Award” and acknowledged their efforts in the reduction of regulatory barriers. As a consequence, police officers, firefighters, teachers, returning veterans and other working families are better able to find a home they can afford in these communities.

“When we began this awards program, the response was overwhelming as dozens of communities stepped forward to be counted as being part of the affordable housing solution,” said Jackson. “It is important to recognize and honor communities that assume a leadership role and take a fresh look at ways to make housing more affordable to the very people we want to call our neighbors.”

The Robert L. Woodson Jr. Award is named in memory of HUD’s late chief of staff and is designed to recognize local governments who aggressively work to reduce regulatory barriers to affordable housing. Prior to coming to HUD and serving as the Department’s Chief of Staff in 2002, Woodson served as senior policy advisor on housing and community development issues for President George W. Bush during the campaign. He also served as a senior aide to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), Chief of Staff for Rep. Bob Inglis (South Carolina), and as a budget analyst for the House Budget Committee.

In addition, Woodson worked to help low-income persons achieve economic self-sufficiency as a project director and spokesperson for the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, a national organization that helps community- and faith-based groups reduce crime and violence, revitalize low-income neighborhoods and create economic enterprise. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Woodson received a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in urban studies.

America’s Affordable Community Initiative

Regulatory barriers to affordable housing are public regulatory requirements, payments or processes that significantly impede the development and availability of affordable housing without providing a commensurate health and/or safety benefit. These barriers can impede housing rehabilitation, limit supply and raise the cost of new development by up to 35 percent. As a result, millions of Americans are priced out of buying or renting the kind of housing they otherwise could afford.

In 2003, HUD made barrier reduction one of the Department’s top priorities and created America’s Affordable Community Initiative. HUD continues to review its own regulations to identify those that effectively discourage the production of affordable housing. Meanwhile, HUD is aggressively working with state and local leaders to create more affordable housing-friendly environments around the country. For more information about this important priority, check out our Affordable Communities Initiative page.

HUD is the nation’s housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation’s fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

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To download a copy of an application for the Robert L. Woodson, Jr. Award, visit HUD’s website (www.hud.gov/content/releases/pr05-170.pdf)

Contact Information

Brian Sullivan

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Contact via E-mail