GHA and City of Gainesville awarded $25M federal housing grant

GHA and City of Gainesville awarded $25M federal housing grant

Published on October 06, 2026

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The Gainesville Housing Authority (GHA) and the City of Gainesville have announced a FY25 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Implementation Grant totaling $25,115,577 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The award will support the transformation of GHA's Lake Terrace and Pine Meadows properties and the surrounding East University Avenue neighborhood.

"This is a complete transformation of Lake Terrace and Pine Meadows, growing from 180 units to approximately 500 new townhomes and apartments for a mix of incomes," said GHA CEO Pamela Davis. "It's what our community asked for throughout the planning process. Our residents set the vision, and this grant gives us the resources to make it real for our families and for all of East Gainesville."

As the redevelopment moves forward, GHA is committed to ensuring current Lake Terrace and Pine Meadows residents continue to help shape the work and are supported at every step of the transition. The economic wellbeing and mobility of residents remain at the forefront of GHA's mission, as staff plans to meet with residents and provide relocation assistance to help each household find housing that fits their needs before construction begins. Educational programs will remain accessible, while GHA continues to provide not only housing opportunities, but pathways to education, employment, and greater stability through self-sufficiency.

Davis and Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward received official notification of the award in a Sept. 3 letter from the federal agency. GHA and the city were among four communities selected nationwide to receive the federal grant that supports the redevelopment of distressed public housing and the creation of mixed-income communities.

The landmark grant represents the next phase of a two-year, community-driven process in East Gainesville following an initial CNI Planning Grant awarded to GHA and the city in 2023 to develop a comprehensive neighborhood transformation plan. Through extensive public engagement, residents and community members helped identify priorities for housing, transportation, economic opportunity, public spaces, services and neighborhood revitalization.

"I can't begin to count the number of community meetings and the depth of outreach that has gone into the process," said Mayor Ward. "From the beginning we all said that ultimately, with or without the grant, we were moving forward to transform East University Avenue for the people who live, grow, learn, work, play, worship and thrive there."

One factor contributing to the successful application process has been the city's continuing investment in East Gainesville. This includes establishment of the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative (EHEDI) and the partnership with Alachua County and UF Health to build the UF Health Urgent Care Center - Eastside. Still to come are the planned Regional Transit System Eastside Transfer Station on Hawthorne Road; the NE Eighth Avenue and Waldo Road - Citizens Field Redevelopment Project; the new Fire Station 3 under construction on NE Eighth Avenue; and additional homes in the mixed-income Heartwood community, among other housing projects.

"This grant award represents years of effort on the part of the staff at the GHA, the city and the community," said Gainesville Interim City Manager Andrew Persons. "I am proud of the partnership and the work of our collective team to bring this transformative opportunity to our residents.

The city also plans to support additional community and youth programs for the Eastside Community Center, Morningside Nature Center and the ELITE Force Training Center at Pine Meadows during the eight-year grant term.

Nationwide, the CNI program has spurred economic development and private investment, leading to new businesses, parks and grocery stores. The FY25 CNI implementation grants total more than $100 million and are expected to replace 726 units of severely distressed public housing with 1,446 new mixed-income units to help revitalize neighborhoods, according to the CNI announcement email.

"I'm excited about the changes to come," said longtime Pine Meadows resident Alberta Ford. "I hope the new housing will include something for everyone-a computer center for seniors, playgrounds for the kids and a daycare center for working parents."

"This will be leveraged into far more than $25 million, and some of the effects can already be seen. It is centered around our neighbors in Lake Terrace and Pine Meadows, but it will be positively transformative for all of east Gainesville and across our city," said Mayor Ward.

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