BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- A $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce plans to knock down employment barriers in north Birmingham.
The City of Birmingham was awarded the grant as part of the "Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program" from the department's Economic Development Administration.
The EDA measured distressed communities by the number of residents ages 25 to 54 who are not participating in the workforce. The grant will extend to the city's partners working within the Northside, Smithfield and Pratt communities.
The news was announced Monday during a press conference at Birmingham City Hall and met with excitement in areas like the Smithfield neighborhood. Resident Kendarris Williams says two things prevent people in his neighborhood from finding and keeping jobs: "Kids and [getting] rides."
Deputy director Coreata Houser with Birmingham's Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity says the grant will address both issues directly.
“It’s a term called Hyper-focused Economic Development, so what that means is you hyper-focus on a place and make that sustainable, so make you everything that community needs come to life,” Houser said.
The grant will also fund the establishment of a childcare center, featuring extended hours to accommodate those who have to work early.
“If they have to be at work at 7 a.m. and most centers don’t open till 7, what does that do?" Houser said. "So what we wanted to do was find innovative ways that took out those barriers for those to participate in the workforce."
According to a press release, Reinvest Birmingham will create and connect people to good jobs through five strategic component projects:
- Development of a workforce training center that is centrally located within the community.
- Expansion of micro-transit options that ensure residents have affordable means of transportation to access training, employment, and essential services.
- Establishment of a Child Care Center of Excellence that not only provides full-day, early learning programming for children and families but increases support for childcare workers and providers.
- Creation of a Birmingham Black Business Entrepreneurship Center that serves as a physical front door for Black businesses to launch and scale operations.
- Development of a governance model that ensures long-term sustainability for Reinvest Birmingham programming.
City officials say over 100 people and community partners were involved in submitting an application that secured the funding. This includes Lawson State Community College, the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, the YMCA of Greater Birmingham, the Black Business Initiative and more.
Birmingham is one of six recipients from a field of 22 finalists. The city will leverage the $50 million "Choice Neighborhood" grant investment that was awarded to the Smithfield community in 2023.