CDA Receives National Award for its 2017 Community Development Week

ST. LOUIS – The City of St. Louis, through its Community Development Administration (CDA), was recently named a recipient of the 2017 John A. Sasso Award from the National Community Development Association for its outstanding Community Development Week activities. As one of only fifteen cities receiving the award throughout the country, St. Louis was selected based on an evaluation of criteria such as partnerships, engagement, results, and innovation.

CDA sponsored over 30 events during the week of April 17-21, 2017. Events included a resource fair at Marquette Recreation Center, a bus tour of recently completed projects, open houses, a graffiti removal demonstration, and a staff Day of Service project. A highlight of the week was CDA’s annual awards ceremony at the Jewel Box in Forest Park, which honored the following organizations and individuals for their outstanding community development work:

• Community Advocate of the Year – Khatib Waheed and Herb & Judy Bentley
• Youth Program of the Year – St. Louis Artworks
• Municipal Program of the Year – Expanded Recreation
• Public Improvement Project of the Year – People’s Health Center
• Executive Director of the Year – Will Jordan
• Housing Program of the Year – City’s Lead Program
• Housing Development of the Year – Village at Delmar Place
• Housing Developer of the Year – McCormack Baron Salazar
• Outstanding Service Award – Mark Jefferies and Irvin Hamilton

“Community Development Week gives us an opportunity to showcase the many successful projects and organizations funded with CDBG and HOME funds,” says Alana Green, Executive Director of CDA. “We are truly honored to be recognized three years in a row.”

Community Development Week was established in 1986 by the National Community Development Association (NCDA), of which the City of St. Louis is a member. NCDA is a national non-profit organization comprised of more than 550 local governments across the country that administer community and economic development, housing and human service programs supported by HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) programs.

Other cities receiving the 2017 award include Florence, AL; Jacksonville, FL; Albany, GA; Columbus, GA; Shreveport, LA; Portland, ME; Manchester, NH; Durham, NC; Greenville, NC; Jacksonville, NC; Columbia, SC; Richland County, SC; College Station, TX; and Burlington, VT.