Reinvest Birmingham
Reinvest Birmingham (also called Reinvest Northwest) is a program to provide workforce training, business support, transportation improvements and childcare resources to residents of North Birmingham, Northside, Pratt, and Smithfield communities in northwestern Birmingham.
The program was funded by a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), awarded in August 2024. The "Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program" is intended to redress inequities caused by disinvestment, environmental pollution, and harmful land use policies in communities, largely as a legacy of systemic racism. It was authorized by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act (136 Stat. 1366)
Birmingham was one of 565 applicants for the program, and one of only six to be selected for the grant funding. The EDA described the process as "the most competitive grant program in agency history." The program is to be managed locally by the Birmingham Department of Innovation & Economic Opportunity, through its newly-established Office of Business Diversity & Opportunity.
In order to address transportation needs, $2 million from the project budget will support expansion of Birmingham On-Demand rideshare service to the target communities and to various career training centers. In addition, the grant supported the consolidation of BJCTA's Route 23 (North Birmingham) and Route 40 (Fairmont) into one route with more frequent service and allow for expansion of the Birmingham On-Demand ride share service to North Birmingham, Pratt and Ensley.
Another $6 million, leveraged by already-planned development of the Smithfield Social Innovation Center as part of a $50 million "Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant" awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2023, is intended to provide "wraparound services" to support individuals participating in career training and employment opportunities. A major component would subsidizing affordable child-care services in partnership with Childcare Resources and YMCA Birmingham, which would develop a "Child Care Center of Excellence". The center would also provide career and business training to child-care workers and providers.
Another component of the Social Innovation Center's program would be a Black Business Entrepreneurship Center, expanding on existing programs offered by the Birmingham Public Library, involving capital funding partners, and satellite services from the City of Birmingham to facilitate business licenses and building permits.
The workforce training component was developed in partnership with Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), Birmingham Promise, Central Six Alabama Works!, Ed Farm, Jefferson State Community College, Lawson State Community College, and the Salvation Army. It aims to deliver existing training programs to residents of the target communities, and to dovetail training for the specific needs of area employers. The goal of the workforce training program is to see at least 2,500 residents from the service area participate, with at least 1,500 of them hired into one of the 5,310 new jobs committed by various area employers over the next five years, and for at least 1,200 of those to remain in those jobs for at least a year.
References
- "Biden-Harris Administration Invests Approximately $20 Million in Alabama to Connect Northwest Birmingham Residents to Good Jobs." (August 5, 2024) Economic Development Administration press release
- Watson, Nathan (August 5, 2024) "$20M federal grant awarded to Birmingham for investments in four communities." Bham Now
- O'Leary, A. J. (August 5, 2024) "Birmingham to receive $20M in federal funds for workforce project." Birmingham Business Journal
- Gaddy, Daniel (August 5, 2024) "Birmingham Spending $20M in Grant Money on Workforce Development in Northern Communities." BirminghamWatch
- Gaddy, Daniel (December 17, 2024) "Birmingham Council OKs Public Transit Expansion Under Grant." BirminghamWatch