HUD Secretary Ben Carson tours Rockford Village EnVision Center

YOUNGSTOWN — U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson toured the Rockford Village EnVision Center in Youngstown today to get a first-hand view of one of the first-such centers established in the country.

Carson said these EnVision Centers were presented with a simple goal: to empower people to reach their highest potential.

"These hubs of innovation take a holistic approach going way beyond just brick and mortar and really investing in people and helping them realize their potential," Carson said. "I'm pleased to see that Rockford Village EnVision Center is doing just that."

HUD has established 62 EnVision Centers across the country that help low-income families with childcare, counseling services, community programming, school programs, a computer lab and a reentry program for people returning from incarceration.

Carson said EnVision Centers aim to empower Americans to stand on their own by providing them with the tools they need in one central location.

"EnVision centers were derived from the belief that HUDs true measure of success is not how many people are in government programs, but how many we can get out of programs and onto a road of self-sufficiency," Carson said.

This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 2:11 PM with the headline "HUD Secretary Ben Carson tours Rockford Village EnVision Center."