The City of Bridgeport announced the first step of a plan that could dramatically impact residents.

Bridgeport has been awarded the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s a $500,000 federal grant, which Mayor Joe Ganim and Bridgeport Housing Authority Executive Director Jillian Baldwin have said will go toward updating the Greene Homes community.

"We are excited about talking with our residents about the redesign of this community, so it makes for a better quality of life,” says Jillian Baldwin.

The housing complex is known for issues like elevator outages, flooding and crime.

"I was born in public housing in New York City,” said Baldwin. "[It] impressed upon me the need to bring change to public housing,” said Baldwin."It's not an optimal design.”

Baldwin knows better than anyone that this place with its long history of issues needs more than a simple makeover.

"Our residents have been [saying] for years that they would like for this development to come down,” said Baldwin.

Evelina Gonzalez says it’s great news for her and her baby who live at Greene Homes.

"Tear it down, redo it. It will probably be a whole different atmosphere,” said Gonzalez.

That's why Baldwin, along with Ganim, said they were grateful to announce the grant. There is also the possibility of receiving a second grant for up to $50 million.

“We don't know what it will look like yet. We need to hear that from our stakeholders,” said Baldwin. “We're pulling together a task force and steering committees."

"The Housing Authority is in a position now to receive these funds,” said Ganim. “That wasn't so before, that's the difference."