Five artists were selected by Clark County this week for a program that will rehabilitate 50 foreclosed homes in the Winchester neighborhood.

The project is part of the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program, designed to restore neighborhoods blighted or emptied by the foreclosure crisis. Using federal funds, the county purchases homes that are foreclosed or vacant, then rehabilitates them.

Program administrators say that the primary objective is to restore the home’s functionality with favorable aesthetics to help with marketability. Collaborating with a team of contractors, local artists will be doing anything from landscaping to designing, consulting and construction.

Selected artists include Brent Sommerhauser, David Sanchez Burr, Zak Ostrowski, Martin Kreloff and Adam Morey, all of whom are experienced in large-scale installations, sculptural works and architectural designs or are familiarity with the architecture of the neighborhood.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to do this type of thing for a long time,” says Patrick Gaffey, who initially suggested involving artists in the project. “By doing that we can really raise the level of design in our Valley. Some artists are interested in design generally and are disappointed in the way things have gone in the past.”

The neighborhood was selected by the county’s Community Resources Management Division, which identifies areas in need of revitalization. The county partners with two nonprofit groups, Housing for Nevada and Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, which assist low-to-middle income families in purchasing or leasing the homes.

Twelve of the homes have been purchased and rehabilitation will continue through summer 2013. The budget for each home is estimated to be between $50,000-$90,000 and artists will make up to 5 percent of that. Seventeen artists applied.