The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced four cities to receive technical assistance through its Thriving Communities Network, an interagency initiative between HUD and the Departments of Transportation (USDOT), Energy, Commerce and Agriculture, as well as the General Services Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cities identified for assistance were Syracuse, NY, Rockford, Ill., Redmond, Wash., and Sun Prairie, Wis. Governments selected for Thriving Communities technical assistance (TCTA) coordinate the housing strategies with transportation projects utilizing competitive federal USDOT funds.
Syracuse will use the assistance to transform its 15th ward. Part of this plan is to remove a portion of the original Interstate-81 construction which divided a once-thriving primarily Black community, displacing more than 1,200 families and 400 businesses. Removing the I-81 viaduct will allow the local housing authority to begin construction on new housing developments and transportation options meant to transform the neighborhood.
Rockford is using its TCTA, along with a USDOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Grant, to connect the east and west sides of downtown and make bicycle and pedestrian improvements. It is also reconfiguring the Whitman Street Interchange that initially displaced residents and demolished over 100 homes.
Redmond’s focus will be on preserving affordability in a city facing increased housing pressures because of nearby economic growth. Part of its solution is four new light rail stations meant to improve affordable transit and help with the challenge of meeting housing demand. Sun Prairie will be working on zoning reforms to allow for density increases near new transit routes.
“The Biden-Harris administration made historic investments in rebuilding and improving America’s infrastructure,” Solomon Greene, HUD’s principal deputy assistant secretary for policy development and research, said in a release. “These funds will ensure that housing is considered and addressed alongside those investments. The nation faces a growing shortage of affordable housing, and this program is designed to help communities leverage infrastructure investments to help fill that gap.”
Cover Story: