The housing investment concept was initiated last year by the late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and quickly formed into the coalition launched yesterday in Washington, DC. At the launch event, Mayor Bowser said that by investing in affordable housing, “we are investing in safer, stronger communities and building new pathways to the middle class for our most vulnerable residents.” She touted the city’s John and Jill Ker Conway Residence, which offers permanent housing for formerly-homeless veterans and low-income DC residents. For any city working toward a “smart” future, housing is a necessity that must be prioritized in resiliency plans. Boston is one city that has made significant strides in housing development, and Mayor Marty Walsh was recently tapped to lead the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Community Development and Housing committee. Cities including Seattle, San Jose and Austin are pushing to combat chronic homelessness on their streets through investments in tiny house communities and tax proposals. Other cities such as New York are home to “smart shelters” that use data technology to reduce instances of homelessness. According to the coalition, 553,742 people nationwide experience homelessness on any given night. The size and scope requires a range of solutions to effectively combat homelessness from coast to coast.
Categories:Smart Cities Dive