Syracuse Is One of Four Cities Designated by HUD as a “Thriving Community”

The City of Syracuse is one of four cities in the United States designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) as a “Thriving Community.”

This means Syracuse will receive federal assistance offered through HUD’s Thriving Community Technical Assistance (TCTA) program. The program is designed to help local governments address housing needs as part of their infrastructure investment plans while supporting equitable development in disadvantaged communities.

According to HUD, “the TCTA will help the City strengthen community engagement as a foundation for neighborhood transformation.”

“Syracuse is fortunate to be the site of multiple transformational initiatives happening on similar timeframes and affecting the same neighborhoods. New York State Department of Transportation’s Interstate 81 Viaduct Project, the SHA’s New 15th Ward public housing initiatives and the Blueprint 15 Purpose Built Communities program are all different projects that are deeply interrelated,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh.

HUD recognized the following urban development details about Syracuse in connection with its Thriving Community designation:

“In 2023, construction began on the Interstate 81 viaduct removal project, supported by a USDOT Reconnecting Communities planning grant. The original I-81 construction divided a once-thriving primarily Black community in the 15th Ward, displacing more than 1,200 families and 400 businesses. Next year, the Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) will begin construction on a new housing development, including redevelopment of public housing, as part of the New 15th Ward project.”

HUD says, “TCTA will help [Syracuse] staff develop strategies for coordinating timelines across the housing and transportation projects and strengthen community engagement to rebuild trust among residents. A key goal is to ensure residents’ needs are central to decisions about the housing and transportation projects that will transform their neighborhood.”

Local governments selected for TCTA are coordinating their housing strategies with transportation projects that utilize competitive federal U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) funds. HUD offers this technical assistance through the Thriving Communities Network, which is an initiative between HUD and the Departments of Transportation, Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, as well as the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The other three 2023 TCTA recipients are Rockford, IL; Redmond, WA; and Sun Prairie, WI