HUD News

Last week, senior officials from HUD actively participated in the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas held in Denver, Colorado which brought together a wide range of representatives, including government officials, civil society members, business leaders, academics, youth, cultural and artistic figures, as well as indigenous and underrepresented groups. The HUD leaders emphasized the importance of inclusivity and collaboration among subnational leaders. The delegation participated in the following sessions are mentioned below.

Panel: Localizing the housing agenda in the Western Hemisphere & implementing the right to adequate housing

Solomon Greene, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research participated in a panel channelizing its efforts in localizing the housing agenda in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to this, the panel also focussed on creating environments to enable local and regional governments to implement the right to adequate housing. The secretary threw light on HUD’s efforts to support local governments through funding, data and research, partnerships, technical assistance, and capacity building. He also stated the importance of Housing Choice Vouchers and cited it as an important tool to support communities.

Multilateral Roundtable: Homelessness and lack of support services- A global challenge requiring local solutions

Marion McFadden, Deputy Assistant Secretary for community planning and development led a roundtable discussing the best practices and solutions to end homelessness that are being used in multiple municipalities. Most of the conversation was connected by two themes which are partnership and support services. The panelists emphasized how important partnerships are across various sectors. Addressing homelessness without collaborating with the private sector and non-profit sectors is difficult for cities, counties, and municipalities. For example, Homelessness can only be ended when a city and a housing authority work with private industry builders and non-profits providing support services. The homelessness crisis cannot be ended without providing supportive services along with housing.

The panel in Innovation Plaza- HUD Executive Housing Panel

HUD leaders led a panel focussed on informing cities summit attendees. The summit will take into account the work HUD does for communities across the United States, how HUD coordinates efforts across different departments, organizations, and sectors in order to provide funding and resources that are beneficial those in need of housing assistance.

Multilateral Roundtable: Digital Inclusion

Beth Lynk, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, actively took part in a roundtable discussion centered around the crucial topic of equity in digital access. Most of the people from areas around the world are not online despite the unprecedented expansion of digital technologies over the last decade. The discussion was centered around identifying the challenges to digital inclusion, what worked in the past in eliminating barriers to digital access in various communities, and how to do it equitably. Lynk established a connection between the subject of digital inclusion and the digital divide with the ongoing efforts of HUD to enhance housing opportunities for individuals from all walks of life.