Syracuse Sun

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has unveiled the Syracuse Housing Strategy, a comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing housing conditions in the city. Described as a "smart framework" by Mayor Walsh, the 70-page strategy outlines key initiatives to revitalize the housing stock and breathe new life into city neighborhoods.

According to Mayor Walsh, the strategy builds upon existing initiatives and encourages continued commitment to neighborhood projects. He emphasized the need for challenging and disruptive choices to optimize limited resources for the benefit of Syracuse communities.

Highlighting the necessity for change, the strategy suggests shelving traditional community development approaches. A source within the strategy warns that resistance to such changes is expected, as Syracuse's housing markets must adapt to new challenges to truly recover and thrive.

Renowned urbanist Alan Mallach, who contributed a foreword to the strategy, stressed the importance of finding a balance between economic growth and addressing community needs. He believes that Syracuse's success lies in harmonizing these two strategies for a sustainable and healthy city.

The Syracuse Housing Strategy advocates for focusing resources on stabilizing distressed neighborhoods while investing in middle neighborhoods to meet housing demands effectively. It proposes a cluster approach to implement tailored strategies in specific city blocks with similar market conditions and neighborhood identities.

Developed with input from the community and stakeholders in collaboration with planning firm czb, the Syracuse Housing Strategy is now available online for public access. To engage further with the strategy, the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development will host a community open house on April 30 at the Northeast Community Center, providing an opportunity for residents to delve into the city's housing future.