Earlier this month, the City of San Marcos was selected to join the Housing Solutions Lab Peer Cities Network. The nationally funded initiative offers small and midsize cities from across the country an opportunity to work together to address pressing housing challenges and develop innovative, equitable solutions with a specific focus on racial and health equity through shared resources, research, and technical assistance.
The City applied to join the 2022 Peer Cities Network to develop and implement innovative housing solutions as the city continues to grow with an emphasis on achieving equity goals and understanding connections between housing, land use, and transportation.
“Our involvement in the Housing Solutions Lab Peer Cities Network will help supply us with practical tips to implement what studies show is needed in our community,” said Assistant Director of Planning Amanda Hernandez. “We want to bring our housing plans and studies to life within the local context with the help of the Peer Cities Network’s expertise.”
A team of four employees from the City’s Planning & Development Services Department will represent San Marcos in the Peer Cities Network and participate in its ongoing forum for shared learning, support, and policy innovation. San Marcos is one of nine cities selected to participate in the Peer Cities Network, including:
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Des Moines, IA
- Evanston, IL
- Missoula, MT
- Pasco, WA
- Pawtucket/Central Falls, RI
- Portland, ME
- Rochester, NY
“Our goal is to meet cities where they’re at and offer a range of supports that can be customized to meet their unique housing needs,” said Executive Director of the Housing Solutions Lab Martha Galvez. “In joining the Peer Cities Network, San Marcos staff will gain access to a national community of experts, practitioners, and researchers to help them plan and launch strategies that leverage housing to expand opportunity.”
The Housing Solutions Lab is led by an interdisciplinary team from the New York University Furman Center and is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Past members of the Peer Cities Network include Arlington, TX, Boulder, CO, and Cleveland, OH.
For more information, contact Carol Griffith at cgriffith@sanmarcostx.gov. For media inquiries, contact communicationsinfo@sanmarcostx.gov.
###