HUD Deputy Secretary Todman launches “Our Way Home” Initiative in Wilmington to Increase Affordable Housing Supply

June 1, 2022

Mayor Mike Purzycki was pleased to participate in today’s announcement by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) about the launch of a new initiative aimed at boosting the nation’s affordable housing supply entitled Our Way Home.  The Mayor joined other elected officials, housing advocates, and local residents on Bennett Street on the East Side of Wilmington this afternoon to highlight Wilmington’s ongoing efforts to address the City’s housing needs. These efforts are a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to address communities’ housing supply needs in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable fashion.

Today, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman was joined by Delaware Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki when she announced the launch of Our Way Home, a new effort to boost the nation’s affordable housing supply. The effort builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to address communities’ housing supply needs in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable fashion.

The Our Way Home initiative, led by HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, uplifts the unique housing supply successes in local communities and connects cities, counties, Tribal communities, states, and U.S. territories to the tools and resources needed to help preserve and produce affordable housing in their area.

“People are struggling to find affordable homes to rent or to purchase. One reason is that there aren’t enough housing units being built or preserved,” said Deputy Secretary Todman. “Secretary Fudge has prioritized helping communities build and preserve more affordable housing, and that is why we have launched ‘Our Way Home.’ This builds on President Biden’s recently announced Housing Supply Action Plan, a new all-of-government effort to boost supply. Our Way Home will ensure that communities across the country have the resources and partnerships they need to meet urgent housing needs, along with opportunities to provide HUD feedback on ways we can strengthen our programs for the people we serve.”

During the event, HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent actions to boost the affordable housing supply and ease costs for families. She applauded the City of Wilmington’s commitment to expanding and preserving affordable housing with its $50 million residential redevelopments and stabilization plan backed by federal dollars.

“I recently announced the most ambitious housing and neighborhood initiative in Wilmington’s history – a $50 million residential and stabilization plan that is the largest amount of funding ever committed by Wilmington to its neighborhoods and the people who live in those neighborhoods,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Deploying ARPA funds throughout the City we hope to finally resolve some of our most pressing needs. The initial phase of Wilmington’s Neighborhood Redevelopment and Stabilization Program is already taking shape on the historic east side, with the first rehabilitated rental property now finished and on the market. This is just the beginning of what I expect will be a historic transformation of entire communities, and I am grateful to all of our partners for pulling together to help make this vision a reality.”

Our Way Home builds on HUD’s commitment to the state, tribal, and local leaders to help them utilize federal resources and funding to meet their affordable housing supply needs and to build new and preserve existing units of affordable housing – rental and homeownership – into their pipelines.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its Housing Supply Action Plan, which included over a dozen legislative and administrative steps aim to close the housing supply gap within the next five years.

Through the American Rescue Plan, communities now have historic levels of housing resources, including $5 billion in HOME grants and significant investments to preserve and protect housing on tribal lands, to help more Americans obtain stable housing.

As part of the Our Way Home initiative, HUD will continue to elevate community wins and learn from communities that are building and preserving affordable homes. The Department will engage communities in discussions on housing supply policies and resources in the coming months.

To learn more about the Our Way Home initiative, visit: hud.gov/ourwayhome/ [hud.gov]