San Marcos chosen for network to address housing

The City of San Marcos has recently been selected to join the Housing Solutions Lab Peer Cities Network. 

Run by New York University’s Furman Center, the network is a nationally funded initiative that 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. 

According to Housing and Community Development Manager Carol Griffith, the application process included a five-page application and required staff to identify why the city was interested in this program as well as how San Marcos could benefit from it and what the city is looking to accomplish.

With San Marcos now being a part of this initiative, Griffith talked about the many benefits that would come with it. 

“​​For one thing, it gives us access to the policy resources that the New York University Furman Center has already gathered about affordable housing. We can look at different resources that they've put together and learn from those and see how we need to use them in our city,” said Griffith, who also mentioned that the program would provide peer networking and support, technical assistance and research support for San Marcos specifically.

“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,” Assistant Director of Planning Amanda Hernandez said. “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, Iowa 
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Evanston, Ill. 
• Missoula, Mont.
• Pasco, Wash.
• Pawtucket/Central Falls, RI
• Portland, Maine
• Rochester, NY

 The team includes Griffith; Amanda Hernandez, Assistant Director of Planning and Development Services; Andrea Villalobos, Planning Manager; and Irma Duran, Community Initiatives Program Administrator. 

 For additional information, contact Carol Griffith at cgriffith@sanmarcostx.gov.