This is a guest opinion column
What makes a city? Is it the streets, carrying the people and cars out of sight, on their way to wherever?
Or is it the buildings? An identifiable skyline that people can point to excitedly and say, ‘That’s where I live!’
Maybe it’s the neighborhoods where the murmured hum of daily life unfolds, where our core memories live, the place we all long for after time spent away. Maybe it’s all of these things.
I personally believe the heartbeat of a city is paced by the people who wake up in these neighborhoods every morning and help write the story, whether that’s through civic engagement, their careers, their families, or random acts of kindness.
Since taking my seat on the Council, one of my main priorities has been stabilizing our neighborhoods. A way to accomplish this goal is through empowering Birmingham’s 99 Neighborhood Associations and the dedicated people who contribute to their success.
One of my first acts at City Hall was to reallocate $100,000 to the 11 Neighborhood Associations that I represent. These funds were distributed equitably based on the population of their neighborhoods.
Putting resources directly into the neighborhood coffers allows them to make improvements block by block, addressing the needs they see every day and taking ownership of their neighborhood’s growth and development. I hold a deep respect for those who are involved with our Neighborhood Associations and I lean on their leadership and knowledge to help us move District 8 forward collectively.
These funds can be used for things like, beautification projects (landscaping, tree planting, cleanups); park enhancements (benches, lighting, playground features); sidewalk repair assistance; façade/neighborhood sign improvements; traffic calming and video surveillance cameras.
It’s crucial that we continue working with our Neighborhood Associations to find ways we can get everyone involved -- including more young people – so they can buy into civic engagement on a local level.
Lately, I’ve been in several discussions with business leaders about ‘brain drain’ and the critical need for us to retain our homegrown talent. It’s a complex issue. Whether it’s a perceived lack of things to do, the yearning for places unknown, job opportunities, whatever, we must inspire our young people build their future right here in Birmingham.
One issue that consistently comes up in these conversations is the lack of affordable housing opportunities. We know that homeownership among young people in America has been on a steady decline for several decades, and the proliferation of luxury apartments aren’t assuaging any concerns of that here locally.
Since 2005, homeownership rates for individuals under 35 have dropped nearly 20 percentage points, according to U.S. Census data. On average, rent prices across the country have risen 11.5 percent year-over-year since 2021. Ask any young person and they’ll tell you the prospect of buying their first home looks bleak at the moment.
As a member of the Council’s Community Development Committee, I want people to know that my focus is to help build up our communities by prioritizing affordable housing while also increasing opportunities for critical home repair programs for existing residents.
This past week, I joined my colleagues in approving a total of $790,000 for affordable housing and home repairs with Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity.
Combined, these agreements will provide 8 new single-family affordable homes and roof repair/critical home repair for up to 20 qualified low and moderate-income residents in the Rising West Princeton neighborhood of District 8.
The agreement also includes $450,000 to provide grants of up to $10,000 for roof replacements for 60 qualified low and-moderate-income households.
By continuing to make these types of investments into our neighborhoods, we can become a more resilient city, built on the conviction that homeownership and opportunity are not reserved for the blessed few, but for all residents of Birmingham. That’s more important now than it has been in a long time, it would seem.
So what makes a city? It’s you, it’s me, and everyone in between.
Sonja Smith represents District 8 on the Birmingham City Council.