(Kansas City, KS) – On March 25 and 26, representatives from the City of Joplin met with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Great Plains Regional Administrator Ulysses Clayborn and his regional leadership team to discuss how federal assistance can be used to help the city study transportation needs and linkages that will improve public service delivery in education, healthcare, housing, and workforce development. Joplin received $400,000 of Fiscal Year 2023 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding for studying Areas of Persistent Poverty making them eligible for Thriving Communities Technical Assistance (TCTA) from HUD to ensure affordable housing is considered in conjunction with its transportation planning. Through a joint agreement between HUD and DOT along with several other federal agencies under the Thriving Communities Network, cities like Joplin are empowered to better leverage historic levels of federal investment under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and other federal allocations annually.
Beyond the Thriving Communities Technical Assistance overview, several key topics were discussed, including:
- Recognizing the key link between housing and health and strengthening access to affordable oral health services for underserved communities within the Joplin metro area available through Kansas City University’s new Oral Health Center on the Farber-McIntire Campus.
- Reviewing the recently issued Joplin-area homeless plan to better align federal resources to combat homelessness and help get people connected to needed services and permanent housing.
- Discussing landlord/tenant issues aimed at enhanced utilization of Joplin’s annual allotment of federal Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) through collaboration with area property owners and outreach to the Joplin Chamber of Commerce.
- Considering use of newfound knowledge from the TCTA presentation provided by HUD to apply for future HUD economic investment grants that can assist Joplin in its community development planning.
In addition to city elected and appointed leaders, the convening included members from the Joplin Chamber of Commerce, the Southwest Missouri Rental Housing Association, United Way of Southeast Kansas/Southwest Missouri, Jasper/Newton County Homeless Coalition, Superintendent of Joplin Schools, Economic Security Corporation of the Southwest Area Continuum of Care, Joplin Housing Authority, Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri, Center for Population Health and Equity (Kansas City University, Farber-McIntire Campus), Joplin Community Health Office, and MOKAN Partnership.
Reflecting on the two-day visit, Joplin and HUD leadership respectively shared the following:
“Joplin was pleased to welcome Regional Administrator Clayborn and his team to our community to meet with numerous stakeholders,” said Joplin City Manager Nick Edwards. “Their outreach and assistance to Joplin spans areas of housing, transportation, education, and economic development. These types of partnerships are critical for community growth in service areas that our citizens rely on daily. We appreciate the time, assistance, and support they’ve shared through the years with Joplin.”
“It was a pleasure to meet with Mayor Doug Lawson, City Manager Nick Edwards and the full city team this week. Joplin has long been a partner with HUD but it is great to come down and strengthen that bond from time to time in person,” said HUD Great Plains Regional Administrator Ulysses M. Clayborn. “While so much great information was shared and plans put into place, I was especially happy for the productive conversation between the area landlords and the Joplin Housing Authority. When we can dispel myths about how affordable housing programs work and get down to the facts, we really begin to see that this is a win-win for all concerned and that stable housing is the key to a stable community.”
For additional information about HUD, the Thriving Communities Network or the associated Thriving Communities Technical Assistance program — please contact Brian Handshy, HUD Great Plains Public Affairs Officer at brian.handshy@hud.gov.
Reference:
Brian Handshy, HUD Great Plains Public Affairs Officer
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
brian.handshy@hud.gov
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