Building and sustaining a culture of health in Springfield, MA

In February, the Transforming Communities Initiative partnered with the City of Springfield and CZB Inc. to host the first of four Resident Advisory Committee meetings in support of the upcoming Comprehensive Springfield Housing Plan. The meeting brought residents together with housing experts and city partners to ensure that the lived experiences of Springfield community members help shape the direction of the plan. The Housing Plan will be guided by both a Steering Committee and a Resident Advisory Committee. The Steering Committee includes a diverse cross-section of city leaders, with representatives from city government, housing authorities, real estate and development, financial institutions, nonprofit and public health organizations, and local industry. The Resident Advisory Committee, convened by the Live Well Springfield Coalition, includes grassroots organizing partners, Way Finders’ Voices of the People resident advocate group, and resident advocates from Live Well Springfield’s Transforming Communities Initiative. Together, these two committees bring a blend of policy, community, and market expertise to guide housing strategies that reflect both institutional knowledge and lived experience. The City of Springfield selected CZB, Inc. as the consultant to develop Springfield’s first comprehensive housing plan. The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts will serve as the community engagement partner, convening the Resident Advisory Committee and advising on CZB’s outreach efforts. During the session, residents engaged in discussion with Charles Buki of CZB about the challenges they are experiencing in Springfield’s housing landscape. Participants raised concerns about vacant properties in neighborhoods, the struggles faced by small landlords, and the burden of rapidly rising property taxes for homeowners. Residents also discussed the impact of inflation, the prevalence of low-quality rental housing, and the “cliff effect” experienced by individuals and families attempting to transition out of homelessness or government assistance. These conversations are an important step in ensuring the housing plan reflects real community needs. The Transforming Communities Initiative will continue working with the City of Springfield and CZB through September to support community engagement as data collection, analysis, and creation of strategies for the housing plan move forward. The City of Springfield Comprehensive Housing Plan Process will continue through September. This April you can expect to see CZB hosting Open Houses throughout the City, inviting community members to view the initial research findings about the Springfield housing market and give feedback about the issues they’ve seen in their interactions with the housing market.

This month, Live Well Springfield (LWS) and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) partnered with the City of Springfield to host a listening session on inland flooding. Inland flooding happens when rain overwhelms local drainage systems, for example, when basements flood or when streets and sidewalks turn into rivers and ponds during heavy rain. Participants heard directly from Chris Cignoli, Director of the Springfield Department of Public Works (DPW), about the city's history and infrastructure related to waterways, piping, and flood prevention. Residents gained a deeper understanding of how city systems respond to flooding, what the DPW is responsible for, and the budget constraints the department faces. Chris encouraged residents to contact the city using the local 311 line to report potential flood risks or flooding-related issues, which creates a formal service request that must be investigated. The workshop centered resident voices and explored how flooding from heavy rainfall and the Connecticut River is impacting daily life across Springfield. Residents shared firsthand accounts of flooded basements, eroding yards, blocked storm drains, and chronic street flooding, revealing how widespread and interconnected these challenges are across neighborhoods. Working in small groups, participants mapped the areas in their neighborhoods most affected by flooding, connecting personal experiences with broader patterns of risk across the city. The information shared by residents will help inform Springfield's upcoming 10-year infrastructure plan, as well as regional flood risk reports being developed by PVPC and FRCOG.