Friends, 

Affordable housing is a fundamentally an equity issue and a priority for my administration. Available, affordable housing for our low- and moderate-income residents builds generational wealth, breaks the cycle of poverty and promotes economic growth. Research shows stable housing improves educational outcomes for children, it creates stronger, more resilient neighborhoods and it even has health benefits.

Through our Holistic Housing Initiative, our Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs (HNP) has worked with federal partners, local lenders and others to create more than 150 new, affordable housing units in Little Rock in the last few years. This far exceeds our goal of 100 units, prompting us to establish a new goal of 200 additional homes. This goal is achievable, but we need the support of our residents to get there.

Our Results For The Rock sales tax plan includes $10 million over the next 10 years to fund additional affordable housing. These targeted reinvestments in our community will reap dividends for generations to come by improving economic mobility, reducing childhood poverty, and deterring crime. These efforts also help us improve quality of life for current residents and help us attract future families to Little Rock.

Increasing Little Rock's housing stock is the cornerstone of our talented HNP team, and that team has already developed a successful blueprint for this far-reaching initiative. Last week, we closed out National Home Ownership Month with a ribbon cutting for three new, affordable single-family homes in the 4700 block of Charles Bussey Avenue. These brand-new homes were funded through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, using federal Home Investment Partnership dollars. We also work with local banks, lenders and realtors who all play a vital role in helping residents achieve the American Dream of home ownership.

Our HNP team has earned multiple awards from the National Community Development Association for the work we do to make affordable housing a reality in Arkansas's capital city. New construction is an important component of our efforts, but we utilize other programs to make home ownership a reality, such as Down Payment Assistance. Under the Down Payment Assistance Program, low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers are eligible for up to $10,000 toward down payment costs.

With a nationwide shortage of more than 7 million affordable housing units, it's essential that we do our part to advance our community and support the opportunities created through home ownership. We can accomplish our goal of 200 additional affordable housing units and benefit from the positive results to our residents.

At last week's ribbon cutting in the Hope neighborhood, Ward 1 City Director Virgil Miller noted that the new homes meant real hope for the residents that will own the properties. It must be our priority to infuse that hope, along with the needed investment, into our neighborhoods through affordable housing that builds wealth and equity for future generations.

As we kick off July, we ask residents to consider how the choices they make can impact the environment, and we invite participation in the Little Rock Sustainability Office's Plastic-Free July initiative.

Plastic-Free July is a global movement intended to raise awareness of the environmental impact of plastics and plastic pollution. The initiative -- a partnership of the Sustainability Office, the Little Rock Zoo and the Green Corner Store -- encourages people to take action to reduce or replace the plastic items they use.

Plastic has become part of our everyday lives, and it can be very useful, but it's also damaging our planet, our local environment, and our health. Plastics can have serious impacts on human health and on habitats, and plastic pollution is extensive. For example, microplastics have been found on the ocean floor and even on the top of Mt. Everest.  

We are asking residents to commit to a plastic-free July by participating in our challenge and marking off items on a checklist that can be found at tinyurl.com/plasticfreejulylr. You can also visit @SustainLittleRock on Instagram. Participants can win prizes from the Green Corner Store and the Little Rock Zoo. 

The Plastic-Free July challenge starts today, with drawings for prizes taking place each Monday through Aug. 5.

• The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, July 2, at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages. To view the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, click here. 
• City of Little Rock offices will be closed Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Residential trash and recycling services scheduled for Thursday and Friday will be delayed by one day because of the holiday.
• The Little Rock Historic District Commission's regular monthly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 3, at 4 p.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St. 
• We have been meeting formally and informally with our residents to share details of our one-percent sales tax proposal, and we will continue doing so at meetings and events across the City this week and through the month of July. We are glad to join your community organization, neighborhood association or other groups. Feel free to invite us! It is our goal to make sure every Little Rock resident understands why we are seeking this re-investment in our City to bring better Results For The Rock! Click here to request a presentation or speaker at your upcoming meetings or events.