With help from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Hampton and Newport News are embarking on an ambitious strategy to use newly available federal funds to tackle the related problems of climate change and wealth inequality.
The neighboring Peninsula communities are the only two in Virginia among 25 cities nationwide selected for the $200 million Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative. The initiative, to last three years, aims to help cities make the most of federal funds to develop projects that combat climate change, increase resilience and improve economic conditions in disadvantaged neighborhoods, which disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change.
The time is right. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in 2022 has made more than $400 billion available for local governments to take innovative action to strengthen infrastructure and address climate change.
The places are right too. Hampton, at the tip of the Peninsula between the James River and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, is one of the cities hit hardest by flooding and other effects of climate change. Both Hampton and Newport News have extreme wealth inequality, much of it race related.
Downtown Hampton and areas of Newport News were among 10 census tracts in Hampton Roads designated last fall by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the most at risk in the nation to the effects of climate change. The designation as Community Disaster Resilience Zones means that the federal government will give these areas priority for funding and technical assistance.
Bloomberg Philanthropies will be sending “innovation teams” of as many as three people to each city to help them make the most of federal funding. The team members, with expertise in project management and data analysis, will help the cities with customized policy and technical assistance.
Hampton plans to create pilot programs in three historically Black communities — Aberdeen Gardens, Briarfield Terrace and the southwest part of Greater Wythe — that have been struggling with flooding as climate change brings rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms. The team will help the city develop action plans for the neighborhoods and see what works, with an eye to replicating successful efforts elsewhere.
Hampton also has expressed interest in increasing home ownership by Black families in these neighborhoods and improving stability for renters. Citywide, Hampton hopes to implement more environmentally sound policies such as planting trees, adding green spaces and promoting clean energy.
Newport News officials have expressed interest in strategies to improve coastal resiliency, reduce coal dust and promote clean energy as well as to improve infrastructure. It was one of only 10 cities worldwide chosen last year for another program, the collaboration track of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. That initiative is working to bring together leaders from the city, Newport News Shipbuilding and Christopher Newport University, and local businesses to attract more people to live, work and spend time downtown.
There is also talk about the two cities working together to tackle problems such as recurrent flooding that cross their shared border.
It makes sense for Hampton and Newport News to design strategies for change aimed at both the warming climate and wealth inequality, problems that are undeniably linked. The expertise of Bloomberg Philanthropies teams should make it easier to take best advantage of the generous federal funding available.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is the creation of Michael Bloomberg, who made a fortune with his financial, software, data and media company, Bloomberg L.P. A former three-term mayor of New York City, he donates billions of dollars to support arts, the environment, public health, education and government innovation.
The three-year Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative won’t solve all the problems facing Hampton and Newport News. It’s not supposed to. The hope is that the initiative will give the cities a strong foundation for dealing with climate change and wealth inequality.
All of Hampton Roads should pay attention to what the cities do with this opportunity. Their pilot projects and early efforts might provide ideas and strategies worth a try in other Hampton Roads communities.
