Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza has initiated a campaign to attract and retain young professionals, part of the millennial generation. It is now the largest cohort of the national labor force, so its participation is necessary for a healthy economy.
With a task force to help identify young, well-educated people who are the needed community and business leaders of the future, and devise strategies that appeal to them, the mayor is taking a positive step.
Yet while his initiative has potential to be groundbreaking and innovative, there are more old-school actions the city can take to keep this generation around.
First, no matter your age, affordable housing is a prerequisite. This generation is moving more and more into urban centers, but if they cannot afford to live there, they will not stick around.
It's not just about where you hang your hat, either. There is evidence that one of the reasons the American South has such strong job growth is the availability of relatively inexpensive housing. Providence needs to continue encouraging the rehabilitation of existing housing stock, including those structures considered blighted, as well as support new construction, which it has done by extending a new tax stabilization regime to the city's neighborhoods.
And just as the state's poor bridge and highway infrastructure is being noted across the nation – and not in a good way – Providence's roads are getting a reputation for being in extremely poor repair. Fixing them will go a long way toward proving that the city is committed to its residents and its future. •