Broadband Access Challenges Persist for Residents of Federally Subsidized Multifamily Housing

Many residents of federally subsidized public and multifamily housing have no access to high-speed internet service. Others may be able to get online only in restricted spaces, such as common areas, or have access in their units that is unreliable or unaffordable. This limited broadband access, meanwhile, can exacerbate long-standing economic and societal inequities. To shrink the gap, federal lawmakers included billions of dollars in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) to help bring high-speed interest service to more Americans, including those in public and other federally assisted, multifamily housing. Two programs created through the IIJA—Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and State Digital Equity Planning Grants—establish both infrastructure and adoption funding uses that could benefit residents of federally assisted, multifamily housing. States and territories that have developed plans to bring affordable high-speed broadband service to their unserved and underserved locations also may allocate funding for digital literacy, broadband sign-up assistance and technology support, digital navigators, and subsidies toward broadband subscriptions. As state policymakers begin to develop plans to take advantage of these federal programs, they should consider how to address connectivity challenges in low- and moderate-income housing. Housing stakeholders, meanwhile, should be sure to engage with their state broadband offices to offer input.

[Anna Read is a senior officer and Kelly Wert is an associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative.]