Federal officials on Thursday will detail an initiative to increase access to high speed broadband in public housing. Boston and Springfield are two of just 28 cities picked for the pilot program.
Springfield Housing Authority Executive Director William Abrashkin said the agency is excited to have been selected by U.S. Housing and Urban Development ( HUD) to be part of the project.
He said an estimated 75 percent of the 2,300 families in Springfield public housing do not have internet access.
"That is a huge problem because everything is done online, and without being able to get online you are pretty isolated and excluded," said Abrashkin.
HUD will not be providing funding for the pilot program, but will enlist internet service providers, nonprofits and private companies to offer broadband access, training, and internet connected devices to public housing residents.
