Executive Report: The “Liberty Link” Initiative and its Contribution to Sustainable Development

Introduction

On July 23, 2025, the City of New York announced the launch of “Liberty Link,” a pilot program designed to provide high-quality, low-to-no-cost internet access to low-income residents in affordable housing. This initiative represents a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and aligns directly with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on reducing inequality, promoting quality education, fostering economic growth, and building sustainable urban communities.

Program Overview and Strategic Objectives

Scope and Implementation

The “Liberty Link” program is a collaborative effort led by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York Public Library (NYPL) system. The key components of the initiative are as follows:

• Target Population: The three-year pilot will serve approximately 2,200 households in 35 fully affordable housing buildings, including properties serving residents in the Section 8 rental assistance program.
• Geographic Focus: The initial rollout will concentrate on communities in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, areas identified with significant gaps in internet and computer access.
• Funding and Infrastructure: With an initial investment of $3.25 million from HPD, the NYPL will oversee the connection of buildings to fiber internet and the deployment of building-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure.
• Digital Literacy: The program is supplemented by HPD’s “Neighborhood Tech Help,” providing residents with one-on-one support to enhance their digital skills.

Commitment to Inclusive Growth

The program model incorporates a strategic objective to foster local and inclusive economic growth. Approximately 50% of the program’s funding is designated for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) for the installation, maintenance, and operation of the network infrastructure. This commitment directly supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities & SDG 1: No Poverty

Liberty Link directly confronts the digital divide, a primary driver of modern inequality. By providing a critical service at little to no cost, the program achieves two goals:

1. It ensures that access to information, services, and opportunities is not determined by income or zip code, thereby reducing systemic inequalities.
2. It provides significant financial relief to low-income families, who can redirect funds previously spent on costly internet plans towards other essential needs, contributing to poverty reduction.

SDG 4: Quality Education & SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Access to reliable internet is a prerequisite for participation in the modern economy and educational systems. The program supports these goals by:

• Enhancing Educational Opportunities: Students gain the ability to complete homework, conduct research, and access online learning platforms, fostering equitable and quality education.
• Promoting Economic Participation: Adults can access online job portals, participate in remote work, apply for benefits, and engage in digital skills training, which are essential for securing decent work and achieving economic mobility.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure & SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The initiative treats digital connectivity as essential public infrastructure, a cornerstone of a sustainable and inclusive city. It advances these SDGs through:

• Building Resilient Infrastructure: The deployment of fiber internet and Wi-Fi networks creates resilient, modern infrastructure that enhances community connectivity.
• Fostering Inclusive Communities: By integrating broadband access into affordable housing, the program makes urban living more inclusive and ensures residents can access essential services like healthcare, education, and civic resources online.

Strategic Context and Future Outlook

A Continuation of Digital Equity Efforts

Liberty Link builds upon the success of previous municipal efforts, including “Big Apple Connect,” which has already provided free internet to 330,000 residents in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities. It also aligns with the city’s “NYC Digital Equity Roadmap” and the “Housing Our Neighbors” blueprint, demonstrating a cohesive, long-term strategy to achieve universal broadband access.

Scalability and Long-Term Impact

The three-year pilot phase will test various technologies and service models to identify the most effective and scalable approaches for a potential city-wide expansion. The success of Liberty Link will provide a replicable framework for other municipalities aiming to address the digital divide, positioning New York City as a leader in creating equitable, sustainable, and digitally inclusive urban environments in line with the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of SDGs in the “Liberty Link” Program

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article addresses SDG 1 by focusing on providing essential services to low-income individuals. The “Liberty Link” program targets “nearly 2,200 households in Section 8 and other affordable housing buildings.” By offering internet at “little to no cost,” the initiative helps “working-class families” save money on a vital service, which Mayor Adams states will “put money back into their pockets.”

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The program supports SDG 4 by providing the necessary tools for modern education. The article notes that the internet is essential for tasks like getting “kids through school.” Furthermore, the initiative includes the “Neighborhood Tech Help” program, which provides “one-on-one digital literacy” training, directly contributing to skill development.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  This goal is central to the article, as the “Liberty Link” program is a direct investment in infrastructure. The plan is to “connect the buildings to fiber internet and deploy building-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure.” The project aims to develop reliable and resilient infrastructure with a focus on “affordable and equitable access for all.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article directly confronts the issue of inequality by aiming to “close the city’s digital divide.” The program specifically targets historically marginalized and underserved communities in “the Bronx and Upper Manhattan,” where a significant portion of households lack internet access. The goal is to ensure that more New Yorkers, “regardless of income or zip code, can fully participate in our economy and society.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The program exemplifies SDG 17 through its collaborative structure. The article details a partnership between multiple public and civil society entities, including the “New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD),” “the New York Public Library (NYPL) system,” and non-profit housing providers such as “Comunilife, JASA, Lantern Community Services,” and others.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.

     The “Liberty Link” program directly supports this target by providing access to a “basic service” and “new technology” (high-speed internet) for low-income and vulnerable populations in affordable housing.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

     The inclusion of HPD’s “Neighborhood Tech Help” program, which offers “one-on-one digital literacy” training, directly contributes to increasing the technical skills of residents.

3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

     The program’s core mission is to “deliver high-quality internet” by connecting buildings to “fiber internet and deploy building-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure,” with a stated focus on affordability and equity.

   • Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.

     While NYC is not in a least-developed country, the principle of providing universal and affordable internet access is the program’s primary objective, aiming to “close the digital divide” by making internet an essential, free service for more New Yorkers.

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

     The program promotes inclusion by targeting low-income residents in “the Bronx and Upper Manhattan,” areas with high rates of digital disconnection. The article states the goal is to ensure residents can “fully participate in our economy and society.”

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

     The article explicitly describes the program as a partnership led by “HPD and the New York Public Library (NYPL) system” and involving non-profit housing providers like “Comunilife, JASA, Lantern Community Services, Lutheran Social Services, PIBLY Residential Programs, Services for the Underserved, and Urban Pathways.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 1, 9, and 10:
   • Number of households served: The pilot program will serve “nearly 2,200 households.”
   • Number of buildings connected: The program will operate in “35 buildings.”
   • Financial investment: The program is supported by “$3.25 million in funding from HPD.”
   • Baseline for digital access: A study found that “22 percent of Bronx households still lack home internet,” which serves as a baseline to measure improvement against.
   • Cost savings for families: The related “Big Apple Connect” program saves families “an average of roughly $1,700 per year,” implying a similar metric for success for “Liberty Link.”
   • Investment in M/WBEs: “approximately half of the pilot’s funding will be awarded to M/WBEs to install, maintain, and operate the network infrastructure.”
2. For SDG 4:
   • Availability of skills training: The article confirms tenants will have “access to HPD’s ‘Neighborhood Tech Help’ program, a one-on-one digital literacy program.” The number of residents who use this service would be a key indicator.
3. For SDG 17:
   • Number and type of partners: The article identifies a multi-sector partnership involving city government agencies (HPD), public institutions (NYPL), and at least seven named non-profit housing providers.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nyc.gov