PROGRESS TOGETHER
Accomplishments
Investing In Our People
Under Mayor Randall Woodfin’s leadership, Birmingham has made historic steps toward becoming a fairer, more inclusive city. His work has always been about lifting up every resident and making sure everyone has a fair shot at success.
Community Empowerment
- Justice Initiatives: Mayor Woodfin has continued to make justice reform a top priority. He pardoned thousands of people convicted of minor marijuana offenses from 1990 to 2020. He also launched the Stop and Go Initiative, which wiped out hundreds of thousands of parking and traffic tickets, giving working families, low-income residents, and young people a much-needed break.
- Guaranteed Income Program: Through the Embrace Mothers Initiative, 110 single moms received $375 a month for a year to help with childcare, bills, and other essentials. This program gave families stability and allowed moms to focus on their futures—whether that’s going back to school, finding a better job, or just being there for their kids.
- LGBTQ Inclusion and Equity: Mayor Woodfin and the City of Birmingham are committed to ensuring fair treatment for all residents, including LGBTQ individuals. Since 2018, Birmingham has earned a perfect 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI), achieving “All-Star” status in 2019 as the only Alabama city to do so. The city has implemented comprehensive non-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ individuals in employment, housing, and public accommodations. In 2018, Mayor Woodfin appointed Birmingham’s first full-time LGBTQ+ Affairs Liaison, who works alongside the Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board to advocate for and support the LGBTQ community.
Public Health and Wellness
- Youth Support: The Way Station in the Smithfield was opened to provide emergency shelter and support for young people, giving them a safe place to stay and a path to stability.
- Educational Opportunities: Birmingham Promise, started during Mayor Woodfin’s first term, offers up to four years of tuition help for BCS graduates attending public colleges in Alabama. Since it began, it’s helped 1,600 students with internships, career guidance, and financial support.
- Expanding Support for Unhoused Residents: Under Mayor Woodfin’s leadership, Birmingham is strengthening its commitment to addressing homelessness through innovative programs and partnerships:
- Direct Outreach & Emergency Services: In January 2024, Mayor Woodfin launched the Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) with Urban Alchemy. This team of nearly 20 trained professionals helps unhoused people from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day. Under Mayor Woodfin’s leadership, the city also works with Jimmie Hale Mission to provide warming stations and extra services during the winter.
- Safe Shelter & Long-Term Support: In February 2025, Mayor Woodfin also introduced the Home For All safe sleep pilot program, collaborating with Faith Chapel Care Center and Urban Alchemy. With nearly $2.7 million in funding, this initiative will provide up to 75 micro-shelters along with case management, counseling, recovery meetings, and independent living skills training—resources designed to help residents achieve long-term stability.
Digital Inclusion
- Affordable Internet Access: In 2022, Mayor Woodfin introduced Connect 99, a program that gives discounts—and sometimes free internet—to eligible households. Some families also got help buying computers or tablets. This program is helping close the digital divide, making sure everyone has access to education, jobs, and healthcare.
Reimagining Public Safety
Mayor Woodfin’s approach to public safety is about more than just policing – it’s about tackling the root causes of crime and making our communities stronger.
Community-Based Strategies
- Violence Reduction: In 2023, Birmingham got a $2.4 million grant to expand the RESTORE program, which helps young people who’ve been in trouble with the law get back on track. The program focuses on high-crime areas and gives these youth the support they need to build better lives.
- Common Ground Initiatives: Mayor Woodfin launched Common Ground, a series of programs aimed at preventing violence. These include conflict resolution training in schools, a $1 million mental health program for students, and counseling for gunshot victims through a partnership with UAB and the Jefferson County Health Department. The city also extended hours at rec centers to give kids a safe place to go at night.
- Project Safe Streets (East Lake): In 2024, the city started a pilot program in East Lake to reduce drive-through crime. By blocking certain streets and increasing police presence, the program led to 19 illegal guns being seized and 140 arrests in just 80 days.
- Police Recruitment and Retention: In October 2024, Mayor Woodfin and the Birmingham City Council approved a $15.8 million plan to strengthen the Birmingham Police Department through aggressive recruitment and retention efforts. This investment builds on recent efforts, including a 15% pay increase for BPD officers over the last two years, with starting salaries now at approximately $51,000. Some key highlights from the plan include:
- Increasing the recruitment bonus to $10,000
- Establishing a quarterly retention bonus of $2,500 for officers with two or more years of service
- Creating a take-home vehicle program
- Launching a part-time reserve officer program to ease staffing demands during large events
- Investing in recruitment marketing and officer recruitment consulting
- Starting a police trainee program to hire and prepare recruits immediately
- Offering $5,000 in relocation assistance for new officers living more than 80 miles away
- Providing a $1,000 referral incentive for current officers
- Introducing a mental health observance leave policy, allowing officers 8 hours per month for mental health leave
Deepening Investment
- American Rescue Plan Act Funding: In 2024, the city put nearly $2 million into violence reduction programs, including:
- One Hood Program: Managed by the Institute of Research for Social Justice in Action, this program hires former offenders to work on community advocacy and violence prevention.
- Trajectory Changing Solutions: Workers in this program help victims of violence get the resources they need to avoid retaliation and break the cycle of violence.
- National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform: This group is currently designing a plan to reduce gun violence in Birmingham, focusing on those most at risk.
- Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Homicide Reduction: In October 2024, Mayor Woodfin established an advisory commission composed of law enforcement, business leaders, religious figures, and community stakeholders to address Birmingham’s rising homicide rate. The commission was tasked with identifying actionable solutions to reduce gun violence and submitted its comprehensive report within 60 days. The 67-page report outlines data-driven strategies, including successful models from other cities and community input, to tackle the root causes of violence. Key recommendations from the report include:
- Infrastructure Improvements: Installing better street lighting and security cameras in high-crime areas.
- Targeted Interventions: Focusing on high-risk groups, particularly young Black men in poverty, through education, job training, and social support programs.
- Law Enforcement Strategies: Expanding the police department, implementing street outreach programs, and conducting shooting reviews to identify patterns in violent incidents.
- Community Engagement: Tailoring solutions to individual neighborhoods, expanding after-school and recreational programs for youth, and supporting re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Unified Leadership: Ensuring strong collaboration among city officials, businesses, and community stakeholders to implement solutions effectively.
Health Department & Federal Partnerships
- Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) Initiatives: Mayor Woodfin has worked with the JCDH to treat gun violence as a public health issue. Their approach focuses on prevention, community engagement, and education. By addressing gun violence as a public health crisis, the city is taking a proactive approach to save lives, reduce trauma, and create safer neighborhoods for everyone. This work is about more than just responding to violence—it’s about stopping it before it starts by investing in community resources and support systems.
- Gun Violence Task Force: Mayor Woodfin has brought together federal and local officials to tackle gun violence head-on. This task force works to share information, track gun trafficking, and get illegal guns off the streets. In 2023 alone, over 1,800 illegal firearms were removed from our communities. This effort is critical to making Birmingham safer—by taking guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm others, we’re preventing tragedies before they happen and giving families peace of mind.
Renewing Our Commitment To Neighborhoods and Economic Growth
Mayor Woodfin is investing in all 99 neighborhoods to make sure every Birmingham resident benefits from the city’s growth. By strengthening our communities, we’re working together to build a brighter future for everyone.
Revitalizing Neighborhoods and Infrastructure
- Improving Roads and Public Spaces: Since Mayor Woodfin took office, the city has paved thousands of miles of roads, filled potholes in every neighborhood, and given more resources to the Department of Public Works to keep our city clean and safe.
- CrossPlex Family Fun Center: In October 2024, construction began on this $15 million investment in the Ensley Highlands/ West End communities. The new facility features bowling lanes, a skating rink, a jump park, an e-sports gaming center, an arcade, pickleball courts, event spaces, and a food court. It serves as a central hub for the community and will help stimulate further growth and development in Western Birmingham.
- Land Bank and Housing Investments: Mayor Woodfin has expanded the Land Bank Authority, investing nearly investing nearly $2 million and acquiring over 738 parcels for redevelopment. Additionally, he’s driven over $8 million investments in housing repairs, helping longtime residents and seniors stay in their homes.
- Major Infrastructure Projects: Significant investments include:
- $34 million for a new intermodal facility, finished in 2018
- $1.5 million for the new Wylam Library
- $1.8 million for a new tornado shelter at South Hampton Elementary
- $2.9 million for a new Fire Station 8 in Kingston
Strengthening Local Economies and Creating Jobs
- Job Creation and Economic Expansion: Since 2017—even during the COVID-19 pandemic—Mayor Woodfin’s administration has helped create or keep over 8,000 jobs. The city has worked with major employers like Shipt, Amazon, CRST Malone, FedEx, and D’Allesandro Grocery to make this happen.
- Birmingham Promise: Besides offering college scholarships to 1,600 students, Birmingham Promise has partnered with local businesses to provide 300 paid internships and apprenticeships. These opportunities help young people gain real-world experience and build skills for the future.
- Small Business Support:
- BHAM Strong: During COVID-19, Mayor Woodfin launched the BHAM Strong initiative, which gave over $2 million in low-interest loans to nearly 100 Birmingham small businesses.
- RISE: Established in March 2022, the RISE (Retention Incentives for Success and Expansion) initiative provides critical resources to Birmingham-based businesses through cash incentives and revolving loan funds. Designed to support business retention, expansion, and job creation, RISE has already helped businesses like Robert Hill Custom Tailoring, Bridge and Root, Acclinate, and Bodega on 5th secure funding to grow and thrive. The program ensures that even businesses with past financial challenges can access the tools they need to succeed, cultivating a more inclusive and resilient local economy.
- BOLD: Launched in 2018, the Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) program has invested 4.6 million in 50 local organizations to advance economic development in Birmingham. Focused on small businesses, workforce development, eliminating barriers, creative placemaking, and high−growth industries, BOLD has become a cornerstone of the city’s transformation. With an additional 1 million allocated in the FY25 budget, the program continues to empower residents, businesses, and neighborhoods while driving economic mobility and revitalization across Birmingham.
Financial Stewardship and Long-Term Growth
- Stabilizing City Finances: Under Mayor Woodfin’s leadership, Birmingham achieved its highest-ever credit rating, ensuring taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly. The city’s general fund, bond, and reserve balances have grown by nearly $70 million.
- Fully Funding Pensions: Mayor Woodfin made sure the city’s pension system is fully funded, protecting the retirement benefits of the hard-working people who helped build Birmingham.
- Expanding Investment in Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses: Mayor Woodfin’s administration has committed to spending $150 million with minority- and women-owned businesses by 2025, creating more opportunities for historically underserved entrepreneurs.
- Enhancing Fiscal Transparency and Accountability: Mayor Woodfin has made city government more efficient and responsive to residents’ needs through careful budgeting and financial planning.
We’ve come a long way
We’ve come a long way, but there’s still more to do. Whether it’s investing in our neighborhoods, creating opportunities for our youth, or making sure every voice is heard, we can’t afford to slow down. Join us by donating, volunteering, and—most importantly—voting on August 26th to keep Birmingham moving forward, together.
