Every new year invites us to pause, to look around our community with fresh eyes, and to ask ourselves what kind of Sioux City we want to build—not decades from now, but right now, in the neighborhoods where we live, raise our families, and call home. As we step into 2026, this is the year Sioux City’s plan shifts its focus back to the basics: strengthening our neighborhoods, block by block, street by street, family by family.
I have always known that neighborhoods are the heart of our city. This is where our community pride is formed, where kids ride their bikes, where seniors walk their dogs, and where new families decide whether Sioux City is the place they want to plant roots and build their lives. When neighborhoods are strong, the entire city is strong. And when they struggle, the effects are felt everywhere.
Plans approved in 2025 will make 2026 a year of recommitment to core services, reinvestment in aging infrastructure, and a renewed focus on the places that matter most to our residents.
A New Approach to Streets—Because Every Street Matters
Ask any resident what they want from their property tax dollars, and you’ll likely hear a common theme: Fix the streets. It’s no secret that Sioux City has underinvested in residential streets for decades. We’ve made progress, but we aren’t done—not even close.
This year, the City will implement the Capital Improvement Project (CIP #7501-719-121), approved by the City Council in 2025. This project introduces a more structured street-maintenance strategy, replacing the traditional “bottom-up” approach to rebuilding streets—a method that has not been financially feasible for a city of our size and budget for many years.
Instead, this plan offers a practical, forward-looking alternative. Funded through the Capital Improvement portion of the City budget, it moves us toward a proactive, predictable, data-driven system for maintaining our streets. It represents one of the most significant commitments Sioux City has made to addressing neighborhood street maintenance in a generation.
This is not to say we will discontinue subsurface infrastructure projects. Still, by focusing on high-quality resurfacing, we can make a meaningful impact citywide—improving safety, quality, maintenance, and appearance—all while remaining fiscally responsible. Our hardworking citizens deserve to drive on streets that reflect the pride they take in their community, and this project is a tangible step in that direction.
Housing That Works for Real Families
Another key component of strengthening neighborhoods is ensuring that homes are affordable. Sioux City, like cities across the country, has felt the pressure of rising housing costs and shrinking inventories. But our solution doesn’t have to be complicated or out of reach. Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest.
This year, we are leaning into infill development by building new, modest entry-level homes on vacant city-owned lots. Homes in the 400–1000 square-foot range are not only affordable, but they also meet the needs of first-time buyers, young professionals, seniors, and empty nesters looking to downsize. These homes bring life back to older neighborhoods, add stability, and provide families with an attainable path to homeownership.
We re-examined setback rules and lot-size requirements, and updated the codes to make this possible. We’re also exploring creative tools, such as selling select city lots at low costs to ensure land costs are not a barrier. This isn’t about producing housing quickly; it’s about producing housing correctly—thoughtfully, fairly, and with long-term neighborhood health in mind.
In 2026, Sioux City will say yes to right-sized housing and to rebuilding the fabric of our historic neighborhoods, one new front porch at a time.
A New Year- Brings New Ideas
The City’s key areas for improvement include streets, housing, taxes, jobs, public safety, homelessness, and overall cleanliness—each essential to supporting Sioux City’s economic development. This article focused on just two of these priorities. With new Council members joining this month, I look forward to the initiatives they may introduce to help address these challenges. Although we are five individuals, we share one common goal: improving our City.
By Julie Schoenherr
