Investing in Food Ecosystem to Provide New Pathways to Employment
In Houston, an estimated 725,000 people are food insecure, 500,000 of whom are living in federally designated districts where the closest supermarket is more than a mile away. These districts are found predominantly in the city’s historically underinvested communities, neighborhoods in which economic inequity has endured for generations. Exacerbating these... Read more
Building Intergenerational Wealth in the Black Community
In 2020, New Orleans marks the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the 10th anniversary of the BP oil spill. From each disaster, the city has rebuilt, but Black residents have been largely left behind, with six times as many Black households living in poverty than white households. These economic... Read more
Connecting Residents to Comprehensive Services
The Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) provides residents with a range of programs. While many operate efficiently, internal and external communication, coordination, and alignment between programs can be improved to ensure seamless services for residents. To support this work, WDACS enlisted FUSE Executive... Read more
Redesigning Workflow to Increase Efficiencies
At the Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS), staff handling frontline services can spend as much as 60% to 70% of their time on internal workflow. Rather than devoting such an outsized amount of time to procurement, approvals and other internal tasks, the team’s... Read more
Designing Systems to Capture and Share Institutional Digital Content
The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering is experiencing increased demand for its services. At the same time, a quarter of its employees are nearing retirement. The Bureau recognizes the need to update its infrastructure and create a shared library of digital content to ensure an effective knowledge transfer of ongoing... Read more
Creating a Strategic Plan to Broaden Economic Prosperity
Kansas City has enjoyed a renewal in recent years, with billions of dollars transforming its downtown. But not all neighborhoods in the metropolitan area have benefited equally. The mayor and city leaders want to refocus economic development to be more inclusive and align these strategies with other key objectives, such... Read more
Launching an Opportunity Zone in Fresno
Fresno, located in California’s Central Valley, has made progress in its efforts to end systemic inequities and expand economic opportunities. But city leaders know they must continue to address the persistent economic challenges — exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — faced by residents in marginalized communities. To this end, FUSE... Read more
Attracting and Retaining Finance Talent to Improve City Operations
With nearly a third of workers close to retirement, the Los Angeles Office of Finance was seeking new strategies for recruitment and retention of staff, not only to bring in qualified employees but also to build a pipeline within the department of leaders who feel a sense of stewardship over... Read more
Establishing Countywide Outreach Strategies to Alleviate Poverty
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can be an effective tool to help fight poverty, yet approximately 20 percent of eligible Los Angeles County households are not claiming this credit. To close the participation gap, the L.A. County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs is looking to work with... Read more
Launching an Opportunity Zone for Riverside County
Riverside County, California, has the state’s third highest number of Opportunity Zones. These economically distressed communities, which were designated by the federal government, can potentially benefit from tax incentives that encourage investment and economic development. To create high-quality jobs in key economic sectors, such as manufacturing, tourism, and technology, the... Read more