Community-Driven Solutions to Economic Recovery
To respond to the growing impact of Covid-19, the city and county of Durham launched a Recovery and Renewal Task Force in May 2020. The task force has prioritized its work using a three-phased approach to the pandemic and its longer-term consequences, addressing public health, economic, and mental and behavioral... Read more
Increasing Access to Employment Opportunities for Every Milwaukeean
In Milwaukee, more than 17 percent of Black residents are unemployed, compared to more than 4 percent of white residents. A key to closing this widening economic gap is giving individuals more workforce development opportunities and access to job prospects. Employ Milwaukee, the local workforce development board serving Milwaukee County,... Read more
Small Business Supports to Build Wealth in Atlanta’s Black and Brown Communities
In Atlanta, Black and historically underserved communities located south and west of the city have been economically stagnant despite growth in other parts of the city. The economic recession resulting from COVID-19 poses an additional threat to these communities, leaving them susceptible to even larger outcome gaps. Specifically, the pandemic... Read more
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
Expanding Digital Access to Increase Educational Outcomes
While access to wifi and high-speed internet are often taken for granted, in Houston, more than 142,500 households do not have a computer, and over 267,000 households lack broadband internet access. These communities are often historically underinvested and present significant hurdles for residents, preventing them from harnessing the power of... 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 as white households. These economic... Read more
Targeting Health Inequities for Black Residents
The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) recently conducted a comprehensive community health assessment to gain an inclusive picture of the health status of residents. The assessment revealed five main social determinants of health — crime and violence, insufficient infrastructure, unhealthy environments, lack of jobs and fair wages, and low-quality and... Read more
Holding Local Leaders Accountable for Addressing Racial Equity
Oakland leadership seeks to ensure that all departments have the tools and resources needed to track and report on equity-centered targets aligned to key health, climate, and economic indicators. To meet these goals, the city council and mayor want to develop a performance management system, which can also help local... 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