Launching a Housing Finance Agency to Fund Expanded Housing in Los Angeles
To help reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing, the Los Angeles Department of Housing and Community Investment is working to establish a Housing Finance Agency (HFA) to develop its own financial resources. To that end, FUSE Executive Fellow David Spirakis created a business plan and organizational structure for the HFA,... Read more
Developing a Roadmap of Programs to Expand Affordable Housing
Housing affordability has become increasingly urgent across California. According to recent data, nearly half of all homeowners in Long Beach spend more than 30 percent of their total monthly income on rent or mortgage payments. To ease the pressure on residents, Long Beach engaged FUSE executive fellow Rick Ryba to... Read more
Spurring Community-Oriented Redevelopment in Indianapolis’s Far Eastside
The Far Eastside of Indianapolis is facing stigma, disinvestment, and economic stagnation. To help address this situation, the Mayor’s Office, the Central Indiana Community Foundation, and the Finish Line Foundation engaged FUSE Executive Fellow Lisa Marie Gala to help identify strategies and best practices for revitalization. After an extensive landscape... Read more
Easing Traffic Conditions for Improved Mobility and Health
In East Palo Alto, the effects of cut-through traffic, congestion, and parking have had serious consequences on the health, safety, and quality of life for residents. In search of solutions, the city hired consultants to conduct a mobility study that provides short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations addressing these issues. To... Read more
Accelerating Entrepreneurship in Underserved Neighborhoods
Engagement with the private sector is a core element of Cleveland’s plan to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and kickstart the local economy. To support this work, the Mayor’s Office engaged FUSE executive fellow Aja Hardy, who worked to implement strategies that help local entrepreneurs acquire the knowledge and capital needed to... Read more
Building a Movement for Children
FUSE Executive Fellow Noelle Galperin helped Children Now in Oakland build a diverse coalition of organizations to focus California executives and legislators on the needs of children. She contributed to the development of the movement’s strategy plan and established alliances and engaged elected officials to scale the movement’s work. In... Read more
San Francisco as the Innovation Capital of the World
FUSE Executive Fellow Rebecca Foster acted as a senior advisor in the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Civic Innovation, focusing on public private partnerships and the intersection of investment and critical social priorities. She explored innovative financing mechanisms including a public-private Housing Accelerator Fund and evaluated pay for success as... Read more
Inspiring Innovative Thinking in San Francisco
Rahul built San Francisco’s entrepreneurship-in-residence (EIR) program in collaboration with the White House to help address critical national issues such as healthcare, transportation, public safety, education, energy and infrastructure – with the overall goal to lower costs, increase revenue, enhance productivity and help save lives. Mayor Ed Lee was named... Read more
Building a National Network of Business and Education Coalitions to Improve the Lives of Local Youth
Paul worked with the senior leadership team at America's Promise Alliance to define, engage, and mobilize a national network of business and education leaders to improve all phases of children's lives from birth through high school. His research surfaced that more than 400 local and statewide organizations exist to link... Read more
Promoting Job Creation to Achieve Growth with Equity
Philadelphia’s economy has grown significantly in recent years, but the city remains one of the poorest in the nation. To help alleviate poverty, the city is taking aggressive steps to connect low- and moderate-income residents to sustainable careers. The city’s newly created Office of Workforce Development enlisted FUSE executive fellow... Read more