Preparing for the Future of Work in a More Equitable Way
In Houston, the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in one of the highest unemployment rates of any metropolitan area in the nation and has exacerbated economic disparities already felt by residents in many Houston neighborhoods. Before the pandemic, 80 percent – or 36 - of Houston’s 45... Read more
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
Combating Gentrification Through Innovative and Actionable Redevelopment
Austin has been one of the fastest-growing major metro areas in the country for nearly a decade, with a population closing in on 1 million and expected to double before 2040. Along with this growth, rising real estate prices, property taxes, and general cost of living have driven many longtime... Read more
Bolstering Homeownership to Build Neighborhood Resilience
Like many U.S. cities, Milwaukee is dealing with an affordable housing crisis, with many residents often spending 50 to 80 percent of their income on rent or mortgage payments and homeownership rates dropping by nearly 14% over the last decade. Black residents in Milwaukee are especially strained, with 40% of... Read more
Making Los Angeles the World’s Leading Region for Supporting an Aging Population
Los Angeles County is already home to a large population of older adults; by 2030, more than 2 million people — more than 18 percent of the L.A. County population — will be older adults. This wave of demographic change prompted local leaders to create a program called Purposeful Aging... Read more
Increasing College Affordability to Ensure More Equitable Opportunities
Students in Birmingham often face a tough path to college and career. While roughly 80 percent of students graduate annually from Birmingham City Schools (BCS), many are experiencing poverty, and only 50 percent advance to post-secondary institutions. In response, the mayor has pledged that any BCS student who graduates will... Read more
Working to Reduce Racial Health Inequities
Birmingham recognizes that social determinants of health — including the built environment of neighborhoods, such as environmental hazards, access to green space, walkability, and more — are major factors in health inequities across the city. To address this, the Department of Planning, Engineering, and Permits developed a Health Community Assessment... 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
Addressing Health Inequities Related to Virus Prevention and Treatment
Atlanta is navigating a dual-pandemic, with city leaders focused on combating the spread of COVID-19 while also battling the continued spread of HIV/AIDS in pockets of communities. The HIV/AIDs pandemic has infected one out of every 51 Atlanta residents, and of those infected, 66 percent are Black. The COVID-19 health... 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