The PolicyLink Equitable Development Toolkit offers advocates and community builders tools for addressing a range of issues. Many tools address affordable housing and equitable public investment, two primary areas of focus for PolicyLink. Below are summaries of tools in the Equitable Development Toolkit that address other key elements of a comprehensive strategy to acheive equitable development throughout regions.
CDCs with Resident Shareholders
Owning stock in real estate projects spearheaded by community development
corporations (CDCs) provides residents with financial benefits and voice
in the neighborhood development process. This tool can be used to direct
profits from development back into the community and to ensure benefits
for existing residents.
Community Development Financial Institutions
This tool reveals how existing and emerging resident-owned financial institutions
serve to build assets for low-income/low-wealth residents and provide them
with a stronger voice in running an institution dedicated to neighborhood
development and revitalization.
Community Mapping
This tool identifies key information needed to assess public and private
forces driving gentrification. The tool reviews effective community mapping
and indicator projects; identifies key data sources to guide community interventions;
and shows the role of mapping in community education and organizing.
Cooperative
Ownership Models
Co-op models targeted to low-income/low-wealth residents can offer potential
financial benefits, business skills, and experience in running a democratically
controlled enterprise. Such businesses, based on democratic principles,
can be owned and run by various stakeholders such as employees, producers,
or consumers.
Living
Wage Provisions
This tool concerns ordinances to ensure that public employees and employees
of public and private contractors receiving public sector funding are paid
wages at pace with regional cost of living measures. Higher wages
achieved through living wage ordinances assist low-income residents in remaining
in their communities, lead to greater stability in the workforce, and increase
the municipal tax base.
Local
Hiring Strategies
This tool provides an array of strategies for connecting economically marginalized
communities to regional job opportunities to help residents remain in their
communities. For example, linkage programs can require that a percentage
of jobs created by a commercial development go to local residents. Other
programs link urban core and inner-ring suburban residents to employment
opportunities around the region.
Minority
Contracting
This tool ensures that healthy local businesses owned by people of color
are a basic component of strong, sustainable communities. These businesses
generate job opportunities for residents, and keep money circulating within
the neighborhood. This tool reviews major approaches for achieving parity
for minority-owned businesses.
Click here for a complete list of tools in the Equitable Development Toolkit.