This brief presents promising practices for wrapping young men of color in supports such as pre-employment services, transitional jobs, and job placement services. It draws on a scan of national best practices originally developed for the City of New Orleans.

This brief identifies a number of promising programs and practices in the health-care sector that promotes access to economic opportunities for people of color and other individuals facing barriers to opportunity. It draws on a scan of national best practices originally developed for the City of New Orleans.

Anchor institutions are large, place-based organizations, often public or nonprofit, that exist as core fixtures in local communities. This brief provides promising examples where anchor institutions have engaged in activities to advance economic inclusion, promote access to employment, and otherwise improve the circumstances faced by boys and men of color. It draws on a scan of national best practices originally developed for the City of New Orleans.

Describes new methods for identifying, measuring, and mapping disadvantaged unincorporated communities and a first account of the findings from applying these new methods to the San Joaquin Valley.

This technical guide provides a step-by-step detailed account of technical mapping methods and additional sources for data, and will help those interested in replicating this model.

Provides a framework of principles, describes the work and ideas of key players, and captures the important policy solutions that should be included in the upcoming federal authorization legislation.

This study, co-authored by Emerald Cities and PolicyLink, and generously supported by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, surveys the current landscape on inclusive procurement and contracting policies and practices in the infrastructure and construction industries. The goal was to specifically determine how to best position minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses (MWDBEs) to effectively compete for large-scale construction projects in these industries. A successful inclusive procurement program of action is key not only to providing jobs, but also to closing the wealth gap needed to secure the well-being and future of children, families, and the regions in which they live.

This report details the rationale for inclusive practices in this industry and includes historical and current equitable development policies and trends. It also identifies challenges and best practices and sets forth recommendations for strengthening the field of practice. The report provides insight into inclusive procurement and contracting policies within the energy, water, transportation, health, education, and public housing sectors. It also considers the field of practice in different geographic regions of the United States. Download executive summary here.

A partnership in which residents collectively own and control their housing. 

Oakland, California, faces a serious shortage of affordable housing. Commissioned by the Oakland City Council, A Roadmap Toward Equity analyzes the depth of the problem and presents more than a dozen policy solutions for preventing displacement, increasing the stock of affordable housing, and improving housing habitability for all Oakland residents.

"Transportation Matters: Closing the Chasm between Housing and Transportation to Foster Communities of Opportunity for All," by PolicyLink staff member Anita Cozart, appears in the American Bar Association’s Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development Law, volume 25, issue no. 2, © 2017 American Bar Association. It examines the "chasm" that exists between the two sectors and what can be done to break down the barriers and create benefits and opportunities for all. Please note: This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.