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Major US Metros Are Becoming More Unaffordable to Low-Income Renters

Dear Atlas users,

The crisis of housing affordability remains an urgent challenge for communities across the country, and it’s being driven by both national and local forces. As our research has shown, ensuring all households have access to safe and affordable housing is key to an equitable recovery and a strong economy built on shared prosperity. The National Equity Atlas and our partners continue to provide guidance and support to those working to build a more just housing future for us all. Here are more updates:

The Shrinking Geography of Opportunity in Metro America

The first report in our series exploring the changing geography of opportunity in American metropolitan regions illustrates the growing gap in access to affordable housing and opportunity-rich neighborhoods for working-class, Black, and Latinx renters. Eighty-one of the 100 most populous regions in the United States saw a decline in affordability between 2013 and 2019, with Black households, in particular, facing an extremely limited and diminishing number of neighborhood choices. Our analysis shows that this trend is reinforcing long-standing patterns of racial segregation and creating new ones. Explore more findings and our policy recommendations — and stay tuned for the forthcoming reports from this series.

Thousands of Households in California Are Still Waiting for Rent Relief

More than 461,000 renter households applied to California’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), staking their families’ futures on its promise to cover 100 percent of Covid-related rent debt. Our latest ERAP analysis shows that more than 45,000 households are still waiting for their applications to be reviewed and 133,707 households have been denied assistance as of July 13. And newly obtained data on the basis for denials shows that the vast majority of applications (83 percent) were denied for one or both of two reasons — “non-responsiveness” and “inconsistent/unverifiable information” — which tenant advocates have cited as being problematic. See our dashboard for data down to the zip code level, and find all of our analyses at the California ERAP hub.

Advancing Workforce Equity in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio, has one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, but our report on the region’s workforce shows that the prosperity generated by its tremendous growth has not been shared equitably. In fact, workers of color tend to be overrepresented in lower-paying occupational groups, while white workers are overrepresented in higher-paying professions. Our research indicates that eliminating racial inequities in employment and wages could boost the Columbus regional economy by about $10 billion a year. Download the full report and explore the other regional analyses in our Advancing Workforce Equity project.

Join Our Team!

Our team is actively recruiting for a Senior Associate to lead Atlas research engagements with community partners, including the development of reports, analyses, and local equity data tools; contribute research and data support to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, and support the further development of the Atlas tool. The ideal candidate is passionate about producing data and research that is relevant and actionable for those working on the front lines to advance racial economic equity. Please help us spread the word!

Atlas Fellows

In case you missed it, we launched the National Equity Atlas Fellowship with 12 visionary leaders. This new program provides intensive, hands-on data training and support to grassroots leaders of color working to advance racial and economic equity. Click here to learn more about the fellows and their work.

Atlas in Action

Over the past few months, our data and analyses have informed dozens of news articles, the development of new tools, and advocacy efforts: Our ERAP analyses and key findings have been covered in both national and California media outlets, including CalMatters, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Public Press, and Politico. Our September 2021 report on the share of federal contracts going to small businesses and insights from Atlas team Eliza McCullough anchored a CNBC piece exploring trends in federal contracting. In addition, Atlas data has been used in the Partnership for the Bay's Future’s Housing Readiness Report — a new tool that helps Bay Area residents track, monitor, and get involved in their city’s housing plans and policies. We also have shared our work with a diverse set of audiences through dozens of presentations, including the 2022 Pennsylvania State of the Union on Latino Health, the CFLeads Community Foundation Equity Network Meeting, the 2022 Community Indicator Consortium Symposium, and the National Association of County & City Health Officials Virtual Symposium.

- The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

A New Hub for Racial Equity Data; Guaranteeing Good Jobs for All

Dear Atlas Users,

As we close out the eleventh month of the pandemic, an equity lens remains crucial to understanding the public health and economic impacts of Covid-19 — and the path forward. The Atlas team is proud to partner with advocates, local leaders, and policymakers at all levels of government to advance an equitable recovery and build an inclusive economy for all. Here are a few highlights from our recent work:

Racial Equity Data Hub Democratizes Local Equity Data

Last week, the Tableau Foundation launched its Racial Equity Data Hub, in partnership with the National Equity Atlas. The Hub is designed to provide data and tools needed to understand racism in all of its forms and to enable movement leaders to effectively use data to advocate for change. The Atlas team worked with Tableau expert Chantilly Jaggernauth of Lovelytics to produce two visualizations to include on the Hub. Our Black Prosperity in America visualization provides information about the Black-White wage gap in cities, metros, and states — and shows how educational attainment or upskilling alone won't solve it. The other visualization presents indicators of economic and political inclusion, education, and justice for the Black population in the Bay Area. Tableau invites community members to participate in shaping the Hub’s future growth through this forum

How Local Leaders Are Activating the Recommendations in our Advancing Workforce Equity Reports

This month, National Fund for Workforce Solutions President and CEO Amanda Cage hosted a series of conversations with local leaders who are using our recent Advancing Workforce Equity reports to support equity-driven workforce strategies in their communities. Watch to learn more about how this work is moving forward in BostonChicagoDallas, and Seattle.

Atlas Data Cited in Congresswoman Pressley’s Federal Job Guarantee Resolution

On February 18, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley introduced a resolution on the federal government's obligation to create a Federal Job Guarantee to address the compounding effects of systemic racism, economic inequality, and climate change. The resolution cites National Equity Atlas data, noting that at least 100 million Americans live in or near poverty, and 28 percent of full-time workers earn less than $15 an hour. A Federal Jobs Guarantee would directly address these inequities by eliminating involuntary unemployment, decreasing poverty, and raising the floor for all low-wage workers while building stronger and greener communities. 

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

Measuring Community Power in the Bay Area

Dear Atlas Users,

Our team has been busy behind the scenes getting our new data and interface ready for you, but also made it to DC last month to share our work at Datapalooza. And we are excited to share new research on race and political power in the Bay Area, revealing how one of the nation’s most diverse regions is making some progress, yet has a long way to go toward political inclusion.

New Analysis: Bay Area Diversity Not Reflected Among Top Elected Officials
With all eyes on the presidential primaries, it is easy to forget about what is happening at the local level — yet local electeds make crucial decisions in arenas like policing, housing, and land use that can have significant equity implications. And while the race and gender of elected officials does not alone determine whether they will advance equitable policies, representation matters. This is why the Bay Area Equity Atlas includes the diversity of electeds as a key measure of community power. Today, the Atlas released new data covering the November 2018 and 2019 elections, and a comprehensive analysis in partnership with Bay Rising. While the region has made some progress on political representation over the past two years, it is still lagging behind: people of color hold 29 percent of top elected offices despite making up 60 percent of the population. API and Latinx community members are particularly underrepresented; they make up 50 percent of the population but hold just 20 percent of elected offices. Read more here

On the Road: The Atlas at Health Datapalooza
Earlier this month, the Atlas team headed to Washington, D.C. for the 2020 Health Datapalooza, a convening of policymakers, regulatory leaders, data analysts, tech start-ups, and community members committed to using data to improve health. To an audience of roughly 50 people, alongside our colleagues from County Health Rankings and Roadmaps and the City Health Dashboard, we discussed data challenges when it comes to existing national surveys and reporting as well as what to do when the most important data does not exist. We highlighted our collection of diversity of electeds in the Bay Area Equity Atlas as one response to this challenge.

Thank you for your interest in our work.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE)

Join Us to Talk Disaggregated Data and COVID-19 This Friday

Dear Atlas Users,

We hope that you and your families are staying strong through this difficult time. Our team is in the process of determining how we can best support communities in their response to the outbreak, aligned with the solidarity economics prerogative laid out by PERE director Manuel Pastor in this this new op-ed. We hope you will join us on Friday to inform our approach.

Register Now: Community Listening Session Friday at 12 PT/3 ET
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, its effects are highlighting and deepening the racial inequities entrenched in our economic system. We know that disaggregated data is a crucial tool to push forward policy solutions that center equity in the short-term and lay the foundation for an inclusive recovery. Please join this listening session with Manuel Pastor, Sarah Treuhaft, and others from the Atlas team from 12-1 PT/3-4 ET this Friday, April 3rd to hear how we are responding to rapidly changing conditions and share your data needs and interests to inform our approach going forward. Register here.

New Fact Sheet: Fair Labor Practices Benefit All New Mexicans
When New Mexican employers deny workers their earnings, they harm families and prevent wages from circulating through the local economy. The New Mexico Worker Organizing Collaborative (NMWOC) works to combat this wage theft, and the Atlas team worked with them to develop a fact sheet showing how Latinx immigrant and Native American workers are disproportionately vulnerable to employer theft and highlighting the challenge of weak enforcement. Our analysis found that twenty percent of open wage theft cases without any activity or investigation have been open for over a year. NMWOC will be using this data in their advocacy to protect workers and take back lost wages. Learn more here.

New Brief: Disrupting the Drivers of Inequity in Biloxi
As wages have stagnated for the majority of workers in the U.S. and inequality has skyrocketed, racial inequity has grown. In Biloxi, Mississippi, these inequities are deep, leaving many Black and Latinx households facing racial and geographic barriers to economic opportunity. The coastal community of East Biloxi has the potential to address some of these inequities through investment in the federal Opportunity Zone program. However, this will only happen if there is an intentional focus on lifting up the most vulnerable communities. Download the brief published in partnership with the East Biloxi Community Collaborative to learn more about how to leverage the Opportunity Zones program to benefit low-income residents and people of color.

Access New Local Data on Life Expectancy
Through the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project’s (USALEEP) new data tool, you can measure and compare differences in life expectancy in nearly every neighborhood across the country with an easy-to-use interactive map. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) also released updated data for their life expectancy tool which allows users to compare life expectancy in their neighborhood to national averages. These tools will help community leaders examine the factors that may be influencing health differences – such as access to health care, affordable housing, child care, educational opportunities – and target solutions more effectively. Learn more about the USALEEP tool and RWJF tool.

Thank you for your interest in our work.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE)

New Analysis Finds People of Color and Immigrants are Disproportionately Harmed by Labor-Market Impacts of COVID-19

Dear Atlas Users,

The brutal murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police was a stark reminder of the racism that permeates our institutions, threatens Black life, and diminishes us as a nation. We cannot achieve inclusive prosperity without addressing police brutality, and the Atlas team stands in solidarity with those protesting this unjust system and calling for transformative change. We are working hard to finalize the new Atlas system upgrade to share with you later this month, and have been partnering with other data providers to assess the unequal economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by race, gender, nativity, and occupation. Here are a few highlights:

New Analysis: Disaggregated Data on Economic Impacts of COVID-19 for US and 10 Metros

Today, in partnership with Burning Glass Technologies and JPMorgan Chase, we released the most comprehensive analysis to date of the labor market effects of the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to inform equity-focused relief and recovery strategies. In addition to the US, we analyzed 10 metro regions: Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco, and Seattle. Our analysis reveals that people of color and immigrants are concentrated in occupations that have experienced the steepest declines in job opportunities and will likely be among the last to recover, putting Black, Latinx, and Native American workers at heightened risk of long-term unemployment. People of color are also overrepresented in low-wage essential jobs, and Native Americans and immigrants are most concentrated in essential jobs where opportunities are declining. Among the 10 regions, the economic impacts of the virus are uneven: metros with large tourism sectors (like Nashville and Miami) have been hit particularly hard, while diversified regional economies with strong tech sectors (like Seattle and SF) have fared somewhat better. Read the full analysis here.

New Profile of Bay Area Essential Workers

In May, the Bay Area Equity Atlas released three new analyses focused on frontline workers in the region, including two deep dives into workforce demographics in Sonoma and Santa Clara counties. We found that frontline workers in these counties and the Bay overall are disproportionately Latinx, Black, and women of color, which could help explain why these populations are more likely to contract COVID-19. Latinx workers represent 22 percent of workers in all industries but 31 percent of frontline workers while Black workers, who account for just 5 percent of all workers in the region, are concentrated in specific frontline industries including public transit (23 percent) and postal services (11 percent). These workers are more likely to live in poverty, lack health insurance, and have no internet access at home. Read our analyses here. Check out media coverage of this research from KQEDSF Gate, and La Opinion.

National Equity Atlas In the News

  • Ron Brownstein at The Atlantic analyzed National Equity Atlas data and corresponded with Atlas team members to inform his new article about how racial inequity is “the crack in the foundation of cities’ new prosperity.” Looking at data on median wages for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Denver, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis, he found that racial wage gaps have grown in all of those cities between 1980 and 2015.
     
  • E&E News published an article describing the criticism and subsequent revision of CDC guidelines encouraging workers to commute alone in private vehicles to slow the spread of the coronavirus, lifting up Atlas data showing that nearly 20 percent of Black households and 12 percent of Latinx households do not have access to a car, compared to 6.5 percent of White households. "So yes, there is a race and class bias in saying, 'You can just drive to work,'" said Basav Sen, climate justice project director at the Institute for Policy Studies.

Thank you for your interest in our work.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE)

How Our Data Helped Advance the Equity Movement in 2020

Dear Atlas Users,

Happy Holidays from the National Equity Atlas Team! This has been a year of tremendous economic and social turmoil. From the unfathomable human and economic costs of the Covid-19 pandemic to the murder of George Floyd and the national outcry against police brutality that followed, systemic racism has been at the forefront of public consciousness. In this pivotal moment, we are proud to have deepened our work with community advocates, broadened the reach of the Atlas, and strengthened our capacity to democratize the power of disaggregated data. Here are a few highlights:

Revamped Atlas Offers Updated Data, New Indicators and Features

In July, we released comprehensive updates to the National Equity Atlas This refresh includes new data visualization and mapping infrastructure, two new indicators (life expectancy and the economic benefits of eliminating rent burden), data and powerpoint downloads, more contextual information and examples, and more robust and up-to-date data. Check out our webinar training, designed to equip Atlas users with the know-how to access, understand, share, and use our data tools.

New Racial Equity Index Offers Comparative Snapshot of Equity in US Cities, Regions, and States

Our new Racial Equity Index tool is designed to help advocates identify key issue areas and populations for advancing racial equity in their communities. Based on nine Atlas indicators scored by both prosperity and inclusion, the Index includes a summary score that provides a snapshot of how well a given place is performing compared to its peers. Start here to learn more. 

Atlas Analyses Power Campaigns to Protect Renters from Eviction

The Atlas team supported the Our Homes, Our Health housing justice effort by producing eviction risk fact sheets for local campaigns in states, counties, and cities throughout the US. These resources include data on how many households are currently at risk of eviction, which households are rent burdened and economically insecure by race/ethnicity and gender, and the first-hand experience of renters impacted by the economic downturn. Find our complete set of factsheets here.

Bay Area Equity Atlas Provides Unparalleled Insights on Racial Equity in the Region

Our landmark regional equity atlas produced a variety of analyses this year that shed light on ongoing inequities in the Bay Area. Our police use-of-force report revealed that Black residents in wealthy suburbs and core cities experience disproportionate levels of police violence while our diversity of electeds analysis found that 80 of the Bay Area’s 101 cities have no Black leaders. Finally, our regularly-updating Covid dashboard, which tracks case rates by Zip code, revealed the outsized impact of the pandemic on Black and Latinx communities. Check out all our analyses and sign up for our newsletter here.

Disaggregated Data on Economic Impacts of Covid-19 Point the Way to an Equitable Recovery

Throughout the year we released several reports analyzing the rapidly evolving Covid-19 economy, and the ways in which people of color have been disproportionately harmed. These efforts include our June analysis of the early labor market impacts of the pandemic and our recent report examining longer-standing racial gaps in labor market outcomes and access to good jobs as well as the economic impacts of Covid-19 and the racial equity implications of automation. Through the Bay Area Equity Atlas, we produced a profile of the Bay Area's essential workforce, and we also partnered with San Juan College to create a research brief on the impact of the Covid pandemic and resulting economic fallout in New Mexico.

Atlas in the News

Our data and reports have been covered by various local and national media outlets and articles, including The Atlantic, Fast Company, and Next City, which all reported on findings from our Racial Equity Index. Outlets such as Politico and SFGate covered findings from our analyses, including our reports on workforce equity and Covid labor market demographics. Eliza McCullough also wrote an op-ed for Fast Company that argues Smart Cities must do more to ensure that residents of color thrive. See a complete list of media coverage here.

We have big plans for the coming year, including new analyses, data tools, and partnerships, so stay tuned. Thank you for your continued interest in our work!

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

Just Released: New California Eviction Data and Five Regional Blueprints for Workforce Equity

Dear Atlas Users,

Happy 2021 from the National Equity Atlas team! While this new year brings changes in federal and local administrations, the devastating impacts of Covid-19 continue, particularly for communities of color. The Atlas team remains focused on leveraging our data capacity to support the movement for racial and economic equity—producing unique analyses, building partnerships, and sharing our work with the field to strengthen local organizing and policy efforts. Here are some updates:

Five Regional Reports Highlight Workforce Inequities and Strategies for an Equitable Recovery

As our nation faces overlapping and interconnected public health and economic crises, now is a critical time to move beyond a narrow skills-driven approach to workforce development and dismantle the structural and systemic barriers that lead to deep racial inequities in the labor market. This week, we released five new reports that will catalyze action on workforce equity in Boston (with SkillWorks), Chicago (with the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance), Dallas (with Pathways to Work), the San Francisco Bay Area (with ReWork the Bay), and Seattle (with the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County). These reports are part of the Advancing Workforce Equity project, a partnership between the National Equity Atlas, Burning Glass Technologies, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and with support from JPMorgan Chase.

On January 26, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions hosted a virtual launch event which featured local leaders from each community as well as Angela Glover Blackwell (PolicyLink), Amanda Cage (National Fund for Workforce Solutions), and Monique Baptiste (JPMorgan Chase & Co).

Atlas Team Finds Over One Million Californians are Behind on Rent

In partnership with Housing NOW! California, we produced a fact sheet that sheds new light on the magnitude of the rent debt challenge in California and its potential impacts on racial equity, household finances, and public health. Based on the latest Census Household Pulse Survey data, 1.1 million renter households in California—one in five—are currently behind on their rent. We estimate that the average rent debt per household is $3,400 and the total rent debt in California is about $3.7 billion. The vast majority of those behind rent are low-wage workers of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, revealing how clearing this debt is critical to prevent the growth of the racial wealth gap and make an equitable recovery possible. Our findings were covered by news stations including NBC Bay AreaKRON4CBS Local, and KION 546.

Analysis Reveals Large Disparities in Unemployment Filings by Race and Education

Using data from California Policy Lab, our recent analysis highlights how California’s Black workers are experiencing disproportionate unemployment in the Covid recession due to structural racism embedded in the labor market. About 85 percent of California’s Black workforce has filed for unemployment at some point since March 15, which is more than double the rate for White, Latinx, and Asian or Pacific Islander workers. Virtually all Black workers with no post-secondary education (99 percent) have filed for unemployment insurance since March. Immediate policy changes, from expanded unemployment insurance benefits to building worker power, is required to overcome these dramatic disparities driven by racism embedded in our labor markets and education system. Read the analysis here.

- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)

New Report and Upcoming Webinar: Race and the Work of the Future

Dear Atlas Users,

The results of this year’s elections are largely due to a historic groundswell of activism led by people of color and grassroots community organizations across the country. As the movement for racial equity continues to build momentum, the Atlas team is proud to partner with local leaders at the forefront of policy change. Our research this month highlights the urgent need to center low-income communities and people of color in both the ongoing Covid-19 recovery and in the long-term vision for a just and fair society. Here are some updates:

New Report Highlights Strategies for Inclusive Recovery and Equitable Future of Work

Today, the National Equity Atlas, in partnership with Burning Glass Technologies and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, released our latest report, Race and the Work of the Future: Advancing Workforce Equity in the United States, a comprehensive analysis of long-standing racial gaps in labor market outcomes, the economic impacts of Covid-19, and the racial equity implications of automation. With in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics, we found that White workers are 50 percent more likely than workers of color to hold good jobs, and that eliminating racial inequities in income could boost the US economy by $2.3 trillion a year. Read the full report here.

You’re Invited: Race and the Future of Work

Please join us on November 18 at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern to learn about the findings of our new report: Race and the Work of the Future: Advancing Workforce Equity in the United States. We’ll also hear from workforce leaders moving equity-focused policies on the ground in Dallas and Seattle — including targeted strategies like skills-based hiring and apprenticeships and cross-sector partnerships that align workforce development with critical community supports like childcare, housing, and transportation. Register here.

For An Equitable Recovery, Invest in New Mexico’s Workers

Just like the coronavirus crisis itself, the economic crisis is hitting workers of color in New Mexico the hardest, particularly Native American workers, as they experience more layoffs and greater financial hardship than White workers. This new brief, authored by James Crowder of PolicyLink and produced in partnership with the Center for Workforce Development at San Juan College, describes conditions for New Mexico’s workers and presents a policy agenda for an inclusive recovery that leads with workforce equity.

Eviction Risk Analyses Released for California and Washington

The Atlas team has been supporting the Our Homes, Our Health housing justice effort by producing eviction risk fact sheets for local campaigns, advocating for strong renter protection and eviction moratorium policies across the country. This month, we published factsheets for California (with Housing NOW! California) and Washington (with Washington CAN), with many more in the works. Find them here.

National Equity Atlas at KIDS COUNT

The National Equity Atlas will be the featured data tool at a special session of the NY KIDS COUNT virtual conference, “All Data Are Local,” on December 2 at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern. Registration is now open.

Thank you.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute

We’re Hiring! Build a Racial Equity Data Lab on the Atlas

Dear Atlas Users,

As we continue to support communities in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have spent the past month producing new analyses, trainings, and factsheets powered by Atlas data. Partnerships with community organizations are driving this work forward. Here are a few highlights:

As the nation prepares for a historic election, the need for reliable, deeply disaggregated data to inform equity strategies is clearer than ever. The Atlas team has been hard at work this past month conducting unique analyses, building partnerships, and sharing our work with the field to strengthen local organizing and policy efforts. Here are some updates:

We’re Hiring for an Exciting New Partnership with Tableau

The Atlas team is excited to announce our new partnership with Tableau, a global leader in visual analytics. Through this partnership, we will build a new Racial Equity Data Lab on the Atlas, where users can create Tableau dashboards combining Atlas data with other data sources, and lead an Equity Data Fellowship to support leaders of color working in racial equity-focused organizations. We are recruiting a senior associate to lead this work. If you know of any candidates who are passionate about equipping equity advocates with data and visualizations, please send them our way. Read the full job description here.

Eviction Risk Analyses Released for Colorado and Bedford County, TN

The Atlas team has been supporting the Our Homes, Our Health housing justice effort by producing eviction risk fact sheets for local campaigns advocating for strong renter protection and eviction moratorium policies across the country. This month, we published factsheets for Colorado (with Colorado Homes For All, United for a New Economy, and 9to5) and Bedford County, TN (with the Bedford County Listening Project), with many more in the works. Find them here.

Atlas Team Shares Data Insights to Support Community-Led Equity Efforts

This month, Atlas team member Sarah Treuhaft participated in an SF Chronicle panel to discuss how the election could impact systemic racism in housing, criminal justice, and income inequality. She will also present today at the Center for an Urban Future policy forum to discuss municipal initiatives that can help build a more inclusive economy. Abbie Langston and James Crowder also presented to the Triangle J [North Carolina] Council of Governments, sharing the National Equity Atlas, the Racial Equity Index, and insights for policymakers from our equity data partnerships in the region.

City of Seattle Draws on Atlas Data for Equitable Development Community Indicators Report

The City of Seattle released an Equitable Development Community Indicators Report last month as part of its Equitable Development Monitoring Program. The report reveals key racial inequities in Seattle, finding that residents of color have longer commutes to work than their White counterparts, the city lacks adequate family-size rental housing, and people of color are underrepresented among business owners. The authors relied on Atlas data for many of the indicators. As lead author Diana Canzoneri notes, “One of the especially valuable aspects of the Atlas is the detailed disaggregation by race, ethnicity, and place of birth. This feature of the Atlas made it easy for us to find and integrate examples of disparities between subgroups that would have otherwise been masked.” Read the full report here.

Thank you.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute

Using Disaggregated Data to Advance an Equitable Recovery

Dear Atlas Users,

As we continue to support communities in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have spent the past month producing new analyses, trainings, and factsheets powered by Atlas data. Partnerships with community organizations are driving this work forward. Here are a few highlights:

Atlas Analyses Power Campaigns to Extend Eviction Moratoriums Nationwide

The Atlas team is supporting the Our Homes, Our Health housing justice effort by producing eviction risk fact sheets for local campaigns. These resources include data on how many households are currently at risk of eviction, which households are rent burdened and economically insecure by race/ethnicity and gender, and the first-hand experience of renters impacted by the economic downturn. This month, we published factsheets for Kansas (with Rent Zero Kansas) and Kentucky (with the Lexington Housing Justice Collaborative), with many more in the works. Find them here.

Webinar Archive: Unlocking the Insights of Disaggregated Data

This month, the Atlas team led a webinar training on how to unlock the power of disaggregated data for cities, regions, and states. We provided a step-by-step walk through of the newly revamped National Equity Atlas and our custom indicators database, which offers unparalleled data disaggregation by race/ethnicity, gender, nativity, ancestry, and more. This training was designed to equip Atlas users with the know-how to access, understand, share, and use disaggregated data to foster more equitable communities. Check out the recording here.

You’re Invited: Policy Insights for an Equitable Economic Recovery with the NY Federal Reserve

On September 24, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will lead a conversation about the impact of Covid-19 on communities of color. The forum will focus on key policy areas necessary for an equitable recovery, including credit markets, the racial wealth gap, and workforce equity. Sarah Treuhaft, vice president of research at PolicyLink, will participate in a practitioner panel with other racial and economic equity leaders to discuss findings and policy recommendations from our recent report, Race, Risk and Workforce Equity in the Coronavirus Economy. Register for the forum here.

Thank you for your interest in our work.

-- The National Equity Atlas team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute

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