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March 2023

Building for the All! Infrastructure Standards for Transformation of the Built Environment

Overview

For decades, our government’s policies excluded many by design. But throughout our nation’s history, we have joined across races and places to solve big problems and build democracy to serve generations to come. 

A critical part of this generation’s work is to build new infrastructure –– accessible transportation, clean energy, climate-resilient cities and towns, broadband access, good jobs –– that serve all of our communities. To guide government leaders at all levels in this undertaking, PolicyLink and partners developed a set of Infrastructure Standards, precipitated by the unprecedented influx of government funds with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Most of the funds distributed through the IIJA and IRA will use the established mechanisms for dispersing government funds –– from block grants to formula funding –– which entrenched many inequities over decades. However, still, federal, state, local, and tribal government officials have considerable ability to act in support of equity, and we urge them to adhere to these standards as they administer these funds. 

Together, we can implement new standards for governing so that nothing stands in the way of everyone providing a great life for their families.  

Download the following related brief:  Building for the All! A Guide for Local, State, and Tribal Governments in the Infrastructure Moment

March 2023

Assessment of Federal Equity Action Plans

Overview

This PolicyLink and Race Forward report provides an overview of the federal equity action planning process and assess the strengths and areas for improvement in the plans themselves. The assessment identifies three overarching themes as a result of the analysis: 1) Responsiveness to Executive Order, 2) Transformative Measures, and 3) Sustainability and concludes by offering recommendations for how an equity action plan process may be strengthened if there is an opportunity to do so.

January 2023

The PolicyLink Housing Justice Narrative Toolkit

Overview

The Housing Justice Narrative Toolkit offers a scaffolding for us to stay centered in the future we are reimagining. It supports our ability to speak to a base of individuals most aligned with housing justice—the anti-racist and persuadable base—in ways which are authentic and that they can hear. This toolkit grounds the core truth of housing justice. It guards against the distraction of the opposition by offering opportunities for us to avoid the pitfalls of repeating the same stories we have been told, or that we continue to tell, that haven’t moved us towards housing for all.

Designing Our Just Housing Futures Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Public Comment Guide

Overview

A comment guide providing a brief history of the AFFH mandate, an overview of the 2023 proposed AFFH rule and the federal rulemaking and public comment process, a step-by-step guide to help you or your organization to write and submit a strong, equity-focused comment,  data sources to support it, and sample language for organizations across sectors to use in their public comment.

December 2022

How Might Equity Scoring Apply to Federal Legislation?

Overview

ABOUT THE EQUITY SCORING INITIATIVE
A partnership of PolicyLink and the Urban Institute

Federal legislation is fundamental to building a nation in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. Since our nation’s founding, in many ways, federal legislation has created and exacerbated racial inequities, leaving one-third of the population experiencing material poverty and preventing our democracy from realizing the promise of equity.

To ensure the federal government serves us all, we must accurately understand and assess whether every policy advances or impedes equity.

The Equity Scoring Initiative (ESI) exists to establish the foundation for a new legislative scoring regime. By scoring for equity, we can begin to create an accountable, responsive democracy.

Happy Holidays from the National Equity Atlas

Dear Atlas users,

As 2022 comes to an end, we're celebrating what has been both a productive and transformative year for our team and partners. This year, we produced more than 30 data products, including reports, fact sheets, equity profiles, dashboards, and analyses, that have helped communities and advocates across the nation win on equity. Here are a few more updates from the Atlas to close out the year:

Applications for the National Equity Atlas Fellowship Are Now Open!

Are you a mid-career grassroots leader of color who’s interested in learning how to leverage data to bolster your organization’s campaigns? We’re now accepting applications for the second cohort of National Equity Atlas Fellows. This year-long program offers selected participants hands-on training in data analysis and visualization, opportunities to engage with data and policy experts, access to a peer network of other community-based leaders from across the United States, and dedicated support in developing original data projects. The deadline for applications is January 21, 2023, and the fellowship will begin in March 2023. To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit nationalequityatlas.org/lab/fellowship-cohort2.

Ensuring Workers in the Miami Metropolitan Area Are Prepared for the Jobs of Tomorrow

South Florida’s economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has been turbulent, driven by persistent barriers to quality employment prospects for residents of color and an elevated risk of automation-driven job displacement. Our latest workforce equity report — produced in partnership with Florida International University — examines what these upheavals and ongoing racial economic exclusion are costing the three-county region. Our in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics found that Black workers and Hispanic women in the Miami metropolitan region have the lowest median wages at $16 per hour, while white men earn the highest median wages at $27 per hour — a 69 percent pay gap. The research also indicates that eliminating racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people could boost South Florida's economy by $122 billion a year. Download the full report, and explore other regional analyses in our Advancing Workforce Equity project.

Join Our Team

The USC Equity Research Institute invites applicants to apply for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in support of the research and activities of the Atlas. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to building data infrastructure for the equity movement, conduct quantitative and qualitative research, and participate in engagements with community advocates and policymakers. Please help us spread the word!

Thanks for Being a Part of Our Growing Network

We appreciate your continued support and interest in our work. Please stay tuned for new research, updated data, and more opportunities to connect with us in 2023! In the meantime, if you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable this year, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.


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

January 2023

Advancing Workforce Equity in Miami: A Blueprint for Action

Overview

South Florida’s economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has been turbulent, driven by persistent barriers to quality employment prospects for residents of color and an elevated risk of automation-driven job displacement. This report—produced in partnership with Florida International University and Lightcast, with support from JPMorgan Chase—examines the economic costs of these upheavals and ongoing racial economic exclusion in the Miami metropolitan region. Our in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics found that Black workers and Hispanic women have the lowest median wages at $16 per hour, while white men earn the highest median wages at $27 per hour—a 69 percent pay gap. The research also indicates that eliminating racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people could boost the region's economy by $122 billion a year. The report concludes with several strategies to advance workforce equity in South Florida and to ensure that all workers, including those who face the additional burdens of systemic racism, are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow with the skills, supports, and access they need to fully participate and thrive in the economy. Download the report.

The Atlas Team Has Grown!

Dear Atlas users,

In this season of gratitude and giving, we want to thank you for supporting the National Equity Atlas and our work. We’re gearing up to release updated data and new research that help further advance racial and economic equity. To increase our capacity and better support the leaders and communities we partner with, we’ve expanded our team. Here is more on this exciting news and other updates:

Atlas Team Members Who Joined in 2022 (from top left to bottom right): Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia.

You might have already noticed, but there have been many new members added to the Atlas team this year. Please help us in officially welcoming them: Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia. We’re thrilled to have these eight amazing leaders support and boost our change-making work!

ICYMI: A Blueprint for Workforce Equity in Metro Detroit

The latest report in our Advancing Workforce Equity project spells out how long-standing racial gaps in income and employment have impacted Metro Detroit’s workforce and economy: People of color make up a large share of the region’s workforce. Despite this growth and the increasing economic prosperity in the region, Black and Latinx workers in particular aren’t benefiting equitably. Our research also shows that eliminating these racial gaps would provide the region with an estimated $28 billion in economic activity per year. The report and its findings have been covered in Crain’s Detroit Business, Axios Detroit, and Bridge Michigan.

New State Profiles Illuminate the Stark Racial Disparities in Eviction across the Nation

Eviction cases are rising across the United States as Covid-era renter protections continue to end, putting millions of people at-risk of experiencing homelessness. The Eviction Research Network — a collaborative research project for social good based at UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project — has released several state profiles that illustrate eviction patterns and disparities before and during the pandemic. The analyses underscore the persistence of racial disparities in eviction, with Black renters consistently facing the greatest threat of eviction in localities across the nation. Thus far, maps and profiles have been released for Delaware, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon.

Do You Have an Atlas Story to Share?

If you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.

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

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