Grace Under Pressure: How to Build Engagement and Capacity for Action in Distressed Communities

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE: HOW TO BUILD ENGAGEMENT AND CAPACITY FOR ACTION IN DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES EPIP Webinar July 16th, 2014 EPIP Host: Michael Barham Panelists: Community Solutions and the Zilber Family Foundation

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Today’s Panelists Community Solutions

• Corinne LeTourneau, Director, Policy

• Nupur Chaudhury, Program Manager, Community Planning and Health

• Jacqueline Kennedy, Coordinator, Community Mobilization

Brownsville: Building Capability, Agency, Possibility and Hope

7/22/14

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Our approach focuses on two, high-leverage areas:

• We work nationally and internationally to transform approaches to housing stability for particularly vulnerable homeless populations. Our efforts function across three continents and more than 235 communities to bring better data, smarter service systems and greater cost-efficiency to the global fight to end homelessness.

• We coordinate collaborative, place-based efforts in communities of concentrated poverty to facilitate the turnaround of whole neighborhoods from the bottom up. This includes better coordination of existing health, housing and employment services, as well as planning and architectural innovation to transform and reimagine the physical environment.

WHAT%WE%DO%VULNERABLE%PEOPLE%AND%HARD0HIT%NEIGHBORHOODS%

Strategy Ovrvew

Reimagining Public Space

Architectural renderings of our proposal to reactivate unused space and create jobs by retrofitting public housing in Brownsville, Brooklyn

Brownsville,%Brooklyn Community)District:)16)

Census)Tracts:)910)and)912)

Total)popula:on)(2010):)86,468)

Square)miles:)1.9)Demographics:)! 78)%)African)American)! 17)%)Hispanic)! 5)%White,)Asian,)other)

84.3)%)Renter)occupied)housing)

Transporta:on:)No.)3,)A)and)L)trains)

Brownsville

Brownsville,%Brooklyn%%The)Dominant)Narra:ve

–  )48%)of)Brownsville)residents)receive)income)supports))

– 36%)of)Brownsville)families)live)below)the)poverty)line)

– Has)the)highest%concentra:on)of)public)housing)in)America,)with)18)NYC)Housing)developments.)

– 79%)of)Brownsville)children)are)born)into)poor)families)

– Violent)crime)rate)is)over%3%Jmes)the)city)average)

– One%out%of%every%12%youth)ages)16W24)are)imprisoned)or)jailed:)The)highest)rate)in)New)York)City)

7/22/14 page 11 /

Brownsville,%Brooklyn%%Building)on)Brownsville�s)Assets)

7/22/14 page 12 /

The Brownsville Partnership (BP) is a network of organizations and residents working together to

build on existing assets to create solutions to Brownsville�s most pressing challenges.

Placemaking/Physical Revitalization

Connecting Vulnerable Residents to Needed Services

Building partnerships to tackle difficult issues

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION/ENGAGEMENT

BACKBONE

7/22/14 page 13 /

!  Establishes)vision))!  Recruits)and)convenes)partners)!  Sets)clear,)collec:ve)and)measureable):me)bound)goal(s))

!  Secures)agreements)among)partners)needed)to)achieve)vision)

!  Collects)and)organizes)relevant)data))!  Advocates)for/monitors/improves)public)spaces))

!  Provides)process)improvement)support)for)collec:ve)group)around)achievement)of)common)goals)

! Maintains)regular)(at)least)monthly))communica:ons)with)partners;)organizes)and)shares)a)monthly)common)calendar)of)all)events)

•  Mobilizes)residents)to)par:cipate)in)neighborhood)improvement)process)

•  Links)residents)to)opportuni:es)•  Improves)func:oning)of)neighborhood)services)

and)is)guardian)of)neighborhood)safety)net)for)vulnerable)residents)

•  Maintains)regular)(at)least)monthly))communica:ons)with)residents;)organizes)and)shares)a)monthly)common)calendar)of)all)neighborhood)events)

•  Supports)regular)public)events)and)ini:a:ves)of)partner)organiza:ons)

•  Holds)regular)public)mee:ngs)to)inform)and)residents))

Backbone/Quarterback%&%MobilizaJon/Engagement%%

BACKBONE

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION/ ENGAGEMENT

Today’s Panelists Zilber Family Foundation

• Susan Lloyd, Executive Director

• Erin Frederick, Senior Program Officer

• Gina Stilp, Senior Program Officer

Grace Under Pressure: How to build engagement and the capacity for action in Milwaukee neighborhoods

July 16, 2014"

Zilber Neighborhood Initiative

!  Context

!  Rationale That an infusion of resources—information, expertise, and networks of relationships—can support and accelerate local action and lead to lasting improvements in conditions in neighborhoods and the circumstances of people’s lives

!  Approach Committed funder with a long time horizon Community partner + Quality of Life Plans = ongoing resident engagement Operating and project support + hands-on assistance = capacity building Intermediaries, cross-community projects, funder collaboration = field building

!  ZNI implementation Lindsay Heights (2008) Clarke Square (2008) Layton Boulevard West neighborhoods (201o)

Lindsay Heights

!  First settled by Germans in late 1800s, and by the 1920s Lindsay Heights had became a hub of the city’s African American life, culture and business

!  By the 1970s disinvestment, redlining, failed freeway project, among other factors, left the area highly distressed

!  110 square blocks, over 2,700 households, of which 46% include young people

!  86% African American !  Half of households live in poverty !  Housing vacancy rates of 20-25%

!  Neighborhood contends with serious health disparities, low levels of educational attainment, and higher crime rates as compared to the city as a whole

!  Walnut Way Conservation Corp. coordinates QLP implementation

!  Building networks of residents and strong organizations focused on youth programs, family health and wellness, commercial development and physical improvement projects to improve neighborhood conditions

Clarke Square

!  One of the most diverse neighborhoods in Milwaukee, located on south side, 66% Hispanic, 13% African American, 15% European American

!  Employment opportunities in industry once drew people to the neighborhood

!  Labor unrest and industrial decline during 1960s and 70s drove many employers out leading to high unemployment and disinvestment in the neighborhood

!  35 square blocks, over 2,400 households, 36% of population under the age of 18

!  32% of households live in poverty !  Housing vacancy rates of 11% !  Neighborhood contends with low levels of

educational attainment, and higher crime rates as compared to the city as a whole

!  Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative coordinates QLP implementation

!  Has strong social and human service organizations but neighborhood development is a relatively new approach for this neighborhood

Layton Boulevard West

!  Located on south side of Milwaukee, comprised of three neighborhoods, shares a boundary with Clarke Square, 66% Hispanic, 22% European American, 5% African American

!  Employment opportunities in industry once drew people to the neighborhood

!  Labor unrest and industrial decline during 1960s and 70s drove many employers out leading to high unemployment and disinvestment in the neighborhood

!  135 square blocks, over 6,800 households, 33% of population under the age of 18

!  27% of households live in poverty !  Housing vacancy rates of 7% !  Faces challenges from poverty, unemployment,

and foreclosed homes !  Layton Boulevard West Neighbors coordinates

QLP implementation; one of City’s strongest community development organizations

!  Some parts of the neighborhood are considered “middle market”

To find out more about the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative check out znimilwaukee.org

July 16, 2014

Susan Lloyd, Executive Director Erin Frederick, Senior Program Officer Gina Stilp, Senior Program Officer

7/22/14 page 20 /

Lessons%of%the%Brownsville%Partnership%

Key Takeaways: •  Build trust daily: acknowledge, respect and foster new leaders •  Align administrative data to community interests and desires •  Use a partnership approach to tackle issues

Taking%a%collecJve%approach%to%neighborhood%based%problem%solving%

7/22/14 page 21 /

Hosting Coffee Klatches 100 Day Rapid Results Project in Brownsville Houses

Community Engagement around physical streetscape improvements

Lessons Learned: •  Build trust daily: acknowledge,

respect and foster new leaders •  Align administrative data to

community interests and desires •  Use a partnership approach to

tackle issues. Strengthen the role of the backbone

Challenges: •  Funding:

•  No key funding stream for Backbone/quarterback

•  Difficult to fund resident engagement

•  Research and data evaluation difficult to fundraise

•  Resident Engagement: •  Building individual agency

and capability •  Developing emerging leaders •  Rebuilding social networks •  Measuring the impact of

resident engagement

•  True Partnership is logistically difficult

CHALLENGES? LESSONS LEARNED?

Q & A