 Stimulating Municipal Action to Reduce Poverty
--a three-year project of the NLC to assist municipal officials and their partners to address poverty and other inequalities in their cities and towns, with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
NLC Survey Finds Mounting Concern Among City Officials as Economic Insecurity Grows
Forty years after the federal government declared "war" on poverty, and in light of persistent economic pressures on America's households, a new NLC report, Poverty and Economic Insecurity: Views from City Hall reveals that ninety percent of municipal leaders surveyed said that poverty has either increased or stayed the same in their cities over the past decade. Poverty and Economic Insecurity: Views from City Hall is based on a survey conducted in the spring of 2008. The survey asked mayors and two council members selected at random from each of 1,120 cities with a population of 30,000 or more about their opinion on the many aspects of poverty. Download the full report or the Executive Summary: Full Report: Poverty and Economic Insecurity: Views from City HallExecutive Summary - Poverty and Economic Insecurity: Views from City Hall
"Building Equitable Communities," a technical assistance roundtable, is designed to assist cities to build on local assets and current capacities to create more equitable and inclusive communities.
In the three-day roundtable, city leadership teams will:
- Learn how to use the powers of city hall to increase social, economic, political, and/ or racial equity.
- See their city's capacities in an entirely new way.
- Build a team of key leaders to create a local equity agendas.
- Be part of a growing network of peers committed to equity and inclusiveness.
- Develop strategies to mobilize assets to do this work.
- Leave with an action plan for year-one and a vision for the agenda's future.
Three roundtables have already taken place in Indianapolis, IN., Savannah, GA., and Charlotte N.C.
For Background Information on the Building Equitable Communities Technical Assistance Roundtable, click here. For additional information, contact Phyllis Furdell at furdell@nlc.org.
New Interactive Resource - Building Equitable Cities Community of Practice
The Building Equitable Cities Community of Practice (CoP) is an interactive networking and resource tool for members to share information about what their communities and organizations are doing and to learn from others. Members of the Community of Practice will be able to access both NLC and non-NLC resources related to poverty and equity, as well as post articles, resources and discussion topics, and connect directly with other Community of Practice members.
The Building Equitable Cities CoP is open to local elected officials, city staff, and community partners interested in issues around poverty and equity.
To join the Building Equitable Cities Community of Practice, go to: http://nlc.communityzero.com/equitablecities Click "Join" to become a Building Equitable Cities Community of Practice member. Once you submit your request for membership, you will be given full access the Building Equitable Cities Community of Practice by a site administrator.
New Resources
New publications provide an in-depth look at how cities across America are addressing poverty and inequality.
(To access these resources click on the titles.)
Released in March 2007, this book provides an in-depth look at the broad range of municipal capacities and powers used in 10 very different American cities to promote racial, economic, political and social equity. Based on over 100 in-person, detailed interviews with municipal leaders from the 10 cities, the authors provide insights into the complex partnerships and collaborations among municipal officials, neighborhood groups, business leaders and local nonprofit organizations to move local equity agendas forward. From initiatives that create a local culture of fairness and inclusiveness to improved services to low-income neighborhoods, from participatory governance processes to community building and leadership development, municipal leaders are making a difference in the quality of life in low-income neighborhoods.
Released in November 2006, this publication features effective local programs and initiatives that support the equity agendas of the 10 cities featured in Tapping the Power of City Hall to Build Equitable Communities: 10 City Profiles. The programs range from Savannah's Poverty Simulations sponsored by the city and the local chamber of commerce and attended by business and government leaders to Kalamazoo, Michigan's racial summit and Charlotte, North Carolina's Neighborhood Quality of Life Assessments. Taken together, the 17 promising practices address race, participatory governance processes, strategic use of data, and innovative service delivery programs.
Additional Resources
Go to the Poverty Reduction Strategy page for background and information about related NLC activities.
For copies of the two publications contact Phyllis Furdell at (202)626-3034 or furdell@nlc.org or Caterina Bummara at (202) 626-3136 or bummara@nlc.org.
W. K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 "to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations." Its programming activities center around the common vision of a world in which each person has a sense of worth; accepts responsibility for self, family, community, and societal well-being; and has the capacity to be productive, and to help create nurturing families, responsive institutions, and healthy communities.
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