The White House has authored a new report highlighting the Obama Administration’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) – a strategy that aligns Federal departments, programs and resources in transforming impoverished neighborhoods.
The NRI report is intended for local practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders who seek to organize and execute community revitalization efforts at the Federal, state and local levels. With an emphasis on empowering communities to engage in local action and maximizing the various sources of Federal funding, the NRI report highlights lessons learned from current revitalization efforts and identifies five key elements that must be included in successful transformation strategies:
- Resident engagement and community leadership that catalyzes and sustains comprehensive change efforts;
- Strategic and accountable partnerships;
- A results-focused strategy that uses data to measure progress and identify specific objectives;
- Investment in building organizational capacity that allows organizations to meet their objectives; and
- A targeted impact strategy that aligns resources and builds critical neighborhood support
The report also features profiles of communities in the midst of successful revitalization efforts that are leveraging Federal funds in creative ways to achieve results. For example, the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Indiana has developed comprehensive community schools, which includes the implementation of new positions and community-based councils that ensure the needs of the community are met. Leveraging more than $30 million in various Federal funding opportunities and fostering relationships with schools and community partners has resulted in improved student performance and addressed the needs of high-risk students.
Similarly, Harmony Oaks Development is a mixed-income, mixed-use community in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. With a collaborative partnership between housing developers, management companies, community development organizations and the State Department of Education, as well as a diverse stream of public and private funding, Harmony Oaks has seen incredible revitalization in terms of its physical infrastructure and support services, such as a new community center and job training opportunities.
To see the full report, click here.
For more examples of how communities are using Federal funds to achieve results locally:
Center for the Study of Social Policy
- Affordable Housing as a Platform for Improving Family Well-Being: Federal Funding and Policy Opportunities
- Supporting the Economic Well-Being of Families: Opportunities for Communities in the Federal Budget
- Integrating High Quality Academic Programs and Supportive Health, Social and Community Services
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