This week, we are providing more examples of equitable development in America’s Smaller Legacy Cities, part of the report GOPC released earlier this year with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. This is the second part of the series highlighting these works in on our #GOPCThread series. If you missed the first, it is available here.

Not on Twitter? The thread is available online, as well as below.

Greater Ohio Policy Center Read on Twitter

This week’s #GOPCThread is our 2nd set of #ShoutOuts to partners in smaller legacy cities doing great #Equitabledevelopment.  For more case studies & the academic case for equity, check out our report with @landpolicy "Equitably Developing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities."

Funding minority business drives #Equitabledevelopment. Several Ohio #CDFIs run minority contractor loan programs to support MBE participation in construction and allied fields.  Funds help start-up contractors withstand delays in payment & compete for more jobs. #GOPCThread

#ECDI runs MBE Capital for Construction program (#CfC) & provides short-term, low-interest $5-150K loans. CfC includes tech assistance & access to long-term capital upon program completion. In its 1st 3 years, CfC served 350+ small minority-owned construction firms. #GOPCThread

#VillageCapitalCorporation runs #ContractorsOnTheRise to grow exist. minority & female contractors. They issue lines of credit up to $200K & offer business support services to improve cashflow & bankability. The program grows minority business while revitalizing n’hoods

#WesternReserveCommunityFund started the #MinorityContractorCapitalAccessProgram in 2020. This initiative provides financial and technical assistance to women, LGBTQ+, Veteran and Disabled-owned contracting businesses. #GOPCThread

Building stable n’hoods by protecting n’hood identity & preserving cultural assets, locking in affordability, providing relief from property tax hikes & protecting renters from eviction is #Equitabledevelopment. One #ColumbusOH n’hood is doing this via home repair grants

@colsfoundation, @OCCHstrong, @FifthThird R protecting generational wealth & n’hood stability thru home repair grants 2 legacy residents in #MiloGrogan n’hood. In 2018 $170K in grants funded 17 homes. #NiSourceCharitableFndation, #MidOhioHFH, @milogroganac, @morpc, #GOPCThread

Aligning similar programs 2 promote collaboration, eliminate redundancy, save $ & support scaling up can support #Equitabledevelopment. In #GrandRapidsMI employers funded #TheSOURCE 2 align workforce training, wraparound services & employer needs. #GOPCThread

#TheSOURCE provides social service supports needed to keep employees in their jobs & education & technical training to support employers’ needs & help employees move into better positions. #TheSOURCE has placed 8,000+ employees with a retention rate of 97+%.  #GOPCThread

Improving #Transit and #Mobility to help workers access jobs is #Equitabledevelopment.  @GroveportGov established the Groveport Rickenbacker Employee Access Transit service (#GREAT) to help workers access a major logistics hub and support employers in attracting workers

#GREAT provides fixed-route shuttles that transport workers from existing @COTA bus stops to their jobs at the Rickenbacker logistics hub. #GREAT is funded and operated by @GroveportGov and provided 25K rides in 2019. #GOPCThread

Recalibrating existing operations to be more equitable is #Equitabledevelopment. #SpringfieldOH adjusted code enforcements efforts around solutions-oriented compassion. Instead of fines, homeowners work with the local @NeighborWorks affiliate to address the violation

For example, Springfield @NeighborWorks facilitated an agreement between the city and one homeowner so the resident could buy paint one paycheck at a time to slowly repaint their house. #NeighborhoodHousingPartnershipofGreaterSpringfield, #HousingSuppliesWorkingGroup, #GOPCThread

Adjusting city programs around #equity is #Equitabledevelopment. For example, in #SouthBendIN #BowmanCreekEducationalEcosystem (#BCe2) worked with the city and homeowners to design a city match program for street lighting that would benefit all residents. #GOPCThread

Initially the city-funded a flat $250 match & affluent & middle-income n’hoods subscribed but low-income ones didn’t. #BCe2 convinced the city to lower the program’s match to $80 for low-income n’hoods & BCe2 agreed to pay the fee on their behalf. #GOPCThread

This change made the program more equitable, rather than equal—resulting in a victory for low-income residents and high subscription to the program. #GOPCThread

That’s not all! To learn about more concrete approaches to #equitabledevelopment, check out the webinar we jointly hosted w/ @landpolicy. #GOPCThread