Curated Article: How 3 cities are using federal funding to reknit communities divided by urban renewal and freeways

Reimagining the Civic Commons posted an article about Reconnecting Communities grants that includes case studies about Cleveland, OH, Akron, OH, and Miami, FL.

Included in the case study review is a spotlight on designer and spatial justice activist Liz Ogbu. Liz Ogbu was a featured speaker in Syracuse at the New York State Funders Alliance meeting in October of 2023, and she was fantastic. Her message promotes a diversity of narratives and embracing creativity as we think about our public spaces.

We have similar urban renewal projects that we think about and talk about in our community, and these 3 case studies may spark something new in the story you tell or the framing you use.

As a reminder, opening our minds to new stories often leads to innovation, which can lead to transformation and improvement. Let’s get creative!

Curated Blog Post: Central New York Community Foundation

Our friends at the Central New York Community Foundation posted a blog on July 11th titled "Lending Tree Study Ranked Syracuse Second in Economic Disparity."

I know what you're thinking - where does Rochester rank? Fortunately, we did not make the bottom five. Unfortunately, we are bottom six.

I encourage you to read the CNY blog post for their insight, and to look at the lending tree study itself (linked directly here). We have more work to do!

Curated Podcast: Working together to create affordable housing that lasts

On July 11th, the Next City Podcast shared a case study from Richmond, Virginia that offers a possible permanent affordable housing solution that is worth considering for our community. The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust (MWCLT) is a unique non-profit that is both a land bank and a community land trust. This means that, as a land bank, MWCLT can acquire land for little to no cost from the city, and as a community land trust, the organization can develop that land and sell the home at a low cost, while keeping the land itself in their name. This creates affordable housing in Richmond that is permanent; homeowners who buy from MWCLT can keep the home for generations, or sell it, but they must sell it at a capped price to an income-eligible buyer.  

The dual role of MWCLT is especially beneficial as it limits competition between the public and private sectors. This case study emphasizes the power that collaboration can have in generating solutions, a lesson that is close to my heart. I have the privilege of working with three initiatives at the Community Foundation, one being Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization (RENEW). RENEW is another example of a unique effort to address access to housing; we work with numerous community partners in our region to braid resources to administer home repair and weatherization grants, with the mission of making homes more energy efficient, healthier, and safer. (If you’re interested in learning more about RENEW, there is a case study about the initiative in our Inclusive Recovery dashboard that I’d recommend checking out).  

What working with RENEW has emphasized to me, and what this example from Richmond only further demonstrates, is that collaboration between various partners across the community sparks creative solutions to important issues, including in the field of housing. This podcast is a quick, interesting episode, and I invite you to give it a listen, to learn more about the history of the MWCLT and to revel in their recent successes! 

Contributed by Madison Esposito, Program Administrator for RACF Initiatives and University of Rochester graduate. 

Curated Report: Common Ground Health “Spotlight: The Decline in Life Expectancy in the Finger Lakes Region, 2013-2021”

In December 2023, Common Ground Health published a report on the trends in life expectancy in our region. Life expectancy is widely regarded as an indicator of equity. In fact, the National Equity Atlas lists life expectancy as an indicator of race inequity. 

The Common Ground report highlights a decline in life expectancy of 3 years from 2013 to 2021, as well as the connection of racial and socioeconomic inequities to the life expectancy decline. Common Ground also points to drug overdose, homicide, heart disease, and COVID-19 as explanations for the decreased life expectancy in the region.