Kansas City, MO improves maternal and infant health outcomes with KCMO Doula Initiative
Kansas City approved a $250,000 partnership with Uzazi Village for free doula services to qualifying participants. Eligible residents are 8 to 20 months pregnant and earn up to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines. The program connects each participant to an experienced doula for guidance from early pregnancy through the postpartum period. Project leaders anticipate improved health for parents and newborns in communities facing healthcare disparities.
Kansas City, MO
United States
Washington, DC collaborates with Eightfold AI on an AI-powered platform for job seekers
Career Ready DC streamlines the hiring process through personalized recommendations to users of the DC Networks job board. The platform evaluates each user's resume for targeted matches with local employers. Additional features include resume customization, application progress tracking, and skill-building suggestions for career changers. Employers benefit from access to applicants with job-related skills, while job seekers experience fewer obstacles to interviews.
Washington, DC
United States
Minneapolis, MN accelerates its climate change mitigation efforts with the Climate Legacy Initiative
The Climate Legacy Initiative is a 10-year plan for improvements in areas like green jobs and tree canopy. Businesses, nonprofits, and community members will coordinate on community-wide projects like home weatherization. City officials and community organizations will use public dashboards for transparency about CLI objectives. Minneapolis partnered with local utilities on the collection of a utility franchise fee to fund CLI with 40% of funds dedicated to projects in low-income areas.
Minneapolis, MN
United States
Calgary, AB trials Rogers Connected for Success access as part of its Fair Entry subsidy program
Calgary's Fair Entry program uses a single application for services to low-income households like transit passes and senior home maintenance. A partnership with Rogers adds the company's Connected for Success initiative to Fair Entry options. Fair Entry recipients won't need to cover monthly costs or fill out additional paperwork for applicable 5G mobile, Internet, and television plans. City officials sought a partner to fulfill its Digital Equity Strategy goals of access for all residents.
Calgary, AB
Canada
Luton Borough Council, GB creates clearer views of resident needs with its Social Progress Index
Borough officials partnered with Social Progress Imperative on an interactive tool for evaluating community needs. The SPI is built on Tableau Public and divides data into three categories - Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. A Borough View tab shows ward-by-ward SPI scores and a comparison of SPI to household income. Council officials and local organizations identify localized needs from anti-social behavior to broadband speed in the Scorecard section.
Luton Borough Council, GB
United Kingdom
Essex County Council, GB expands access to active travel options with its Pedal Power initiative
Essex Pedal Power seeks to give out 5,000 free bikes in six neighborhoods with limited transit options by 2025. Eligible participants receive bikes on loan for six months with mileage tracked by See.Sense SUMMIT trackers. Regular use based on tracking data means users can keep their bikes once loans are complete. The program also offers free riding and cycling confidence lessons from experienced instructors along with basic maintenance through local shops.
Essex County Council, GB
United Kingdom
Charlotte, NC Learn2Earn pilot increases digital literacy through free courses and equipment
Learn2Earn offered free, factory-sealed computers for participants who completed the required coursework. Eight digital literacy courses at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library built user confidence in computer skills needed for employment and school. The pilot complemented the city's Access Charlotte initiative, which used ARPA funding for free home Internet in 8,000 homes. Charlotte also funded expanded digital navigation services in partnership with the Center for Digital Equity.
Charlotte, NC
United States
Evanston, IL addresses long-term impacts of housing discrimination with Restorative Housing Program
The first-of-its-type Restorative Housing Program offers $25,000 per direct descendent of African American or Black families who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. These payments were initially limited to down payments, mortgage assistance, and home renovations. Evanston approved a direct cash payment option for eligible residents in 2023. The program's budget is funded by taxes collected on recreational marijuana sales.
Evanston, IL
United States
Milwaukee County, WI Courthouse Navigator Program assists residents with court filings and services
The program deploys AmeriCorps staff members as navigators for those with business before the circuit court. Free assistance includes estate planning document filing and guidance on eviction appeals. The Courthouse Navigator Program includes access to the Milwaukee Justice Center's legal helpline and dispute resolution resources. County officials created the program to improve court service access despite limited staff and volunteer hours.
Milwaukee County, WI
United States
Alexandria, VA identifies economic disparities by neighborhood with its Equity Index Map
The Equity Index Map uses a Racial Equity Index and Social Opportunity Indicators to highlight inequities by census tract. The Racial Equity Index presents socioeconomic disparities in categories ranging from homeownership to educational opportunity. Social Opportunity Indicator scores include walking distances to bus stops, college degree attainment, and Internet connectivity. The map complements city efforts like the 30-Day Racial Equity Challenge and the Racial Equity Toolkit.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, GB tackles inequities with Wellbeing Weight Management Project
Borough officials identified significantly higher rates of obesity in low-income neighborhoods than the national average. A six-week program with One Wirral offered lessons on nutrition in a classroom setting. Participants chose daily guided activities aimed at building confidence and encouraging behavioral change. The Wellbeing Weight Management Project offered one-on-one support for reduced participant anxiety about lifestyle changes.
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, GB
United Kingdom
Pittsburgh, PA collaborates with local groups on Data Justice for Pittsburgh's Black Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh and the Black Equity Coalition (BEC) received funds from the de Beaumont Foundation to address health inequities. Community leaders are prepared for discussions about inequities created by poor data governance through data literacy workshops. City officials plan channels for community feedback into departmental use of data related to Pittsburgh's environmental. health, and housing policies. The project's goal is the creation of data systems unencumbered by structural racism.
Pittsburgh, PA
United States