Rent cancellation matches the scope of the economic catastrophe ordinary households face. It is needed to ensure people can stay in their homes after eviction moratoriums end. Universal rent cancellation immediately and effectively reaches a huge swath of people, including those especially at risk of homelessness: people who are informally employed; lack a bank account or permanent address; or are undocumented. Download this policy summary of what should go into policy to cancel rents and mortgages and reclaim our homes.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a broad moratorium on all evictions, foreclosures, and sweeps of homeless encampments is needed to protect public health. Moratoriums preserve access to shelter and ensure people are not displaced, slowing infections. No one should lose their home in these life-threatening conditions. Download this two-page policy summary of what should go into a strong moratorium on all evictions, foreclosures, and sweeps.

As wages have stagnated for the majority of workers in the U.S. and inequality has skyrocketed, racial inequity has grown. In Biloxi, Mississippi, these inequities are deep, leaving many Black and Latinx households facing racial and geographic barriers to economic opportunity. The coastal community of East Biloxi has the potential to address some of these inequities through investment in the federal Opportunity Zone program. However, this will only happen if there is an intentional focus on lifting up the most vulnerable communities. Download the brief to learn more about the federal Opportunity Zone program and how it can be leveraged to benefit low-income residents and people of color.  

New Mexican families rely on steady paychecks for groceries, childcare, transportation, and housing costs — spending that goes back to the community. So when employers refuse to pay workers their earned wages, everyone suffers. The New Mexico Worker Organizing Collaborative (NMWOC) works to combat these employer thefts to ensure that workers have a fair shot at economic security. In partnership with NMWOC, the National Equity Atlas co-produced a fact sheet that leverages local and National Equity Atlas data to illuminate those who are disproportionately vulnerable to employer theft and the need for the state to better investigate and enforce wage theft claims. This community data tool will support NMWOC in their advocacy to protect workers and take back lost wages. Download Fair Labor Practices Benefit All New Mexicans.

Advancing Frontline Employees of Color: Innovating for Competitive Advantage in America's Frontline Workforce is a resource and call to action for employers to support the advancement of frontline employees of color. The information in the report can also be a useful tool for those advocating for opportunity for all. The report reveals how companies that are successful in advancing racial equity go beyond traditional diversity and inclusion efforts by shifting their management and HR practices and transforming their company cultures. These companies implement evidence-based practices and policies that fall under three strategic opportunity areas: 1) building internal capacity for an inclusive, understanding, and adaptive culture; 2) strengthening management and HR systems, policies, and practices; and 3) intentionally investing in the development of frontline employees of color.

Download Advancing Frontline Employees of Color Executive Summary

When our relationships are safe and healthy, so are our communities. This California-focused policy paper discusses approaches to ending intimate partner violence and includes policy recommendations that focus on healing, gender justice, and racial equity — instead of punishment — to build safe and accountable communities.

Intimate partner violence is a frightening reality for millions of Californians and a public health crisis that especially affects Black, Native American, and bisexual women and transgender people. For decades, women in the anti-violence movement have led the critical work of meeting the immediate safety needs of survivors — saving countless lives. As we build on these efforts to end partner violence, we must do more to address the root causes of violence and the need for healing for all — including those who have caused harm. Read the policy paper and the summary, and join the campaign, funded with the generous support of Blue Shield of California Foundation. 

Regional economies play an important role in shaping opportunities and outcomes for low-income residents and people of color. Broad trends in the U.S. economy—such as the decline of traditional manufacturing, the growth of high-tech industries, and the rapid expansion of low-wage service jobs—occur unevenly across the nation’s largest metro areas. To better understand the implications of these trends for advancing regional equity and shared prosperity, this report presents a typology that classifies the 150 largest U.S. regions based on (1) the growth of advanced industries; (2) the decline of manufacturing jobs; and (3) the quality of service-sector jobs that generally do not require a BA degree. Understanding the connections between these factors can help local leaders identify and develop tailored strategies to grow good jobs, create accessible career pathways for people of color, nurture equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, and improve job quality for all workers. Download the report, methodology, and summary.

To illustrate how these interrelated dynamics manifest at the local level, the report is accompanied by three case studies of diverse metropolitan areas representing different regional types: Charlotte, North Carolina metro; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metro; and Stockton, California metro.

Regional economies play an important role in shaping opportunities and outcomes for low-income residents and people of color. Broad trends in the U.S. economy—such as the decline of traditional manufacturing, the growth of high-tech industries, and the rapid expansion of low-wage service jobs—occur unevenly across the nation’s largest metro areas. To better understand the implications of these trends for advancing regional equity and shared prosperity, this report presents a typology that classifies the 150 largest U.S. regions based on (1) the growth of advanced industries; (2) the decline of manufacturing jobs; and (3) the quality of service-sector jobs that generally do not require a BA degree. Understanding the connections between these factors can help local leaders identify and develop tailored strategies to grow good jobs, create accessible career pathways for people of color, nurture equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, and improve job quality for all workers. Download the report, methodology, and summary.

To illustrate how these interrelated dynamics manifest at the local level, the report is accompanied by three case studies of diverse metropolitan areas representing different regional types: Charlotte, North Carolina metro; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metro; and Stockton, California metro.
 

Regional economies play an important role in shaping opportunities and outcomes for low-income residents and people of color. Broad trends in the U.S. economy—such as the decline of traditional manufacturing, the growth of high-tech industries, and the rapid expansion of low-wage service jobs—occur unevenly across the nation’s largest metro areas. To better understand the implications of these trends for advancing regional equity and shared prosperity, this report presents a typology that classifies the 150 largest U.S. regions based on (1) the growth of advanced industries; (2) the decline of manufacturing jobs; and (3) the quality of service-sector jobs that generally do not require a BA degree. Understanding the connections between these factors can help local leaders identify and develop tailored strategies to grow good jobs, create accessible career pathways for people of color, nurture equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems, and improve job quality for all workers. Download the report, methodology, and summary.

To illustrate how these interrelated dynamics manifest at the local level, the report is accompanied by three case studies of diverse metropolitan areas representing different regional types: Charlotte, North Carolina metro; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metro; and Stockton, California metro.