Kyle Jones, Legal and Policy Director with Community Water Center and WECR Caucus steering committee member, testifies before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife. Watch the proceedings or download Kyle's testimony.
Dear Atlas users,
Throughout American history, youth-led movements have brought about significant social transformation. Our latest feature story highlights how Bay Area youth are ensuring they are represented and included in local politics. Here’s a look into their efforts and other updates from the Atlas:
Landmark Settlement Reached on Behalf of Californians Struggling with Pandemic Rent Debt
The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE Action), Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), and PolicyLink — represented by Western Center on Law & Poverty, Public Counsel, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Covington & Burling LLP — have settled a major lawsuit against the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) over the administration of the statewide Covid-19 rent relief program. In June 2022, the advocacy groups sued HCD for several systemic failures in the program, including a confusing application process that led eligible tenants to be wrongfully denied assistance. In total, more than 460,000 California renter households applied to the program, with 89,000 of those applicants being Bay Area tenants. More than 100,000 households across the state are still waiting for a decision on their applications, according to our analysis of program data. The agreement requires HCD to give pending and denied applicants a fair chance to receive Covid-19 rental assistance. To learn more about the settlement and what it means for tenants, visit carentrelief.org.
In Focus: Youth Voter Engagement in the Bay Area
From demanding gun-control legislation to rallying support for climate justice policies, young people across the nation have led the way on social and political change. In Oakland, California, a coalition of youth organizers is behind Oakland Youth Vote — a campaign aimed at securing voting rights for 16- and 17-year-old Oakland students. Ixchel Arista, a recent graduate of Oakland High and youth organizer with Oakland Kids First (OKF), has been an integral part of the movement. She and other young activists helped push for the landmark passage of Measure QQ in 2020, which lowered the voting age to 16 for local school board elections and made Oakland the largest jurisdiction to approve of 16-year-old voting in any form. Although Ixchel will be heading to college soon, she says that she’ll continue to support efforts to get more young people civically engaged. Learn more about her story.
Ixchel Arista, a Bay Area youth organizer, poses for a photo in Oakland. Photo: Felix Uribe
Atlas on the Road
As a living resource, we connect with groups across the region to increase awareness of the Atlas and build local leaders’ capacity to use the tool. Here’s a brief look at some of our recent presentations: On June 15, Michelle Huang and Simone Robbenolt facilitated a session at Governing for All: California, a convening hosted by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in partnership with PolicyLink and State of Equity. During it, participants learned how to use the Atlas as a tool for finding disaggregated data and local strategies to support their work. On June 13, Ryan Fukumori joined Omar Carrera, the CEO of the Canal Alliance, and Sukey Leshnick, the director of strategic learning and evaluation at the San Francisco Foundation, to facilitate a session about the role of disaggregated data in shaping strategy and policy campaigns during the Leading Locally 2023 Conference in Denver, Colorado. On June 9, he presented during a housing data infrastructure workshop hosted by San José State University and TechEquity Collaborative. On May 26, he showcased the Atlas and shared best practices in research justice and data equity during a training session for Contra Costa Health Services’ Workforce Health Ambassador program participants. And Ryan joined Thrive Alliance's Resource Room on May 23, where he gave a brief presentation on current Atlas research and ways in which local organizations can leverage our data to support their efforts. Interested in hosting a presentation or training? Contact us at info@bayareaequityatlas.org.
We Want to Hear from You!
If you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable, please let us know. Share your questions, thoughts, and stories with us at info@bayareaequityatlas.org.
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team
Dear Atlas users,
Millions of households across the United States are still struggling with massive amounts of back rent, putting them and their families at risk for eviction. Use the Rent Debt Dashboard to delve deeper into the latest data on rent debt in the US. Here are more updates from the Atlas:
Landmark Settlement Reached on Behalf of Californians Struggling with Pandemic Rent Debt
The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE Action), Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), and PolicyLink — represented by Western Center on Law & Poverty, Public Counsel, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Covington & Burling LLP — have settled a major lawsuit against the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) over the administration of the statewide Covid-19 rent relief program. In June 2022, the advocacy groups sued HCD for several systemic failures in the program, including a confusing application process that led eligible tenants to be wrongfully denied assistance. According to Atlas analyses, more than 460,000 California renter households applied to the program and more than 100,000 households are still waiting for a decision on their applications. The agreement requires HCD to give pending and denied applicants a fair chance to receive Covid-19 rental assistance. To learn more about the settlement and what it means for tenants, visit carentrelief.org.
Data Update: Rent Debt Dashboard
Rent debt remains at crisis levels across the nation. To continue supporting advocacy efforts and policy action, we’ve updated the Rent Debt Dashboard. The latest data shows that nearly six million renter households remain behind on their rent as of May 8 — about double the pre-pandemic baseline. Altogether, they owe more than $10 billion in total rent debt, with the majority of those behind on rent being low-income people of color.
ICYMI: The Uneven Geography of Affordability for Asian American and Pacific Islander Renters
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are among the fastest-growing communities across the US: between 2010 and 2019, the AAPI population grew by 18 percent, whereas the overall US population grew by only 5 percent. However, the AAPI experience in the US is not monolithic. The second report in our series exploring the changing geography of opportunity in US metros indicates that different AAPI subgroups and ethnicities have widely divergent experiences with rental affordability, with Pacific Islanders experiencing the steepest challenges. Want to delve deeper? You can use this dashboard to explore the differences between and within AAPI communities across the nation.
Atlas in the News
Over the past few months, Atlas data and analyses have been cited by dozens of news outlets, including Axios, MarketWatch, Los Angeles Times, TMJ4 News, and The Wall Street Journal. To explore more of our media coverage, visit our news archive.
Atlas on the Road
The Atlas team and our partners facilitate learning sessions and provide presentations on a regular basis to share new data, indicators, best practices, and functionalities. Here’s a brief look at some of our recent presentations: On June 15, Michelle Huang and Simone Robbenolt facilitated a session at Governing for All: California, a convening hosted by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) in partnership with PolicyLink and State of Equity. During it, participants learned how to use the Atlas as a tool for finding disaggregated data and local strategies to support their work. Simone and Michelle facilitated a virtual session with the 2023 Transformative Justice Infrastructure Fellows on June 8, where they did a walkthrough of how the Atlas could support the implementation of transformative infrastructure-related projects, programs, and processes. On June 9, Selena Tan and Seleeke Flingai joined experts from Recidiviz and the Black Wealth Data Center at a Data Funders Collaborative monthly town hall for a panel discussion about creating a demand for public data with a lens on equity. On June 1, Seleeke and Edward-Michael Muña demonstrated how Atlas data can be put into action through a brief showing of the regional equity profiles being built to support community groups that are looking to leverage funds from the statewide Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) program. The session was part of the Community Economic Mobilization Initiative (CEMI) learning series. To learn more, download the slide deck from the session or watch the session recording. On May 25, Selena showcased the Atlas and our approach to data equity at the Leadership Conference Education Fund ’s Data Disaggregation Action Network meeting. On April 28, Michelle and Selena presented at the 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Institute, which was hosted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. During the session, they delved into the Atlas’ approach to data equity and data democratization in developing analyses and working with community-based organizations on equity policy. Interested in hosting a presentation or training? Contact us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.
— The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)
Dear Atlas users,
Atlas data shows that at least half of renters are currently rent burdened in 57 of the 100 largest cities in the United States. Research has shown that rent-burdened households are more likely to experience financial instability and be at risk of eviction. Through our research, we continue to explore how housing unaffordability impacts families across the nation. Here are the latest updates from the Atlas:
New Atlas Research Illustrates The Uneven Geography of Affordability for Asian American and Pacific Islander Renters
The second report in our series exploring the changing geography of opportunity in American metropolitan regions indicates that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) renters experienced an uneven distribution of housing affordability across ethnic groups and geographic regions during the period between the Great Recession and the Covid-19 pandemic. Our analysis of changes in market rent and median household income for AAPI residents in the 100 largest US metros shows that AAPI residents have been disproportionately concentrated in the least affordable regions. It also underscores that AAPI communities’ relatively high median incomes can obscure the presence of many low-income AAPI renters who struggle with finding safe and secure housing. To further illustrate these findings, we explore the various housing challenges that AAPI residents face in the Honolulu, Atlanta, Philadelphia/New York, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Visit the project page to assess other resources, including a dashboard you can use to explore the differences between and within AAPI communities across the US.
An Equity Profile of Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County, Michigan, is growing more diverse. But our latest equity profile — developed in partnership with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and local community leaders — details how a long history of racial discrimination and disinvestment in the region’s communities of color have created entrenched and persistent racial inequities in employment, income, wealth, education, health, justice, housing, and transportation. These growing gaps are costing the county an estimated $1 billion in potential economic growth each year. Learn more.
Data Update: Rent Debt Dashboard
Our updated Rent Debt Dashboard shows that more than 5 million renters remain in debt, with an estimated total rent debt of more than $11 billion nationwide, as of April 10. The majority of those behind on rent are low-income people of color. This new data underscores the magnitude of the rent debt crisis in communities across the country and the continued urgency of providing tenant protections to keep families in their homes and curb the surge of evictions that have followed the end of pandemic eviction moratoriums.
Meet the 2024 Class of National Equity Atlas Fellows
In case you missed it, we announced our second cohort of equity champions — 10 grassroots leaders of color from across the nation who will spend the next year sharpening their data skills and producing new data visualizations and other research products to strengthen their organization’s policy and advocacy campaigns. In the face of mounting challenges, the Atlas remains committed to bolstering the impact of dedicated advocates who reflect the communities they serve, which is a critical ingredient to winning on equity. Learn more about our fellowship program.
Atlas in the News
Over the past few months, Atlas data and analyses have been cited in dozens of news articles: Findings from our September 2022 report on Prop 22’s impact on rideshare drivers was cited in a piece from The San Francisco Standard about rideshare and food delivery drivers grappling with tipping issues. The report was also cited in a piece from The Guardian about drivers calling for the regulation of rideshare companies. Our rent debt data was cited in a CalMatters article on rising evictions in Los Angeles County and a CNBC article detailing solutions for those grappling with rent debt. To explore more of our media coverage, visit our news archive.
We Want to Hear from You!
If you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable, please let us know. Share your questions, thoughts, and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.
— The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)
Dear Atlas users,
The Bay Area has long been entangled in a housing crisis — and all signs point to it continuing to worsen. Our latest analysis and feature story illustrate how rising housing costs and uneven wage growth are straining household budgets and jeopardizing the region’s diversity, growth, and prosperity. With a renewed push to tackle the region's housing crisis underway, data on how it is affecting residents is a key ingredient in securing the policies needed to stabilize families and keep them in their homes. Here are more housing-related updates from the Atlas:
Bay Area Residents Grapple with an Ongoing Housing Crisis and Rising Housing Costs
In the third analysis in our four-part series on the region’s recovery, we examine how Covid-19 has impacted housing affordability. The most current data shows that neighborhoods across the entire nine-county region have become less affordable for renters and homebuyers alike since the pandemic began. An estimated 89,000 Bay Area households were behind on rent at the end of February, with residents of color bearing an outsized share of this regional rent debt. Renters have also accrued significant amounts of “shadow debt” because they’ve been forced to borrow money from people or lending institutions to cover their unpaid rent. Explore the Bay Area Recovery Tracker to delve deeper into the data and our insights.
In Focus: Rent Burden in the Bay Area
At the beginning of the pandemic, Joseph Alvarez moved to an apartment complex in Petaluma with his wife and children. It was the closest and most affordable option near his job in San Rafael. When their lease was up for renewal, the family was hit with a rent increase. Now, Joseph worries that they’ll be priced out of the area if this trend continues because his income is not increasing at the same rate. He is among 24 percent of the renters in Petaluma who are severely rent burdened, those who spend 50 percent or more of their monthly income on rent. In the nine-county region, nearly half (47 percent) of renters are rent burdened, which means that 30 percent of their income goes toward paying rent. Learn more about Joseph’s story — and find data on eliminating rent burden for your community.
Photo: Felix Uribe
Atlas in the News
Over the past month, our data and insights have been featured in several local outlets. Here’s a brief roundup: the San Francisco Chronicle's Soleil Ho included data from our homeownership indicator in an op-ed about the fight over tenant protections in the Bay Area. Mercury News also cited Atlas data on homeownership rates in a piece about the growing gap between Black and white homeownership across the region. The Bay Area News’ Kiley Russell covered our report on the economic challenges still facing the region’s communities of color and low-income communities. For more Atlas-related media coverage, explore our news archive.
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team
Dear Atlas users,
Recent news headlines have brought the Bay Area’s slow recovery to the forefront, highlighting that the region is still struggling to rebound from the pandemic. To ensure an equitable recovery and bolster local efforts, the Bay Area Equity Atlas has released two trackers: one that highlights investments made with federal recovery funds and another that illustrates how residents are faring. Here’s more information about our efforts to track the region’s recovery and other Atlas updates:
New Tool: Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker
Bay Area cities and counties collectively received more than $3 billion in flexible federal resources from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program. But are these funds being used to lay the groundwork for an equitable recovery? The Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker — developed in partnership with the San Francisco Foundation (SFF) and an advisory group of local advocates — provides a clear and comprehensive look at how governments across the nine-county region are allocating their SLFRF dollars. Our assessment of the most recent public data (which covers reporting through December 31, 2022) reveals that Bay Area localities have made spending plans for more than $2 billion (67 percent) of the SLFRF funds allocated to the region, leaving $1 billion (33 percent) left to be allocated.
In Focus: The Vital Role of Immigrant Inclusion to the Bay Area’s Cultural and Economic Vitality
The Atlas includes data on nativity and ancestry, as well as stories that illustrate the lived experiences of the people behind the numbers. Our latest feature story centers on Darling Ruiz, an immigrant who moved to the United States after a devastating fire destroyed her entire home in Mexico and all of her possessions. She now lives in Marin County, where nearly 18 percent of its total population are immigrants and 7 percent are Latinx immigrants (18,000 residents). Read Darling’s story to learn more about how she’s advocated for immigrant inclusion in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael.
Atlas on the Road
The Atlas team regularly engages with local advocates and organizations. Here’s a brief look at our past and upcoming presentations: On March 4, Ryan Fukumori and Simone Robbennolt presented on the state of equity in the Bay Area during the League of Women Voters of the Bay Area’s annual League Day. To dig into the insights they covered, watch the recording of their presentation. On March 20, Jennifer Tran joined SFF and other local experts to share data and insights from the Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker. On April 5, Abbie Langston will provide the keynote presentation during the Marin Economic Forum’s annual “Forecasting the Future” program, which will focus on economic equity in Marin County.
Atlas in the News
This month, the San Francisco Examiner cited findings from our 2021 analysis of Bay Area homeownership rates in a story about the high rates of housing burden in the region. Bay Area News also recently included data from our housing burden indicator in a piece about the issue of housing affordability in the region. For more, check out the complete list of our media coverage.
News from Our Network
Urban Habitat recently launched a new website that makes it easier for those who are interested to learn more about its campaigns, coalition work, and leadership development opportunities. Mariana Moore, senior director of the Ensuring Opportunity Campaign to End Poverty in Contra Costa, used insights from the Bay Area Recovery Tracker during her testimony before the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors on March 21. During the meeting, she joined several residents and advocates in highlighting the region’s unequal recovery. The data helped them make the case for the county to explore launching a guaranteed income pilot program.
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team
Dear Atlas users,
Our latest analyses indicate that people living and working in the Bay Area continue to face economic challenges, including growing income polarization and financial stress related to job loss or pay cuts. As the effects of the pandemic and long-standing inequities continue to unfold across the region, the Bay Area Equity Atlas remains committed to partnering with local advocates and policy leaders to ensure that equity is at the forefront of our region’s recovery. Explore the latest Atlas research and updates:
Nearly Half of All Residents In the Bay Area Are Either Low Income or Very Low Income
The follow-up analysis to our 2020 examination of the racial and ethnic makeup of low- and very low-income residents in the Bay Area reveals that 3.5 million people in the region — 46 percent of the area’s total population — are either very low-income or low-income. We also found that there are region-wide racial disparities: Black and Latinx residents make up a larger share of very low-income residents compared to white and Asian or Pacific Islander residents. Our analysis also indicates that there are county-level differences: Compared to the other Bay Area counties, San Francisco has a markedly higher rate of residents with lower incomes (54 percent). Learn more about the crisis of income polarization in the nine-county region by delving into these and other findings.
Bay Area Residents Continue to Face Significant Economic Challenges
Building off data from the Bay Area Recovery Tracker, the latest analysis in our series exploring how the region’s residents are faring post-Covid illustrates how racial and economic inequities are fueling an uneven recovery for communities of color and people with low incomes. We found that six in 10 low-income adults and almost half of adults of color are still unable to cover their usual expenses, including buying food and groceries; paying housing and utility bills; and keeping up with monthly car payments and other transportation costs. The gap between lower income and higher income households experiencing a loss of employment income also continues to widen: There is a 23 percentage-point gap between lower income and higher income households reporting a loss of employment income, up significantly from an eight percentage-point gap in April 2021. Other issues, including tech industry layoffs and persistent occupational segregation, have increased job instability and economic uncertainty for workers in the region. For more insights, explore the full analysis.
Atlas on the Road
Atlas in the News
This month, the San Francisco Chronicle cited findings from our profile of the Bay Area’s AAPI population in a story about the fastest-growing languages in the region. The East Bay Times mentioned the Atlas and our insights in a piece about efforts to address renter displacement as the housing development boom continues in Mountain View, California. Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, also cited several Atlas analyses in an op-ed published in the San Francisco Examiner. For more, check out the complete list of our media coverage.
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team
Dear Atlas users,
As 2022 comes to an end, we're celebrating what has been both a productive and transformative year for our team and partners. This year, we produced more than 30 data products, including reports, fact sheets, equity profiles, dashboards, and analyses, that have helped communities and advocates across the nation win on equity. Here are a few more updates from the Atlas to close out the year:
Applications for the National Equity Atlas Fellowship Are Now Open!
Are you a mid-career grassroots leader of color who’s interested in learning how to leverage data to bolster your organization’s campaigns? We’re now accepting applications for the second cohort of National Equity Atlas Fellows. This year-long program offers selected participants hands-on training in data analysis and visualization, opportunities to engage with data and policy experts, access to a peer network of other community-based leaders from across the United States, and dedicated support in developing original data projects. The deadline for applications is January 21, 2023, and the fellowship will begin in March 2023. To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit nationalequityatlas.org/lab/fellowship-cohort2.
Ensuring Workers in the Miami Metropolitan Area Are Prepared for the Jobs of Tomorrow
South Florida’s economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has been turbulent, driven by persistent barriers to quality employment prospects for residents of color and an elevated risk of automation-driven job displacement. Our latest workforce equity report — produced in partnership with Florida International University — examines what these upheavals and ongoing racial economic exclusion are costing the three-county region. Our in-depth analysis of disaggregated equity indicators and labor market dynamics found that Black workers and Hispanic women in the Miami metropolitan region have the lowest median wages at $16 per hour, while white men earn the highest median wages at $27 per hour — a 69 percent pay gap. The research also indicates that eliminating racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people could boost South Florida's economy by $122 billion a year. Download the full report, and explore other regional analyses in our Advancing Workforce Equity project.
Join Our Team
The USC Equity Research Institute invites applicants to apply for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in support of the research and activities of the Atlas. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to building data infrastructure for the equity movement, conduct quantitative and qualitative research, and participate in engagements with community advocates and policymakers. Please help us spread the word!
Thanks for Being a Part of Our Growing Network
We appreciate your continued support and interest in our work. Please stay tuned for new research, updated data, and more opportunities to connect with us in 2023! In the meantime, if you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable this year, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.
- The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)
Dear Atlas users,
In this season of gratitude and giving, we want to thank you for supporting the National Equity Atlas and our work. We’re gearing up to release updated data and new research that help further advance racial and economic equity. To increase our capacity and better support the leaders and communities we partner with, we’ve expanded our team. Here is more on this exciting news and other updates:
Atlas Team Members Who Joined in 2022 (from top left to bottom right): Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia.
You might have already noticed, but there have been many new members added to the Atlas team this year. Please help us in officially welcoming them: Alex Balcazar, Bita Minaravesh, Gabriel Charles Tyler, Jennifer Tran, Ryan Fukumori, Seleeke Flingai, Simone Robbennolt, and Vanessa Garcia. We’re thrilled to have these eight amazing leaders support and boost our change-making work!
ICYMI: A Blueprint for Workforce Equity in Metro Detroit
The latest report in our Advancing Workforce Equity project spells out how long-standing racial gaps in income and employment have impacted Metro Detroit’s workforce and economy: People of color make up a large share of the region’s workforce. Despite this growth and the increasing economic prosperity in the region, Black and Latinx workers in particular aren’t benefiting equitably. Our research also shows that eliminating these racial gaps would provide the region with an estimated $28 billion in economic activity per year. The report and its findings have been covered in Crain’s Detroit Business, Axios Detroit, and Bridge Michigan.
New State Profiles Illuminate the Stark Racial Disparities in Eviction across the Nation
Eviction cases are rising across the United States as Covid-era renter protections continue to end, putting millions of people at-risk of experiencing homelessness. The Eviction Research Network — a collaborative research project for social good based at UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project — has released several state profiles that illustrate eviction patterns and disparities before and during the pandemic. The analyses underscore the persistence of racial disparities in eviction, with Black renters consistently facing the greatest threat of eviction in localities across the nation. Thus far, maps and profiles have been released for Delaware, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon.
Do You Have an Atlas Story to Share?
If you’ve found any of our data, research, or resources valuable, we want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and stories with us at info@nationalequityatlas.org.
- The National Equity Atlas Team at PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute (ERI)
Dear Atlas users,
From climate change to Covid-19, low-income people and communities of color have been the most impacted by crises — and recovery efforts that exclude them deepen inequities. Despite some progress, many Bay Area residents have yet to fully recover. The Bay Area Equity Atlas is committed to partnering with communities and advocates to ensure that the region's recovery creates a different future — one where prosperity is broadly shared, and the region’s working-class people and people of color have good jobs, dignified and rising standards of living, and can prosper. Explore the latest Atlas research and updates:
Tracking the Bay Area's Progress Toward an Equitable Recovery
We developed a new tool — Bay Area Recovery Tracker — to monitor the nine-county region’s progress toward an inclusive and equitable recovery. The tracker, which draws from a mix of data sources, provides a real-time snapshot of how communities are faring across 16 unique indicators, ranging from access to remote work, households behind on rent, and public school enrollment rates. It features disaggregated data across three focus areas (economic security and prosperity, housing justice, and healthy communities of opportunity) and three levels (regional, county, and zip code). To learn more about this new tool and post-Covid recovery in the Bay Area, read this overview and explore regional trends.
Mapping Patterns of Segregation Across the Bay Area
In case you missed it: we released an analysis on racial and economic segregation across the Bay Area. The maps featured within the analysis show where the largest racial, geographic, and income divides exist across the region. Our research underscores that deep and persistent pockets of both white wealth and Black, Latinx, and Asian American poverty persist in the Bay Area, despite the region’s diversity and progressivism. To provide deeper analysis, we created city-level maps for Alameda, Berkeley, Concord, and Oakland, which can inform the process of updating local housing elements.
In Focus: Are People Leaving the Bay Area?
Abbie Langston, the director of equitable economy at PolicyLink, joined other experts on KQED Newsroom to weigh in on shifting population trends in the Bay Area. During the conversation, she called attention to the racial and economic inequities that undergird the shifts, particularly the skyrocketing cost of housing that has disproportionately harmed Black people living in the region. Watch a recording of the segment. To learn more about how the region's racial and ethnic demographics have changed since 2000, click here.
Register Now: Atlas Training Session
The Atlas contains 23 equity indicators for 272 geographies across the nine-county region, along with policy strategies, case studies, and resources. On October 18, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. PT, the San Francisco Foundation will host a training session for those interested in learning how to use the Atlas. Jennifer Tran and Simone Robbenolt of PolicyLink will share an overview of the Atlas, how people are using it, and how it can support Bay Area advocates in advancing equity. Trainees will also hear from Irene Rojas-Carroll of Bay Rising about how the organization has used data from the Atlas to inform and bolster its efforts. Register for the session.
Atlas in the News
Our data and insights have informed pieces in several news outlets, including San Francisco Chronicle, East Bay Times, Bay City News, and KQED. For more, check out the complete list of our media coverage.
Thank you,
Bay Area Equity Atlas team