mapping opportunity for advocacy and social justice

Mapping Opportunityfor Advocacy and Social Justice

Jason ReeceSenior Research Associatereece.35@osu.edu

Matthew MartinResearch Associatemartin.1227@osu.edu

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and EthnicityThe Ohio State University

CRP 608- Winter Quarter, 2011January 18, 2011

Overview

• Use of mapping in our work• Opportunity mapping:

• Assumptions • Methodology • Examples

• Applications and Impact

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Space and Social Equity

Racial and social inequities are often manifested spatially

Local issues tend to have a regional scope and variation e.g. school performance, housing vacancy◦ Maps are naturally the best tools to display this spatial

phenomena◦ Maps give us the opportunity to look at our entire regions or

states Informing people about an issue at a scale they may not usually

think of linking communities sharing similar problems

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Why use maps?

Maps are incredibly efficient

compacting volumes of data

ability to convey information in seconds

tell a story or solve a problem

Provide spatial reference Shared sense of value Builds mutual trust

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Columbus Neighborhoods: 2006 Foreclosures

About Our Work

Emphasis on how systems work to produce inequity◦ How do multiple issues interact to either depress or uplift certain

populations or communities?◦ What can we do to “strategically intervene” and improve

outcomes for marginalized communities

Extensive use of GIS/mapping in our work◦ Inequity has a geographic footprint◦ Leverage points sometimes geographic in scope◦ Maps powerful for tools for Research Designing policy/programming Communicating research/issues to the public and other

stakeholders

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Using Maps for Advocacy

In our work we see mapping as serving these primary advocacy goals◦AnalysisExisting conditions, spatial trends, scenarios, optimization etc.

◦StorytellingA narrative◦ Legal Evidence Liability, disparate impactRemedy

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Analytical Examples

Are hospital investments benefiting communities of color? (Columbus)

Are job growth areas connected to transit? (Baltimore)

Is the distribution of subsidized housing units affirmatively furthering fair housing? (Baltimore)

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Hospital Investments and African American

neighborhoodsColumbus

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Health EquityResearch

Franklin County, OH Health Investment Disparity

Spatial Mismatch

Percent Change in Jobs

30 - 66.6

15 - 30

5 - 15

0 - 5

Job Loss

Recent Job Growth 98-02 and Public Transitin the Baltimore Region

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Job Growth & PublicTransit in Baltimore

Narratives Examples

Foreclosures in African American neighborhoods are due to subprime lending patterns (Cleveland)

What if Montclair, NJ schools returned to neighborhood school system?

Were Stimulus investments made in communities that were most impacted by the recession (Florida)?

Affordable housing is scarce in areas with access to quality education and employment opportunities.

How have historic redlining practices affected today’s opportunity landscape (Portland)?

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Race and Subprime Lending11

Maps: Produced and adapted from Charles Bromley, SAGES Presidential Fellow, Case Western University

Cleveland MSA Subprime Loans: 2005

Race and Foreclosure

Maps: Produced and adapted from Charles Bromley, SAGES Presidential

Fellow, Case Western University

Cleveland MSA Foreclosures: 2006

Montclair School District, NJ

Opportunity & Recovery

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Historic Redlining Practices and

Access to Opportunity in

2010

Redlining & Opportunity

Opportunity Mapping:Combining Analysis with a Strong Narrative

Research tool to◦ understand the dynamics of “opportunity” within

metropolitan areas◦ illustrate where opportunity rich communities exist

(and assess who has access to these communities) ◦ understand what needs to be remedied in opportunity

poor communities Based on Kirwan Institute’s “Communities of

Opportunity” framework

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The Communities of Opportunity Approach

Everyone should have fair access to the critical opportunity structures needed to succeed in life.

Low Opportunity neighborhoods limit the development of human capital.

A Community of Opportunity approach can develop pathways that result in increased social and economic health, benefiting everyone.

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Communities of Opportunity Primer18

Opportunity Matters: Space, Place, and Life Outcomes

“Opportunity” is a situation or condition that places individuals in a position to be more likely to succeed or excel.

Opportunity structures are critical to opening pathways to success:◦ High-quality education◦ Healthy and safe environment◦ Stable housing◦ Sustainable employment◦ Political empowerment◦ Outlets for wealth-building◦ Positive social networks

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Space and Opportunity

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Redlining maps (Hartford, CT)21

Some people ride the “Up” escalator to reach opportunity.

Others have to run up the “Down” escalator to get

there.22

Mapping Opportunity:Why and How

The Communities of Opportunity framework is inherently spatial ◦ Inequality has a geographic footprint

◦ Maps can visually track the history and presence of discriminatory and exclusionary policies that spatially segregate people

◦ Identifying places with gaps in opportunity can help direct future investment and identify structures which impede access to opportunity

The model uses state-of-the-art GIS and extensive data sets to analyze the distribution of opportunity in our metro regions

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Opportunity Mapping Model

A refined model to depict spatial pattern of opportunity◦ Identifying indicators as proxy for opportunity◦ Supported by social science literature◦ Data easily available◦ Index based approach compresses multi-factors to an index

Model is a good communications tool to work with communities

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The Geography of Opportunity25

Mapping Communities of Opportunity: Methods and Indicators

How do you map opportunity? ◦ Data representing community conditions is gathered for

neighborhood (census tracts) across the state or region Aggregated to the Census Tract level Analyzed to create a comprehensive opportunity index for the region

◦ The opportunity index is then mapped and census tracts are broken into quintiles based on their opportunity score Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, Very High

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Massachusetts Opportunity Mapping, Boston area

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Opportunity Analysis

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Redlining: 1937 to 2009

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African American men are isolated from

neighborhoods of opportunity in Detroit

Detroit Opportunity and Race31

Low opportunity neighborhoods have

higher number of linguistically

isolated households

Austin Opportunity and Linguistic Isolation

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Applications

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Building A Fair FloridaA Study of Opportunity and Recovery

Pre-Conference WorkshopMarch 11, 2010

Recession and Recovery

What does Florida’s opportunity landscape look like?

What communities in Florida have been impacted the most by the recession?

What’s happening with the resources from The Recovery Act (ARRA)?

Are jobs being created in Florida’s hard-hit communities?

What’s being done about the housing crisis?

Build A Fair Florida

Phase 1: A call for transparency, tracking, and accountability (September 2009)

Phase 2: Analysis of the opportunity landscape and the effects of the recession (October 2009)

Phase 3: A study of ARRA contract procurement and job creation (January 2010)

Phase 4: Reviewing the neighborhood stabilization program and the Federal response to the housing crisis (May 2010)

Opportunity Mapping

A study of the opportunity status of key regions in Florida◦ Miami◦ Tampa ◦ Orlando◦ Jacksonville

Preparatory analysis for ARRA resource allocation research and advocacy efforts◦ What places and have the greatest

need for investment?◦ What people and have the greatest

need for investment?◦ What elements of success need the

most investment? Education, Housing,

Transportation, Employment, etc.? Phase 2 Report

Mapping Opportunity

Education◦ Math & Reading Scores◦ Graduation Rates◦ Student Poverty◦ Teacher Qualifications◦ Educational Attainment

Economics & Mobility◦ Jobs & Job Change◦ % on Public Assistance◦ Unemployment Rates◦ Mean Commute Time◦ Business Vacancy Rates

Housing & Neighborhoods◦ Home Ownership Rates◦ Residential Vacancy Rates◦ Median Home Values◦ Poverty Rates◦ Proximity to Hazardous Sites

Layers of Opportunity

Economics & Mobility

Education

Housing & Neighborhoods

Comprehensive

Visualizing the Opportunity Model

Opportunity & Subsidized Housing

JacksonvilleMiami

Opportunity & Foreclosure

Jacksonville

Orlando

Opportunity & Race

Tampa-St. Petersburg

Orlando

Race and Low Opportunity

Low Opportunity and Race

Housing and Low Opportunity

Percentage of Subprime Loans per Opportunity Area by Region

Phase 2 Conclusions

Assuring a Fair and Equitable Recovery◦ Data Collection, Tracking, and Transparency◦ Targeted, Equitable Reinvestment for Hard-Hit Communities◦ Assuring Jobs Reach Those in Greatest Need

Creating Pathways to Opportunity◦ Community of Opportunity Model: Opening the “Levers” of

Opportunity◦ People, Places, and Linkages

Equitable and Sustainable Fiscal and Economic Policy◦ Reforming the State Tax Structure◦ High Road Economic Development: Not a continuation of policies

that encourage unsustainable growth and low-wage job creation

ARRA Jobs & Contracting

Measuring the Employment Impact of ARRA◦ Who has been most impacted by rising

unemployment?◦ Is ARRA creating jobs in hard-hit

communities?◦ What industries or programs are

experiencing success?

Is ARRA Contract Procurement Equitable?◦ Are minority-owned firms receiving

Federal and State contracts?◦ Are procurement goals being met?

Phase 3 Report

Race and Unemployment

Change in Florida Unemployment Rate by Race

Jobless Recovery?

Marginal Overall Impact Saved Over 20,000

Education Jobs Transportation Projects

Maintain Employment Status Quo

Potential Weatherization Job Growth

Florida 2009 Employment by Month

ARRA Investment & Jobs

Miami

Tampa-St. Petersburg

ARRA Contract Procurement

Share of Federal Contracts by Type of Firm

FDOT Projects: DBE Participation by District

FDOT ARRA Construction Projects

Opportunity & ARRA Projects

Phase 3 Conclusions

Improve Tracking of ARRA Spending◦ Track recipients of jobs created with ARRA funding by demographics

and job quality◦ Require reporting by all sub-contractors down to end-user◦ Report the percent of state and local transportation contracts that go

to Black, Latino, and Women-owned enterprises Increase Small & Minority Business Participation◦ Unbundle large contracts for small businesses◦ Set specific DBE participation goals for the construction industry,

and actively recruit African American-owned businesses into this sector

Ensure That Disadvantaged Communities Get Jobs◦ Use first source hiring to make sure local communities get jobs◦ Require recipients of ARRA funding to use apprentices or on-the-job

trainees◦ Utilize bonding to increase employment opportunities for ex-

offenders

Phase 4 Research

Are Federal programs helping to alleviate Florida’s housing crisis?

How are NSP funds being used to alleviate Florida’s housing crisis?

Is NSP helping to stabilize Florida’s rental housing markets?

Is NSP helping to create jobs in Florida’s hard-hit communities?

Impact

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Thompson v. HUD

Opportunity mapping in the Baltimore region was conducted as part of the Thompson v. HUD fair housing litigation◦ Plaintiffs used opportunity mapping to frame their

remedial proposal, in response to a liability ruling that found the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in violation of the Fair Housing Act ◦ The plaintiffs have proposed establishing 7,000

affordable housing units in the region’s high-opportunity communities, available to volunteers who wish to relocate out of the City of Baltimore’s public housing

Thompson v. HUD

Fair housing Litigation in Baltimore◦ brought on behalf of 14,000 African-American

residents of public housing◦ in response to history of racial segregation of public

housing ◦ Represented by Maryland ACLU and NAACP Legal

Defense Fund US District Court of Maryland, Judge Marvin

Garbis◦ Began in 1995…judge issued liability ruling in 2005 found HUD liable for violating the federal Fair Housing Act

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Opportunity Mapping in Baltimore

Use of 14 indicators of neighborhood opportunity to designate high and low opportunity neighborhoods in the Baltimore region

Indicators of Opportunity (General)◦ Neighborhood Quality/Health Poverty, Crime, Vacancy, Property

Values, Population Trends◦ Economic Opportunity Proximity to Jobs and Job Changes,

Public Transit◦ Educational Opportunity School Poverty, School Test Scores,

Teacher Qualifications

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Opportunity and Housing

Subsidized housing opportunities in Baltimore are generally clustered in the region’s lowest opportunity neighborhoods

Subsidized housing as a way of connecting people to opportunity

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Impacts

Outside of the litigation, the opportunity maps have been used in a variety of ways◦ Program evaluation and planning Monitoring partial consent decree program

◦ Identifying Opportunities/Challenges Assessing opportunities/challenges related to the foreclosure crisis

◦ Regional housing advocacy Baltimore Regional Housing Coalition

◦ Research Tracking outcomes for families who move to high opportunity areas

(John Hopkins)

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MA Legal Services and Opportunity Communities

Background on this project◦ Originated from effort to incorporate

mapping analysis into legal services Partners◦ Massachusetts Law Reform Institute,

MA Legal Assistance Corp (foundation) and other Legal Services Entities◦ Year long process of meeting with

stakeholders to understand mapping needs and issues◦ Training with service providers &

agencies (using mapping for programming)

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Mapping Communities of Opportunity: Methods and Indicators

Three areas of opportunity were analyzed using GIS mapping capability:◦ Education Quality and

Opportunity◦ Economic Health and

Transportation◦ Neighborhood

Stability and Health

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Impact

Program design and use within the legal services◦ New programming – proposed “Adopt A Zip Code” program◦ Use in exploring client concerns/challenges◦ Use in litigation (National Consumer Law Center)◦ Internal use by funder (MLAC)

Direct advocacy◦ State opportunity impact assessment (proposed)◦ Dissemination among state agencies

State level program design (public sector)◦ New $5 million state affordable housing program, targeted to

high opportunity communities◦ Implementation still unfolding

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Work in progress

National Opportunity Mapping Web-based Opportunity mapping

Comparison

Orlando: National Opportunity ContextOrlando: Florida Opportunity Context

Web-based mapping

Online interactive maps ◦ ArcGIS Server Baltimore Foreclosures

(http://www.kirwaninstitute.org/connect/baltimore.html)◦ Open source Austin Opportunity Mapping

(http://www.gis.osu.edu/webgis-projects/opportunity/index.html)

Concluding Thoughts

What is this information/approach useful for?◦ Diagnostics and targeted investments◦ Identifying areas of opportunity and challenges Opportunities◦ Opportunities for investment Targeting services better, targeting programs

Challenges◦ E.g. Foreclosure patterns

◦ Looking at broader policy issues and concern◦ Communications – using maps to illustrate areas of concern,

areas of opportunity, broader community discussions

Thank you!For questions, comments or for more information: www.kirwaninstitute.orgor e-mail us at reece.35@osu.edu or martin.1227@osu.edu

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