Equity

This Moment is Rife with Opportunities to Advance Racial Equity

COMMENTARY | Government has an immense opportunity to lead on racial equity. It must lean in where it can, examine the data to determine if it is having an impact and adjust plans accordingly.  

Seattle Explores a Different Approach to Affordable Housing

Social housing typically centers on permanent affordability, tenant leadership and equity. It's an approach used by cities all over the world, and one some Seattle residents are hoping to see in their own community.

Medicaid Expansion Narrowed Racial Gaps in Hospitalization

COMMENTARY | Expanding Medicaid eligibility reduced Black-white disparities in preventable hospitalizations and ER visits by 10% or more, a new study shows.

Broadband Equity Means Access and Adoption, Not Just Infrastructure Rollouts

Governments should not just install new infrastructure but ensure residents can take advantage of the access, experts say.

L.A.’s Scoring System for Subsidized Housing Gives Unhoused Black and Latino People Lower Priority Scores

An investigation by The Markup found racial disparities in L.A.’s intake system for people experiencing homelessness.

White House’s Environmental Justice Tool Still Comes Up Short, Advocates Say

Groups worry that the criteria that determines which communities qualify is too broad and may lead to federal grant money bypassing the people who need it most.

$185M in Grants to Reconnect Communities Severed by Highways Announced

Federal transportation officials unveiled the dozens of cities and communities selected for grants under the infrastructure law.

Digitized ID Eases Re-entry for Formerly Incarcerated

To streamline the re-entry process for released inmates, the Maryland Re-Entry Passport program launched an online portal that stores digitized copies of personal documents.

More Details Emerge on New York City Free Internet Pilot

Residents in Section 8 housing will be covered by a wireless mesh network under the program announced by Mayor Eric Adams.

How One US City is Beginning a Truth and Reconciliation Program

The Minneapolis initiative is focused on addressing harms that drive racial disparities. Route Fifty spoke with program manager Malaysia Abdi about the work now underway.

Transit Agencies Seek to Boost Minority Contracting

Chicago and Philadelphia have signed an agreement that would allow small and minority-owned businesses to work for both agencies under one certification.

How the Infrastructure Act Aims to Take On Digital Discrimination

The FCC is considering adopting a set of recommendations for state and local governments that would address disparities in broadband service.

The Federal Program to Rebuild After Hurricane Katrina Shortchanged the Poor. New Data Proves It

For years, low-income residents of New Orleans have said the state’s Road Home program paid them less to rebuild their homes compared to wealthier residents. They were right.

The States Leading on Energy Efficiency Policy

A newly released ranking looks at the states doing the most–and the least–when it comes to cutting emissions, and how they’re incorporating equity into their programs.

Maternal Health Risks Increase Where Rent is High

COMMENTARY | New research links high rent relative to income with life-threatening risks to maternal health during labor and delivery.

5 Ways to Improve Jobs for People Incarcerated in US Prisons

COMMENTARY | To understand how best to reform and improve prison jobs and better meet the needs of people in prison, decision-makers can build on the existing evidence and listen to those who are incarcerated.

Testing Out New Transportation Options in the Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C. officials are hoping a “mobility innovation district” will help address equity concerns.

As Self-Driving Cars Hit the Streets, New Equity Concerns Emerge

States and localities will have a key role in ensuring vulnerable communities aren’t harmed by the new transportation technology, or miss out on its benefits.

One County’s Solution to Controversial Confederate Road Names: Switch to Numbers

But dissenters argue it’s all part of a plot to erase their Confederate heroes from history.

Concerns Grow Over AI in Hiring Processes

Automated tech, including artificial intelligence for job recruiting, interviewing and hiring, may discriminate against qualified job-seekers, government officials warn.