Equity

Job opportunities targeting workers with ADHD and autism gain traction

North Carolina wants to attract more neurodivergent people to IT work. It is one of many such initiatives in government.

FEMA rolls out climate adaptation loans for small and overlooked communities

The federal disaster relief agency has taken heat for steering past resilience funds to whiter, wealthier areas.

A simple way to make electric cars more accessible: Share them

Car shares not only make electric vehicles more equitable, they reduce the number of vehicles on the road and the resources needed to decarbonize transport.

Efforts grow to undercut prosecutors’ authority

COMMENTARY | Some Republican lawmakers in Georgia are looking to remove District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black Democrat representing a majority Black district, from office. The effort in Georgia is not happening in a silo.

Some states protect Section 8 renters, but enforcement is elusive

The protective laws can take years to have an effect for voucher holders.

Why it’s more expensive for Black towns to borrow money

"This is how your sewage gets funded, this is how your water gets funded, this is how public schools and public services are funded," one expert says.

Analysis: A new approach to defining persistent poverty

COMMENTARY | Switching from using counties to census tracts in order to define persistent poverty may hurt rural communities and their chances when competing for federal dollars.

50 years later, group asks: What if other urban highways had been built?

Highways once slated for Atlanta and Washington, D.C., would have sliced through areas that are now some of the cities’ most vibrant neighborhoods.

States have broadband money. Now they just have to figure out how to spend it.

States have less than six months to submit their plans to the federal government on how they will spend their allotment of the $42.5 billion to build out the nation’s broadband.

Will the new wave of place-based policy leave persistently poor areas behind?

COMMENTARY | As the country’s ultimate left-behind places, these communities persist indefinitely in the shadow of growth and prosperity. A more accurate measurement would change that and lead to better policies.

When it comes to employment decisions, it's not just AI that may have biases

New York City’s new law meant to reduce AI-based discriminatory hiring practices is incomplete, experts say. The legislation fails to address human bias, among other loopholes.

Cities have ways to curb gun violence; feds are giving them more money

Lawmakers have recognized community violence intervention programs save lives and taxpayer dollars.

Building infrastructure using inclusive planning

COMMENTARY | As billions of dollars flow to state and local governments under the infrastructure bill, public officials are responsible for using it to create a fairer economy.

Preparing for a Future of Supercharged Storms

COMMENTARY | Thanks to the infrastructure law, community-driven resilience projects in Black and Brown neighborhoods that have been hit hard by past storms are finally being funded. It is essential that government leaders continue to prioritize these frontline areas.

How Building More 'Granny Flats' Can Help Alleviate the Housing Crisis

COMMENTARY | Recent trends—working from home, aging in place and an expensive housing market—demand housing types that are not readily available in a market dominated by single-family housing.

A Closer Look at ID Verification Across State Benefits Applications

The Digital Benefits Network’s open dataset details the identity proofing requirements of 158 applications for benefits programs.

How Regions Can Pivot From Carbon- to Tech-based Economies

Shifting a regional economy is a long-term commitment that requires data-based strategies, economic and racial inclusion and significant, sustained investment in education, a recent report says.

Cities Put on Notice to Install Signals to Help Blind Pedestrians Cross Streets

A federal judge, in a suit supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, recently ruled that Chicago had failed to make intersections safe for people with disabilities. It is the second such ruling against a major city.

Black History Is Everyone’s History

COMMENTARY | How does an incomplete, inaccurate education omitting Black contributions serve society?

How Data Insights Can Solve Geographic Inequity and Build Regional Economies

The Commerce Department’s Regional Economic Research Initiative will provide accessible data tools, visualizations and expert services to help federal, state, local and tribal decision-makers better understand what kind of projects will promote growth.