Home › News ›

Power in Numbers

Posted by: David Gest
Thanks to: David Holtzman
9 January 2006 - 1:00pm

New alliances and collaborations are winning community benefits agreements that dramatically improve the lives of low-income residents.

Community benefits agreements (CBAs) -- project-specific contracts between developers or cities and community organizations –- are safeguards to ensure that local community residents share in the benefits of major developments. They allow community groups to have a voice in shaping a project, to press for community benefits that are tailored to their particular needs and to enforce developers' promises.

Many communities across the country are now using the community benefits model. Groups in New York, Milwaukee and San Diego have recently won far-reaching CBAs, while in San Jose two projects have incorporated community benefits provisions into development agreements. Groups in numerous other cities, including Denver, Seattle, Miami and New Haven are actively pursuing community benefits agreements.

Full Story: Power in Numbers
Source: Shelterforce Magazine, January 9, 2006
»
Bookmark and Share
“
The areas where we have severe blight and indications of more blight to come are basically the same as they ever were. How in the world are we ever going to move our community development selves into an alternative future that thinks differently about the challenges we face in our cities and low-income suburban and rural communities?
”