Community & Economic Development

FCC Releases New National Broadband Map – Understanding the Data Challenge Process 

On November 18, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the first draft of its new National Broadband Map, a comprehensive, location-by-location view of high-speed Internet availability across the nation. The map is a more detailed and precise reflection of the availability of fixed and mobile broadband services across the country. 

The new map can be accessed here. 

While the FCC will not implement a deadline for data challenges, NARC strongly encourages communities to make submissions by January 13, the date by which NTIA will use the FCC map to determine each state’s allocation of BEAD dollars. 

Unlike its previous census block-based maps, this updated map is built on a location-based model developed through the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection process. The map will be continuously updated with each filing period’s set of data, with the next cycle expected to span from December 31-March 1. Each filing window will then take place six months thereafter. 

The new National Broadband Map and its future iterations are expected to be instrumental in determining the flow of funds for billions of dollars for broadband deployment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

This includes the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will provide over $42 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states and Washington D.C. NTIA has required states to conduct local coordination in order to receive these funds, and NARC encourages Regional Councils, Councils of Governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and other regional organizations to contact and coordinate with their state broadband office to begin this process. 

Submission of Bulk Challenges

Regional Councils, COGs, and MPOs are encouraged to review and validate the availability data presented on the new National Broadband Map to determine whether to submit a challenge. If your organization or local districts determine that a challenge is needed, the FCC has provided steps to follow here. 

There is no deadline for data challenges, but submissions after January 13 will not be reflected in state allocations. 

Challenges to an individual location may include incorrect information on a particular location such as address or unit count, a location’s geographic coordinates, a location’s broadband serviceability is incorrectly identified, or a location that meets the definition of a BSL is missing from the Fabric. Consumers will be able to engage in this individual location challenge process to submit challenges for their own residences or small businesses. 

Understanding the Challenge Submission Process

Additionally, a walkthrough of the challenge process from a submitting entity’s perspective is available to watch here. Some key steps are included below.

  • Access the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric dataset following these steps. Local governments must follow the steps provided in the link which include logging into the Broadband Data Center system and executing a limited end-user license agreement for the Fabric dataset. These licensing requests may take time to be processed so expect a processing window when submitting the access request. Delivery of credentials may take up to two weeks from the time your organization information is submitted. 
  • Familiarize yourself with the FCC’s definition of a “broadband serviceable location,” which will not necessarily include all structures at a particular location or parcel. More information can be found in the Bulk Fabric Challenge Specs Public Notice. 
  • Develop a strategy for requiring and validating the Fabric data in your geographic area. 
  • Align your data with the specifications set forth in the Data Specifications for Bulk Fabric Challenge Data document. Some of these specifications include, among other things, requirements to identify the name and contact information of the submitting entity, the Fabric location subject to challenge, the category of the challenge for each location, and evidence supporting the challenge. Further specifications require the challenge data file to include records for each location in a Comma Separated Value (CSV) format, all fields must be included in the file upload, and all values must conform to the descriptions, codes, or formats identified for each field in the Data Specifications document.  
  • Certify that the information you are submitting is true and correct (to the best of your actual knowledge, information, and belief) for each location that is part of the bulk challenge. 
  • Submit your challenge! 

Additional Resources

NARC will continue to monitor FCC updates and additional information will be provided soon. 

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s Kim Robinson Testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services on CDBG Funding

Last Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance held a hearing on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and its impact on addressing local challenges. Kimberly Robinson, Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) testified on behalf of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC).  Robinson was joined by Joseph Jaroscak, an analyst in Economic Development Policy at the Congressional Research Service; George Mensah, Director of the Miami, Florida, Department of Housing and Community Development; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; and Salim Furth, a Senior Research Fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.

CDBG has long been a critical source of funding for local projects that address poverty and inequality, especially through economic development and infrastructure programs. Regional councils often help to organize these efforts by providing technical support to communities who seek CDBG funding. PVPC, for example, both applies for and administers CDBG grants for member communities, while also facilitating cooperation between members in order to increase the amount of funding received and improve its efficiency.

While CDBG remains successful in its ability to provide for lower- and middle-income communities, shortfalls in funding over the last two decades have hampered the program’s ability to confront the economic development needs of the communities it serves. Robinson emphasized this point in her testimony, pointing to how CDBG’s funding of $3.44 billion in FY2021 is nearly $1 billion less than it was in 2004. Further, she pointed out that if the original allocation from 1975 were adjusted for inflation, funding for CDBG would exceed $10 billion today.

In her testimony, Robinson also highlighted how, although 70 percent of federal CDBG funds are allocated to larger entitlement communities — defined as principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, other metropolitan cities with populations exceeding 50,000, and qualified urban counties with populations exceeding 200,000 — the remaining 30 percent allocated to states is still crucial to the development of smaller communities, and CDBG thus cannot be viewed as just a “big city” program. As an example, she pointed to how PVPC aided 19 different communities with CDBG funding in FY2019, despite having just four members that qualify as entitlement communities.

Following the testimonies, Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty (OH-3) asked about how CDBG helps support affordable housing. Robinson responded by articulating how, although the funding cannot be used to construct new housing, it allows PVPC to undergo rehabilitation projects that keep vulnerable people — especially the elderly — in their homes. Representatives from both parties, as well as several of the witnesses, agreed that CDBG funds should not be prevented from going toward new construction and that restrictive zoning barriers limiting their effectiveness should be lifted.

Broadly speaking, there was bipartisan momentum at the hearing toward reforming the formulas used in CDBG allocation. While Democrats, including Chairman Cleaver, praised the flexibility of CDBG and supported increasing its funding in addition to reforming allocations, Republicans seemed hesitant to spend more on the program. Overall, discussion at the hearing suggested an increase in funding for CDBG is unlikely. However, restructuring the program to better serve non-entitlement communities and contribute more to affordable housing, without compromising flexibility appears to be a more attainable goal for the subcommittee.

Treasury Department Provides Initial Guidance for the Distribution of $350 million in State and Local Aid

On Monday May 10, the U.S. Department of Treasury released guidance on the State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Included in the guidance is the flexibility to use Recovery Funds to invest in broadband infrastructure, services and programs to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including capital investments in public facilities, investments in housing and neighborhoods and other guidance counties advocated for. The U.S. Treasury also opened a new web portal that state and local governments must use to receive Fiscal Recovery Funds.

HOW TO REQUEST FUNDING

Eligible state, territorial, metropolitan city, county, and Tribal governments may now request their allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the Treasury Submission Portal. Eligible local governments that are classified as non-entitlement towns, cities and counties – generally local governments with fewer than 50,000 residents — should expect to receive this funding through their state government — rather than Treasury and should not request funding through the Treasury Submission Portal.

Metropolitan city has the meaning given that term in section 102(a)(4) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(4)) and includes cities that relinquish or defer their statues as a metropolitan city for purposes of receiving allocation under section 106of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5306) for fiscal year 2021.[1]

Nonprofit unit of local government means a “city,” as that term is defined in section 102(a)(5) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(4)), that is not a metropolitan city.[2]

FUNDING AMOUNTS

Congress has allocated Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to tens of thousands of eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments.  These allocations include:

Recipient:

Amount (Billions):

States & District of Columbia

$195.3

Counties

$65.1

Metropolitan Cities

$45.6

Tribal Governments

$20.0

Territories

$4.5

Non-Entitlement Units of Local Government

$19.5

 

DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING

Local governments will receive funds in two tranches, with 50% provided beginning in May 2021 and the balance delivered approximately 12 months later. States that have experienced a net increase in the unemployment rate of more than 2 percentage points from February 2020 to their date of certification will receive their full allocation of funds in a single payment; other states will receive funds in two equal tranches. U.S. territories will receive a single payment. Tribal governments will receive two payments, with the first payment available in May and the second payment, based on employment data, to be delivered in June 2021.

Additional Information on Split Payments to State Governments

USE OF FUNDING

The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments with significant funding to meet pandemic response needs and build a stronger, and more equitable economy as the country recovers. Recipients may use these funds to:

  • Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff;
  • Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector;
  • Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic;
  • Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and
  • Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.

Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.

NARC will release more information on Treasury’s new guidance in the coming days.

______________

[1] Treasury Guidance. Interim Final Rule. Page 134

[2] Treasury Guidance. Interim Final Rule. Page 134

Support the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program!

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) recently became an outreach partner for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBBP). The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a program to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms. EBBP will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Here are some answers to some of the most common questions about EBBP:

Who Is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?

A household is eligible if one member of the household:

  • Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the US Department of Agriculture Community Eligibility Provision, or did so in the 2019-2020 school year;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers;
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating providers’ existing low-income or COVID-19 program; or
  • Qualifies for the Lifeline program or participates in one of the following federal assistance programs:
    • Medicaid
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • Federal Public Housing Assistance
    • Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit; or
    • A household’s income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of that size.

How Do EBBP-Eligible Households Enroll?

If a household is already a Lifeline participant, they will not need to apply for EBBP or provide any new documents to prove eligibility. Applicants only need to opt-in to a plan provided by their current broadband provider or request enrollment in the program. Current Lifeline subscribers can keep their current Lifeline benefit while also adding a plan that is offered through the EBBP.  People who are not currently participating in Lifeline must apply for the EBBP through the National Lifeline Verifier.

When Can EBBP-Eligible Households Apply?

The FCC has not set a date for enrollment to begin. However, enrollment is expected to start by May 2021. The enrollment period is required to close six months after the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that the pandemic emergency is over or when the $3.2 billion appropriated by Congress has been exhausted, whichever occurs first.

Who are Emergency Broadband Benefit Providers and Where can I Find them?

The FCC recently unveiled a downloadable data table consisting of all broadband providers who have elected to participate in EBBP. The list will be updated as more providers join the program. Individuals can search by state for fixed broadband services and mobile broadband services. Fixed broadband services are provided to your home, or a single location. These include cable, fiber optic, DSL, satellite, and fixed wireless services. Mobile broadband services are device-based and available throughout the service provider’s cellular coverage area, similar to cell phone services.

The National Association of Regional Councils will offer support and information to regional and local communities to help the FCC mobilize people and organizations and share important consumer information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. To learn more about the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, please check out the resources provided by our national partners at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and Next Century Cities (NCC).

NARC Letter Concerning Potential MSA Changes

In response to a Federal Register notice that proposes to raise the population threshold for the designation of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), NARC has submitted comment to the Office of Management and budget opposing the change. Comments on this notice are due by March 19, 2021. NARC members are encouraged to utilize this language for their own purposes if that is helpful for you.

Read the letter here.

NARC Analysis: American Rescue Plan

NARC Analysis: American Rescue Plan

Last week, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law. The $1.9 trillion bill will provide additional relief to address the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. NARC has created a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes some of the major pieces of this new bill. Feel free to share with your colleagues and membership and reach out to the NARC staff if you have any questions about the legislation.

NARC / Urban Institute Webinar: Integrating Racial Equity in Regional Housing Policy

Register here
Webinar recording will be posted here

Please join the Urban Institute, in collaboration with NARC, for a timely presentation and discussion on integrating racial equity in regional housing policy. Throughout the presentation, participants will learn about policies that promote regional housing equity, see examples of promising work being done across the country, learn about Urban Institute data tools for decision making, and discuss how to unite diverse jurisdictions under one common equity-focused policy agenda.

Speakers: 

Monique King-Viehland
Monique King-Viehland is the director of State and Local Housing Policy at the Urban Institute. She leads efforts to catalyze Urban’s vast housing policy expertise into actionable strategies for, and with, state and local housing leaders. Her portfolio extends across Urban, encompassing a range of housing policy areas from homelessness and affordable housing to zoning reform, homeownership, and housing finance. King-Viehland previously served as executive director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) where she oversaw 580 employees and a budget of $600 million. She was the first woman and African American to take the helm of the 40-year-old agency. She led the agency through significant transformation, including the merger of the Community Development Commission and housing authority into one unified agency to augment cross-agency thinking and client service, increase organizational effectiveness, and reposition the agency as a forward-thinking, industry leader in the provision of housing, community, and economic development.

Gabriella Velasco
Gabriella Velasco is a policy assistant in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute and a contributor to the Housing Matters Initiative. Before joining Urban, she worked with the sustainability program at the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, providing research and project management support across the state. Velasco received a BA in sustainability studies, a BA in urban political ecology, and a minor in women’s and gender studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Regional Councils Urge Congress to Include Relief for Transit in COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

Twenty-one NARC-member regional councils have written to congressional leadership requesting critical funding for transit agencies to maintain operations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain their resources.

Click here to view the letter.

The agencies call for $32 Billion in emergency federal funds to be included in an upcoming stimulus package to be passed before the end of 2020. This figure has been identified by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) as what is needed to ensure that transit agencies “can survive and help our communities and the nation recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.”

COVID-19 has caused massive drops in transit ridership and lost revenue has forced transit agencies across the country to consider service and personnel cuts. With relief funds from the CARES Act running out soon, transit agencies will be forced to make these proposed cuts and layoffs unless further funding is provided to cover the budget gaps created by this year’s lost revenues. 

In the letter, the agencies emphasize how important it will be to have a strong transportation network in order to recover from the shutdowns and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also highlight the danger presented by letting transit systems fail or face significant cutbacks; service and maintenance could take years to recover. 

Problem Solvers Caucus Release Language on New COVID-19 Relief Package

Late yesterday afternoon, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus released the long-awaited bill text for their $908 billion coronavirus relief package. The legislation  is a two-part stimulus plan: a $748 billion package focusing on areas of agreement and a separate $160 billion bill that includes the most controversial provisions for lawmakers — additional funding for state and local government and liability protections. It’s important to keep in mind that while many lawmakers see this bill as the most concrete and realistic compromise on COVID-19 relief we have seen in months, House and Republican leadership see it as a marker for broader negotiations and not a final vehicle for aid. Critics of this two-part approach, especially those that are pushing for state and local-directed aid, have pointed out that it defeats the purpose of negotiations to pass contested legislation when it’s not tied to the un-controversial provisions. 

Here is a breakdown of the distribution formula for state, local, and tribal assistance in the proposed Bipartisan State and Local Support and Small Business Protection Act of 2020: 

  • $152 billion in state and local aid through the Coronavirus Relief Fund 
    • 1/3rd would be distributed based on state population in proportion to the U.S. population. 
    • 2/3rd would be distributed based on the proportion of each state’s revenue loss relative to the total revenue losses of all U.S. states. 
  • Each state will receive at least $500 million.  
  • $8 million in funding for Tribes, allocated by 60% population and 40% based on the number of employees for each Tribal entity. 
  • Governors must distribute 40% of the state’s funding to local government but choose how from the following: 
    • Proportional population 
    • Proportional revenue loss 
    • Combination of both. 
  • There are no population thresholds, so every county and municipality would be eligible for funding regardless of size.  
  • Extend the deadline for spending CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) aid on COVID-related expenses through December 31, 2021.  
  • State funding would be distributed in three tranches.  

Triangle J Council of Governments to Host Summit Series Focused on Equity

The Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), which serves as the regional government for almost two million people across Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, and Wake counties in North Carolina, will be hosting its first-ever virtual Regional Summit Series. The summit’s theme is “What’s Equity Have to Do with It?” and events will dive deep into the impact of government policies and practices on equity in the region.

This is not the first time TJCOG has addressed equity, however the organization is now placing a much greater emphasis on concrete actions that can be made to improve equity throughout the region. According to Alana Keegan, TJCOG Engagement Specialist, the organization’s past work has brought them to the point where they have an abundance of information and data and now it is time to do something with it. Keegan explained, “the biggest question is how our region can act on this type of information to implement equitable policies and shift the statistics in the Triangle,” noting the important work of member governments helping to lead the way.

As in many other regions and communities, conversations about equity in the Triangle J Region were put into overdrive after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many other Black Americans. Keegan emphasized that “the summit, and our growing emphasis on equity, was a direct result of staff-wide conversations about race and equity in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black individuals.” The TJCOG team, Keegan added, are “dedicated public sector employees, passionate about improving our communities, who were unwilling to allow conversation alone to be the end result.” These discussions ultimately resulted in a collaborative statement issued by Lee Worsley, executive director at TJCOG, expressing the organization’s commitment to systemic change in the region. The statement outlines future actions the organization will be taking and emphasizes that the organization’s commitment must be “displayed through direct action, not just words.”

The summit series will start next Thursday, September 17th. Each of the sessions will provide tools and best practices. Participants can choose from five workshops, or attend all of them, and learn about the ways equity is directly linked to community engagement, supporting older adults and their health, policing, and growth. As Keegan mentioned there are so many ways local and regional governments are impacting equity in their communities, they may not even know it!

A breakdown of sessions and timeline is below:

TJCOG Regional Summit Series Outline of Events

Session 1 Local Government and Equity

September 17th, 10-11:30 am ET

In this first session TJOCOG will dive into the basics. They plan to explain and discuss how government and equity are related to one another; ideas for making policy and budgetary decisions through an equity lens; and lastly participants will hear from experts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and from practitioners working to institutionalize foundations of equity in their government organizations.  

Session 2 Development, Growth and Equity

September 24th, 10-11:30 am ET

TJCOG staff will present numbers that seek to answer the question “are we growing in an equitable and inclusive manner?” Staff will lead discussion with local communities and partner organizations working to rethink public sector approaches to growth.

Session 3 Community Livability for All

October 1st, 10-11:30 am ET

This session will teach participants about local efforts underway to increase and sustain services to the most vulnerable populations. Communities must rethink their approach for supporting our oldest residents, especially during these difficult times.

Session 4 Equitable Community Engagement

October 8th, 10-11:30 am ET

Speakers in this session will share successful efforts of engaging with residents for feedback and discuss ongoing challenges to ensure the community is represented. Getting that input from every resident, including harder-to-reach communities, takes intentional action and strategies that find people where they are (rather than expecting them to come to the table).

Session 5 Policing Equity

October 15th, 10-11:30 am ET

As departments face ongoing requests and demands for reform, they will be tasked with community-centered policing that not only requires increased interaction with the public, but direct implementation of community-requested ideas (evidenced by newly released policy frameworks). How can departments use data to track decisions and behavior, and ensure both align with community interests?

For more information Email Alana Keegan, akeegan@tjcog.org.

Below is NARC staff’s full interview with Alana Keegan from TJCOG:

Is this the first time in TJCOG’s history such an emphasis has been placed on equity?

Much of our work at TJCOG has always focused on providing access – to housing, transit, jobs, clean water, etc. – but we are putting a much greater emphasis on the fact that good intentions do not equate to equitable access. Building transportation… helping individuals find work… there are different levels/types of supports and policies that are needed to provide equal opportunities to vulnerable or disadvantaged populations.

If not, what else has TJCOG done in the past? For example, special events, planning initiatives etc.

Previously (2013), TJCOG staff partnered with our neighboring COG Kerr Tar to work with the national organization PolicyLink on an Equitable Growth Profile for our combined region, highlighting an immense amount of data on demographics, growth, differing levels of access to prosperity, and much more. Linked here. The unspoken tagline of the summit should really be: “We have this information. Now what?” The biggest question is how our region can act on this type of information to implement equitable policies and shift the statistics in the Triangle. Luckily, many of our member governments are trailblazers in this work and are helping to lead the way.

How did the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor shape the internal discussions about race and equity at TJCOG? Did these discussions have any influence on the summit sessions?

The summit, and our growing emphasis on equity, was a direct result of staff-wide conversations about race and equity in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black individuals. Staff were understandably upset and concerned, and we all had the chance to talk through our feelings in small group settings. That said, our team is a group of dedicated public sector employees, passionate about improving our communities, who were unwilling to allow conversation alone to be the end result. Ultimately, a statement on TJCOG’s commitment to systemic change in our region was produced collaboratively with ED Lee Worsley that outlined what action will look like… to start. 

The summit series asks participants to learn about the ways equity is directly linked to community engagement, supporting older adults and their health, policing, and growth. Do you think there is still a lack of understand and acknowledgement of how these important issues are linked?

I think like any complex issue, we all make assumptions about what we do or do not understand or only learn bits of the whole concept. Especially with equity, a topic that is deeply important but can be sensitive, people may choose to stay silent instead of asking key introductory questions. The Summit will provide a space to answer those questions and build upon them.

Additionally, our focus is specific to equity and its relationship to local government. There are a lot of ways that governments already impact equity in their community but may not know it. One of our workshop leaders, Sharon Williams who is the Racial Equity and Inclusion Manager for the City of Durham, used the example of “ban the box” in a recent conversation we had. This initiative removes the question about previous felonies from job descriptions, improving access to jobs for those reintegrating into a community. Some governments already do this and may not even realize that is an equitable policy. Acknowledging why they are important and then actively analyzing and implementing other policies is the next step.

In what ways do you plan to show that the link between equity and the issues raised above is not only necessary but critical?

The structure of the summit is broken out into five sessions, with the first session as a workshop on local government and equity. Through this workshop, our hope is to lay a foundation of knowledge, outline the ways policy impacts equity, and discuss some tools to reanalyze or reexamine existing policies through an equity lens. The following sessions will highlight the ways that equitable practices improve engagement, older adult livability, economic development, and policies; some will also highlight the impact of current gaps and how improving equity benefits us all.

What does the team at TJCOG hope to gain through the summit and various sessions?

Selfishly, we are all just excited to participate and hear from the speakers. There are some incredibly knowledgeable individuals talking to attendees and all of us can learn more about the topic. Additionally, we hope to gain some tools that can be used in a lot of regional projects, such as our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy underway, and for our own internal strategic plan for TJCOG. 

What do you hope participants will gain from the summit?

A network of individuals to connect with and continue conversations with after the event.

An understanding of what equity means and how it can be accomplished through their daily work. Most of our participants work in or with local government. Their jobs and programs are intricately linked to equity in the community.

Lastly, do you have any remarks or comments you would like to share on behalf of TJCOG about not only the process and work that went into organizing this event but about the organizations work on and around the issue of equity.

We are learning as we go, being intentional, and pulling in the expertise of individuals and organizations who have been dedicated to improving equity for some time, of which there are many. This could be said for a lot of different topics, but there is no reason to recreate the wheel. Learning from others’ best practices or mistakes (lessons learned) is key.