2007 05 11 AAMale OpportunityMapping

Opportunity MattersPlace, Space and Life Outcomes: 

Opportunity Matters Place, Space and Life Outcomes Jason Reece, AICP Denis Rhoden, AICP Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity

Place and Life Outcomes: 

Place and Life Outcomes Where you live is more important than what you live in… Housing -- in particular its location -- is the primary mechanism for accessing opportunity in our society Housing location determines the quality of schools children attend, the quality of public services they receive, access to employment and transportation, exposure to health risks, access to health care, etc. For those living in high poverty neighborhoods, these factors can significantly inhibit life outcomes

Housing and Opportunity: 

Housing is Critical in Determining Access to Opportunity Housing and Opportunity

The Web of Opportunity: 

The Web of Opportunity Opportunities in our society are geographically distributed (and often clustered) throughout metropolitan areas This creates “winner” and “loser” communities or “high” and “low” opportunity communities Your location within this “web of opportunity” plays a decisive role in your life potential and outcomes Individual characteristics still matter… …but so does access to opportunity, such as good schools, health care, child care, and job networks

The Cumulative Impacts of Racial and Opportunity Segregation: 

Neighborhood Segregation School Segregation Racial stigma, other psychological impacts Job segregation Impacts on community power and individual assets Impacts on Educational Achievement The Cumulative Impacts of Racial and Opportunity Segregation Exposure to crime; arrest Transportation limitations and other inequitable public services Adapted from figure by Barbara Reskin at: http://faculty.washington.edu/reskin/ Segregation impacts a number of life-opportunities Impacts on Health

Economic Conditions: 

Economic Conditions High Opportunity Low Opportunity

School Conditions : 

Low Opportunity High Opportunity School Conditions

Communities of Opportunity : 

Communities of Opportunity The “Communities of Opportunity” framework is a model of fair housing and community development The model is based on the premises that Everyone should have fair access to the critical opportunity structures needed to succeed in life Affirmatively connecting people to opportunity creates positive, transformative change in communities

Communities of Opportunity: 

Communities of Opportunity The “Communities of Opportunity” model advocates for a fair investment in all of a region’s people and neighborhoods -- to improve the life outcomes of all citizens, and to improve the health of the entire region A focus on people, investing in our residents (and their communities) to produce transformative change

People, Places and Linkages: 

People, Places and Linkages People We need to build human capital through improved wealth-building, educational achievement, and social and political empowerment Examples Promoting/protecting homeownership for residents, helping low income families access tax credits, leadership training, job training, asset building strategies, providing stable/supportive housing to those in need

People, Places and Linkages: 

People, Places and Linkages Places We must invest in places by supporting neighborhood development initiatives, attracting jobs with living wages and advancement opportunities, and demanding high-quality local services for all neighborhoods, such as local public schools that perform Examples Improving school conditions, providing supplemental educational opportunities, supporting minority and small businesses in distressed communities, attracting jobs, spurring investment in housing and infrastructure, addressing vacant properties

People, Places and Linkages: 

People, Places and Linkages Linkages We must also encourage better links among people and places, fostering mobility through high-quality public transportation services and region-wide housing mobility programs Examples Supporting and promoting fair housing, public transportation initiatives, allowing urban students access to suburban schools

Neighborhoods of Opportunity and African American MalesA Case Study of Seven Metropolitan Regions: 

Neighborhoods of Opportunity and African American Males A Case Study of Seven Metropolitan Regions

Indicators Used in Analysis Neighborhoods (some examples): 

Indicators Used in Analysis Neighborhoods (some examples) Education Indicators Student poverty rates, test scores, student teacher ratios Economic Indicators Job access, unemployment, job trends Neighborhood Quality Vacant and abandoned properties, crime rates, neighborhood poverty rates

Findings: 

Findings 2 out of 3 African American males in the seven metropolitan areas were found in low opportunity communities Compared to 1 out 5 White males

Youth 14 and Younger: 

Youth 14 and Younger Similar results were found for younger males, 61% of African American males under 14 were found in low opportunity communities

Still More Questions To Answer : 

Still More Questions To Answer Above we describe the proximity dimension of opportunity, but how close are we to understanding the ‘access’ to opportunity question? Hypothetically, if everyone had access to opportunity, how would the region look different in terms of the distribution of Black and White children? Results

Future Implications: 

Future Implications Opportunity is about a bundle of assets AND expectations about the future. Studying access or proximity at the group level helps to understand how, yet the question to date is why. Need more deliberate connections: Between African American males & other youths and African American males to region’s population. Population trends show several ways out of the shadow of isolation; move to the suburbs, leave regions, etc. Flight carries unique, because opportunity (assets & expectations) is dynamic and unique across regions. Declining suburbs Gentrification Each region should consider understanding and developing strategic options to collocate and create opportunity access and opportunity across suburb, rural and urban environments, lift up what works with objective and emotive measures.

Questions or Comments? For More Information Visit Us On-Line:www.KirwanInstitute.org : 

Questions or Comments? For More Information Visit Us On-Line: www.KirwanInstitute.org