Place is the common denominator that unites the varied facets of our life, and it significantly impacts our health, education, economic opportunity, and more. As an understanding of the impact of place has become more widespread, it has taken on increasing importance as communities across the country work to develop equitable, sustainable solutions to their most pressing challenges.
At NeighborWorks America®, we call this place-based lens comprehensive community development, or CCD, and we believe it is critical to building community strength and resilience. Over the past two years, NeighborWorks America has invested $1.7M in developing and accelerating a range of strategies that seek to foster stronger, more equitable communities by deploying a comprehensive community development framework.
NEIGHBORWORKS AMERICA works to build the capacity of nearly 250 local housing and community development organizations as they empower resident leaders and build stronger, more equitable communities. These organizations are rooted in communities nationwide
and create the nation’s most effective platform and delivery system for community engagement and empowerment. NeighborWorks organizations are investing in strategies
that lead change with a deep understanding of place as the driver of greater equity.
What does a focus on place look like in practice? Through the following set of case studies, we showcase the breadth of innovative, resident-centered, comprehensive work being done in communities of all types across the country. Each highlights a unique and replicable strategy supported by investment from Neighbor-Works America and offers practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders an opportunity to consider how, by using a CCD lens, places across the country are making meaningful progress in fostering stronger, more equitable communities.