Supporting collaborative decision-making between government and community
Reimagining public investment
For generations, federal, state, and local governments have used public resources, policies, and practices to create and perpetuate racial inequality, and invested public funds with little to no community input. This has left many communities of color in substandard housing, unhealthy environments, and neighborhoods that are cut off from quality education, jobs, transportation, and opportunity.
The Partnership for Equitable and Resilient Communities was created to address this by supporting collaborative decision-making between government and communities. Our goal is to ensure federal resources target equitable solutions so that low-wealth, disinvested Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities have the resources they need to live fulfilled lives.
PERC will support communities across the country as they begin, advance, or implement equity-based housing and community development plans.
Up to $5 million will be available for each site (from local funding matched by national philanthropy) for capacity building, including hiring staff, paying community participants for their time, creating small pilots, etc. Along with grant funding, participating communities will receive:
- technical assistance and coaching to help communities collaboratively identify their priorities, develop clear implementation plans and better understand how to blend federal funding with local, state and private support;
- access to capital and credit enhancements for property acquisition, rehabilitation or development, along with credit and underwriting flexibilities;
- program evaluation to learn who and how people have benefited, serving as a model for future work;
- access to a learning community to share ideas and receive training across sites;
- communications support to ensure the stories of equity-focused community development are accurately represented across media and told by the people most impacted.
The Melville Trust’s role
The Trust is coordinating philanthropic activities and leading fundraising efforts. We have also contributed $10 million over three years toward PERC.
Our partners
The JPB Foundation
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Arnold Ventures
Funders for Housing and Opportunity
Partnership for Public Service
Urban Strategies, Inc.
Case Western Reserve University
Urban Institute
