Now more than ever, leaders across California and the nation are looking toward the Bay Area for innovative solutions that will lead communities toward a more inclusive future. At the same time, the region is at a crossroads. Our economy is one of the strongest in the nation, yet inequality is skyrocketing, and we face a housing and displacement crisis that has hit low-income communities and communities of color particularly hard, which has had a ripple effect throughout the region. Check out the update below for the latest news on the network, and other ways we are supporting local leaders in advancing equity.

Partnership for the Bay's Future: Challenge Grant Fellowship

Partnership for the Bay's Future is a collaborative regional effort to address these pressing challenges and is one of the most ambitious investment and policy initiatives in the nation. The San Francisco Foundation will select up to 10 jurisdictions that propose the most high-impact, yet achievable plans to receive Challenge Grant support. Challenge Grant jurisdictions will be matched with a mid-career fellow to increase the city's capacity to pass meaningful protection and preservation legislation. Fellows will be responsible for championing the development, adoption, and implementation of innovative and high‐impact policies in collaborative partnership with community and staff from departments across the jurisdiction. PolicyLink is managing the fellowship program, building a supportive community among fellows, and providing the technical assistance necessary to advance the work in their assigned jurisdictions. For more information, and how to apply, visit our website here. Applications are due November 15th at 5:00 p.m. PT.

New Tools in the All-In Cities Policy Toolkit

Last month we hosted three webinars where we debuted new tools in the All-In Cities online policy toolkit and heard from local leaders implementing these solutions. Be sure to check out the new tools on apprenticeships, paid sick leave, equitable transit-oriented development, and commercial community land trusts. If you missed these webinars, you can check out the recordings here:

• Creating Accessible Career Pathways Through Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Programs, featuring:
  • Laura Heller, Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership / BIG STEP (Milwaukee, WI)
  • Jessi Wilcox, Launch Code (St. Louis, MO)

• Policy Solutions to Raise the Floor on Low-Wage Work, featuring:
  • Alex Birnel, MOVE Texas
  • Dena Mottola Jaborska, New Jersey Citizen Action / NJ Time to Care Coalition.

• Equitable Transit-Oriented Development and Commercial Land Trusts, featuring:
  • Michael Miera, Urban Land Conservancy (Denver, CO)
  • Julius Kimbrough, Crescent City CLT (New Orleans, LA)

ESSENCE Articles

After a successful partnership with ESSENCE supporting Black women mayors across the country, I was recently invited to be an Essence contributor. Check out my article on Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's bold legislative agenda for addressing poverty, and my latest piece, "In Baton Rouge, Separate But Unequal Is Law."