Equitable Poverty Reduction and Prevention Plan
City of Gresham, Oregon
Economic Resilience
The City of Gresham is a city of ~100,000 residents outside of Portland, Oregon
The City has established a strategic plan which includes a pillar of poverty reduction and prevention which is the focus of this project. Fourth Economy was engaged to help them focus their resources in a way that is aligned with needs and existing assets to improve the lives of low-income Gresham residents.
Our Approach
We conducted a data scan and synthesis and promising practices review, with input from the client team on existing narratives about Gresham that might be supported or rebuked, areas of concern including health, employment and education indicators, and any geographies (neighborhoods) of concern. Following the data synthesis Fourth Economy facilitated mini build sessions with key informants and stakeholders focused on 2-3 activity areas for greatest impact. In addition to a strategic direction, Fourth Economy built a mini community engagement toolkit for the client for their next phase.
The deliverable is a report that includes data about the City of Gresham specific to quality of life and economic mobility metrics, both compared to the region and also by neighborhood (census tract) within Gresham. This report was intended to be phase 1 of a multi-phase project, and was intended to lay the groundwork for a phase of genuine, intensive community engagement around the priorities identified. However, funding for phases beyond this one is no longer available, and so the client is unsure how the deliverable will support implementation.
Location
Gresham, OR