Equitable Economic Development
About
Traditional economic development emphasizes investments in places over investment in people. It has focused simply on expanding the tax base instead of explicitly creating economic opportunity for marginalized communities.
These policies historically disenfranchised communities of color and continue to perpetuate the displacement of low income communities. Equitable economic development empowers low income communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color in accessing good jobs and stable neighborhoods. If there is racial and economic justice, there is economic opportunity.
Why This Matters
No housing is affordable or secure without a good job and accessible economic opportunities. Yet, as development booms and New York City grows increasingly inequitable, low- and moderate-income New Yorkers, people of color, immigrants, and other marginalized populations are at greater risk of losing their homes, their neighborhood small businesses, and access to good jobs. New York needs economic development that benefits all New Yorkers.
What We're Doing
ANHD is helping drive the systemic change needed to support equitable economic development in New York City. We organize and build coalitions, provide research and data analysis, and support targeted advocacy efforts that strengthen community voices, build community power, and help to win economic development policies that invest in people as much as they invest in places.
Our equitable economic development work currently focuses on three key areas: small business anti-displacement; protecting industrial and manufacturing land; and access to quality jobs.
- Small Businesses: Small businesses are the cornerstones of New York City’s neighborhoods. ANHD is committed to ending the displacement of neighborhood small businesses across the five boroughs, particularly in low and moderate-income communities of color and immigrant communities. We are fighting for affordable commercial space and an end to commercial tenant harassment and recognize that commercial displacement is cultural displacement. To support this work, ANHD convenes United for Small Business NYC, a citywide coalition of community groups and cultural organizations fighting for New York's mom and pop businesses.
- Industrial and Manufacturing: We are committed to preserving and revitalizing New York City’s industrial and manufacturing sector, which provides well-paying jobs for communities of color. ANHD is committed to protecting and growing these jobs by protecting manufacturing zoned land across the city and by creating innovative financing tools to assist nonprofit industrial development. To support this work, ANHD convenes the Industrial Jobs Coalition, a citywide coalition advocating for the protection and expansion of the city’s 21 Industrial Business Zones.
- Quality Jobs: We are committed to ensuring that economic development in New York leads to job growth for New Yorkers. We believe that all City subsidized economic development projects must create full-time, living wage jobs for all New Yorkers with clear training goals and pipelines for career advancement. Through our research, advocacy, and organizing, we are fighting for systemic changes that ensure that public investment creates jobs for those New Yorkers that have traditionally been excluded from economic opportunity when new development comes to their neighborhoods.
Check out the associated projects below for more information on how we are fighting for equitable economic development.
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