Assessing Community Benefit Agreement Effects on Neighborhood Characteristics and Displacement (ACEND)

Project Summary

Despite abundant research describing the social determinants of health inequities, there is a lack of research identifying potential place-based solutions to address these inequities. The project team is evaluating whether and how community benefit agreements (CBAs) improve neighborhoods and impact displacement. They are evaluating CBAs that are formal agreements between community organizations and developers where communities have negotiated for affordable housing, green space, etc. The team is looking at data trends over 10-20 years from racially segregated residential areas that implemented CBAs between 2002-2008 in seven cities (Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco).

Research Questions/Aims

To what extent do CBAs mitigate the impact of residential segregation on Black communities?

Actionability

Inform the creation and implementation of community benefit agreements (CBAs) locally and nationally;
Increase policymakers knowledge and understanding of the impact of CBAs to inform the development of effective policy solutions to address historical disinvestment and displacement in their communities;
Share findings with decision-makers and influencers who can affect CBA implementation; and
Build the evidence base for the impact of CBAs on residential segregation to influence CBA implementation and future research.

Outcomes

Health and Wellbeing: data on area-level disadvantage, gentrification and economic mobility associated with changes that occur due to community development initiatives

Methodology

The project team will examine and quantify the impact of CBAs on area-level disadvantage and gentrification while exploring economic precarity and mobility in areas that implemented CBAs. These examinations will be explored through a quasi-experimental design to evaluate CBAs as a policy intervention or "interruption" to the processes of residential segregation. The team will do a comparison of census tracts where CBAs have been implemented compared to demographically similar census tracts in the same cities where CBAs were not implemented.