What is the role of local government in reducing the economic and environmental burdens faced by residents in their community, and removing barriers to opportunity and high quality of life? As cities around the country grapple with this question, the City of East Point, Georgia is committing to seek answers and implement solutions. Serving as an innovator in the state of Georgia, the City of East Point has engaged the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE) to lead this exploration and support the City in becoming a true equity leader through the development of the city’s first Equitable Development and Inclusion Strategic Plan – the first plan of its kind in Georgia.
 
In the recently approved contract, PSE’s scope includes an extensive research and community engagement process to help the City gain a clear picture of current indicators of inequity, ways that current policies may be contributing to these inequities, and policies and practices that can help create more opportunities for all of East Point’s residents to access housing they can afford, and services and amenities that improve their quality of life.
 
The focus of the resulting Equitable Development and Inclusion Strategic Plan will also include East Point’s business community and meet the City’s desire to prepare for equitable economic growth.
 
“The secret is out – East Point offers a diverse and inclusive community with great amenities and access to everything businesses need to thrive. As development interests increase, we must be people-focused and clear about the desire to attract responsible developers who are interested in building community as well as building buildings,” said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham.  “Despite popular belief, revitalization/redevelopment is not synonymous with gentrification.  I believe that we can and will revitalize and redevelop our great city while minimizing, if not eliminating, the negative impacts of gentrification by infusing and requiring equity. To this end, I am committed to working with courageous Councilmembers, staff, partners and East Pointers to lead the way and demonstrate that it is possible to have innovative smart growth while ensuring that our legacy residents remain stable and benefit from new investments.”
 
PSE’s planning process builds on the exciting momentum generated in 2019 around East Point also being the first Georgia municipality selected to develop an Urban Agriculture Plan. Working with Full Circle Communications, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Female Business Enterprise (FBE), and Local Small Business Enterprise (LSBE), PSE will ground the equity planning in the voices of East Point’s residents and business community with a Resident Leaders for Equity Academy integrated as a critical step towards a different type of community engagement that actually facilitates resident leadership development for the long-term.
 
“Equity is more than just a buzzword to win a campaign. It’s a promise to every member of your community that they won’t be left behind in the growth of their community. East Point is stepping in the right direction by pursuing equity throughout its entire operation through this plan,” said Nathaniel Smith, founder and chief equity officer of PSE. “Our hope is that more cities throughout the region, state, and the American South follow East Point’s lead so that equity becomes the way of running a city – from procurement and development to parks and city services.”