PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works.®

What is equity?

Equity means just and fair inclusion. An equitable society is one in which all can participate and prosper. The goals of equity must be to create conditions that allow all to reach their full potential. In short, equity creates a path from hope to change.

A Recovery Package for All Americans

Equity must guide the proposed $700-plus billion federal recovery package. In a series of recent op-eds and commentaries, PolicyLink CEO Angela Glover Blackwell lays out the case for investing in the people and communities that need help the most.

• San Francisco Chronicle
  "Stimulus Should Target Low-income Urban Areas," Jan. 16, 2009
• Salon
  “Make the Stimulus Big, Smart and Fair,” Jan. 12, 2009
• Marketplace
  “Who Really Needs the Stimulus,” Jan. 9, 2009
• Huffington Post
  “A Recovery Package for All?,” Jan. 8, 2009
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  “Who Decides Which Infrastructure Projects to Do?,” Dec. 18, 2008
• Huffington Post
  “A Whistle-stop to Opportunity,” Dec. 15, 2008

What Happens Now?

The Next Chapter of America’s Story

As Washington prepares to tackle the nation’s economic crisis, PolicyLink offers a framework for federal decision-making: "Achieving Equity and Inclusion in America: Policy Principles for the Obama Administration and New Congress." Visit EquityBlog to share your ideas and comments.

PolicyLink has been pushing for equity in all corners of America.

• Read the New York Times piece outlining recommendations for rebuilding America’s infrastructure as well as stimulating both short- and long-term economic growth.
• Learn about PolicyLink CEO Angela Glover Blackwell’s contribution to a Progressive Blueprint for Change in The Nation and The Huffington Post.
• PolicyLink VP Joe Brooks talks about the need for a White House Office of Civic Engagement in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
• Poverty and Equity take center stage in Angela Glover Blackwell’s recent commentaries in Sojourners, The Tavis Smiley Show, and on a recent panel at Brookings Institution covered by C-SPAN.

Our Work:

Center for Health and Place

People who live in neighborhoods with polluted air, unsafe parks, grocery stores with few food options, unreliable transportation, and poor housing, suffer disproportionately from illnesses such as asthma and obesity. The PolicyLink Center for Health and Place incorporates research and action into policy initiatives to ensure that everyone—especially those in low-income and communities of color—can live and work in healthy environments.

Center for Infrastructure Equity

The quality of schools, parks, mass transit, utilities, and other public investments largely determine the quality of life in a neighborhood, city, or region. The PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity advocates for fair policies and provides community leaders, advocates, and public officials with the tools needed to ensure that public investments in infrastructure create economic opportunity and health for all communities.

Louisiana

A Long Way Home: The State of Housing Recovery in Louisiana 2008, examines how renters and homeowners have fared since Katrina, Rita, and floods destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. With extensive data on where rental housing units are coming back -- outlining the gaps that remain for many homeowners, along with snapshots of heavily damaged neighborhoods -- this report puts hard numbers on the experiences of residents on the ground.