A place-based, comprehensive initiative increasing economic mobility and health equity in Central Providence.

A Health Equity Zone

Central Providence Unidos originated as part of the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Health Equity Zone Network. Alongside other Health Equity Zones across the state, Central Providence Unidos seeks to close health and economic disparities by addressing their root causes.

Rhode Island’s Health Equity Zone initiative is an innovative, place-based approach that brings communities together to build the infrastructure needed to achieve healthy, systemic changes at the local level. Health Equity Zones are geographic areas where existing opportunities emerge and investments are made to address differences in health outcomes.

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Collaborative Member Organizations
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Deployed in Small Business Loans
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allocated via the first participatory budgeting initiative

Building a more equitable, connected, and vibrant future for Central Providence

Our Evolution

Since its inception, our place-based collective impact work has expanded from one neighborhood to nine. As we’ve expanded our place, our name and story has evolved with it. Throughout this evolution, our commitment to addressing health equity at the intersection of economic opportunity has remained a constant.  

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2015

The Providence neighborhood of Olneyville was selected as one of Rhode Island’s first three Health Equity Zones, with One Neighborhood Builders serving as backbone. The Olneyville Health Equity Zone aimed to promote economic opportunity and empower the community through resident leadership trainings and supporting community-based organizations.

2018

Understanding the overlapping partners and shared challenges, the Olneyville Health Equity Zone was expanded to incorporate the three adjacent neighborhoods of Federal Hill, Hartford, and Valley, forming the Central Providence Health Equity Zone.

2020

One Neighborhood Builders is one of only 14 organizations across the country selected for Blue Meridian Partners’ Place Matters Portfolio to convene Central Providence Opportunities (CPO), the only New England organization selected. This two-year, $8-million, place-based eff ort is intended to improve economic mobility for residents in the nine neighborhoods in the 02908 and 02909 ZIP codes: Elmhurst, Federal Hill, Hartford, Manton, Mount Pleasant, Olneyville, Silver Lake, Smith Hill, and Valley.

2021

Central Providence Opportunities and Central Providence Health Equity Zone merge to become Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ). Through this merger, Central Providence Opportunities investments and the Central Providence Health Equity Zone programs and partnerships work under a shared agenda and pooled resources to maximize impact. 

2025

With a formalized collective governance structure for shared decision-making, the Executive Committee votes to change the name from Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone to Central Providence Unidos.