One Neighborhood Builders has been featured in an Urban Institue report, Engaging Communities in Measurement and Data-Driven Decisionmaking. The organization’s work in Central Providence through the Oportunidades en Central Providence: Una Zona de Equidad Sanitaria (CPO-HEZ) was highlighted as a key example of community-driven leadership and implementation and utilization of the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework. This framework aims to advance racial equity and upward mobility through an evidence-based foundation. One Neighborhood Builders is a member of the Urban Institue’s Mobility Action Learning Network (MALN) and utilizes its Community-Engaged Methods Model
The model outlines seven core pillars that build towards more equitable community engagement. By utilizing this model, One Neighborhood Builders is working to identify and address key barriers to mobility in Central Providence, empowering local leaders to create data-driven solutions that are informed by the needs and experiences of the community.
One Neighborhood Builders applies this framework through the Resident Advisory Council, which was created to guide the work of the Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone. The Resident Advisory Council is a resident-led decision-making body that reflects the priorities and needs of the Central Providence community, ensuring that the voices of residents are central to shaping the work being done.
One Neighborhood Builders utilizes the framework and core pillars outlined by the Urban Institute in several areas:
Relationship and Trust Earning
Trust earning involves cultivating long-term partnerships by acknowledging and addressing past harms. It requires transparency, honesty, respect, joint decision-making, and collaboration that extends beyond the duration of a project. Through the Resident Advisory Council, One Neighborhood Builders has practiced this pillar of trust earning by setting clear expectations and a governance structure, offering access to training opportunities for Resident Advisory Council members, and providing space for feedback and flexibility to members. The Resident Advisory Council has evolved over years of development, but the continuous learning in relationship-building and trust-building has been crucial to its sustainability.
Shared Power
When implementing strategies for upward mobility it is important to acknowledge imbalances in levels of power in non-profit – resident dynamics and work towards equalizing power. By convening the Resident Advisory Council, One Neighborhood Builders has created a structure that empowers residents and community leaders to make decisions for the community.
Respecting Community Expertise
When researching community issues and enacting new policies, it is crucial to leverage the community expertise of those directly impacted. This can be achieved by building programming, solutions and support around community identified priorities. In 2025, we will deepen our commitment to community led research through supporting the RAC/Power Working Group in developing their own research project. One Neighborhood Builders applies this pillar by involving the Resident Advisory Council and residents of Central Providence in both the research and decision-making process.
Reciprocity and Mutual Accountability
Reciprocity and accountability involve continuous communication and feedback between the Resident Advisory Council and One Neighborhood Builders. One Neighborhood Builders enhances the feedback loop between communities and our organizational structures through an ongoing evaluation process. Biannual surveys track Resident Advisory Council members’ participation and experiences while providing valuable data to measure changes and assess the impact of One Neighborhood Builders’ decisions. The CPO-HEZ annual survey engages the broader network of non-profit partners, small businesses, city and state government staff to guide in the continuous learning and development of the HEZ. In addition to surveys, One Neighborhood Builders conducts staff interviews to gather qualitative insights, which are shared with the governing structure as an added layer of accountability. This approach clarifies roles and responsibilities, promoting accountability and informed decision-making.
Racial Equity
Community engagement is rooted in the pursuit of racial equity, achieved through internal, interpersonal, and structural practices that name and combat white supremacy. One Neighborhood Builders is currently redeveloping the Central Providence Roadmap to better center racial equity.
Sostenibilidad
Sustainability ensures that the impact of a project has long-lasting positive effects on the community. Without adequate community involvement, upward mobility strategies may be limited to the duration of a grant or project. One Neighborhood Builders ensures sustainability by having a diverse body representing our Resident Advisory Council and steering committees, ensuring the work is being held up by multiple stakeholders with varying degrees of responsibility and not limited to the resources and activities of a single organization.
Accessibility
Accessibility ensures that all individuals involved in or impacted by research can participate fully and have their contributions valued. In community engagement, accessibility addresses barriers such as language, culture, content, and technology. One Neighborhood Builders prioritizes accessibility by offering stipends to Resident Advisory Council members and community participants, scheduling meetings in the evening to accommodate members, supplying laptops and childcare to those who need it, and providing Spanish-language interpretation.
One Neighborhood Builders’ work within the Urban Institute’s Upward Mobility Framework is an impactful example of how continuous learning drives lasting community change. By embracing ongoing feedback, adapting strategies, and keeping community voices central, we ensure that our approach remains responsive and effective.
