Problem
We know that the starting line isn’t the same for everyone. The bottom line is that place matters as to how well we live, and how well our children live. Poverty and place are inextricably connected – children who grow up in poverty have different outcomes than those who grow up in healthy neighborhoods. My community is a community of neighborhoods. Most of us are defined by the neighborhood we live in, and the sad truth is that too many of our neighborhoods are not healthy. Nearly half of Leon County families with children under the age of 5 are living in poverty, and these numbers are even higher in neighborhoods like South City, where 68.5 % of families live in poverty.
Solution
Purpose Built Communities has been working across the country to successfully impact family outcomes by transforming struggling neighborhoods like South City into healthy and vibrant neighborhoods. By focusing at the neighborhood level on mixed income housing, a cradle to college education pipeline, and community wellness, Purpose Built is creating pathways out of poverty. In cities across the country, crime rates are going down, and graduation rates and college acceptance rates are going up because of a strategic, intentional focus on place.