Executive Summary
Impact for Equity (then BPI) convened and hosted the Chicago Mixed-Income Community Building Convening. Dozens of residents, property managers, developers, and community builders came together to share successes and challenges experienced in Chicago mixed-income communities, learn about community building work in other cities, and discuss ways to work together to build inclusive and welcoming communities in Chicago. The Convening included panel presentations and discussions, and collaborative conversations in breakout groups and site-specific working groups.
Creating communities where people feel they belong, regardless of their racial, social, and economic identities, can help create connection and a shared sense of responsibility to their neighbors and others who comprise their community. This connection can affect critical community qualities like safety, health and wellness, and education, both within the mixed-income community and in the surrounding neighborhood. These efforts can also contribute to ongoing, wider-ranging strategies to address issues creatively and humanely and support the formation of healthy, thriving communities.
This Report documents the information and perspectives that panelists and attendees shared and highlights several themes, strategies, and practices identified during the Chicago Mixed-Income Community Building Convening. It concludes with recommendations to further community building work in Chicago and includes a list of academic and practitioner-focused community building resources.
