This case study explores the work of Elevated Chicago (EC), a SPARCC Collaborative table, and its successful advancement of a variety of policy and capital strategies that support the health and resilience of Chicago residents. EC began their work by intentionally bringing together a diverse, well-rounded group of stakeholders to develop a work plan devoted […]

This SPARCC case study highlights how the Bay Area for All (BA4A) collaborative, brought about policy change and equitable community development through community-centered work, ultimately improving the Bay Area’s housing crisis. BA4A, a collaborative table formed under SPARCC, consists of various coalitions and organizations that shared expertise and resources to advance  the “3Ps of housing” […]

By Sasha Forbes and Nick Collins At SPARCC’s inception, we knew policy—local, regional, and national—would be a critical component for long-term systems change. But that was met with the hard reality of the 2016 election, which put many policy advocates on the defense. Where we had high hopes for an administration to work with us […]

By Mikyla Reta The Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) is a national initiative created to address the structural barriers facing low-income communities and communities of color that continue to feel the effects of historical redlining, environmental and climate injustice, lack of equitable transportation infrastructure and persistent discrimination. A key focus for SPARCC partners, […]

The “Second City” has always been a place of change and renewal. Chicago, a city that was devastated by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, has proved its resiliency time and time again by continuing to reinvent itself.  Chicago is home to 77 community areas including Bronzeville and La Villita (Little Village), Chinatown and Uptown, […]

By Nick Collins Climate-related disasters displaced over 1.7 million Americans in 2020 alone. This figure doesn’t include the increasing displacement caused by secondary effects of climate change—the decrease in affordability, the rising cost of energy, and the loss of land via erosion. Without significant investments to increase the supply of affordable housing, federal efforts to […]

Energy efficiency requires technical expertise and flexible funding. How do we change that so all communities can benefit?

Nuestras comunidades necesitan de asistencia técnica y una fuente flexible de financiamiento para lograr los beneficios de las oportunidades de eficiencia energética y resiliencia climática disponibles #DíaEE2021]

As the temperature rises globally, heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense, which has been shown to increase risks of respiratory, neurological, and heart issues, as well as risks of cancer and death.

They say the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. But when Mother Nature swept in with an unprecedented snowstorm in the Lone Star state the stars were the only thing you could see as massive power and water outages blanketed the state.