Mapping Communities of Opportunity in New Orleans

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2 Mapping Communities of Opportunity in New Orleans December 11, 2009 Samir Gambhir Senior Research Associate Kirwan Institute for the study of Race and Ethnicity The Ohio State University

3 Mapping Opportunity: Why and How Inequality has a geographic footprint Maps can visually track the history and presence of discriminatory and exclusionary policies that spatially segregate people Identifying places with gaps in opportunity can help direct future investment and identify structures which impede access to opportunity

4 Opportunity Matters: Space, Place, and Life Outcomes Opportunity is a situation or condition that places individuals in a position to be more likely to succeed or excel. Opportunity structures are critical to opening pathways to success: High-quality education Healthy and safe environment Stable housing Sustainable employment Political empowerment Outlets for wealth-building Positive social networks

5 Which community would you choose? 5

6 Some people ride the Up escalator to reach opportunity. Others have to run up the Down escalator to get there.

7 Opportunity Mapping framework A research tool used to understand the dynamics of opportunity within a region To illustrate where opportunity rich communities exist (and assess who has access to these communities) Also, to understand what needs to be remedied in opportunity poor communities

8 Opportunity Mapping Model A refined model to depict spatial pattern of opportunity Identifying indicators as proxy for opportunity Supported by social science literature Data easily available Index based approach compresses multi-factors to an index Model is a good communications tool to work with communities

9 Opportunity Mapping Booklet

10 Mapping Communities of Opportunity (Post-Katrina): Indicators Indicators as proxy for opportunity were identified in consultation with GNOFHAC and GNOCDC Indicators selected represented five areas of opportunity: Education quality and opportunity Economic Opportunity and mobility Housing and Neighborhood Public Health access Environmental quality

11 Indicators and data sources

12 Indicators dropped Student poverty rate Test scores for neighborhood schools Teacher qualifications Incarceration Rate Public Transit Access Unemployment Rates Population on Public Assistance Vehicle Ownership Home Ownership Rate Blighted Properties Poverty Rate

13 Mapping Communities of Opportunity (Post-Katrina): Methods Data representing community conditions was gathered for the city of New Orleans aggregated to the neighborhood (Census Tract) level and analyzed to create a comprehensive opportunity index The opportunity index is then mapped and census tracts are broken into quintiles based on their opportunity score Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, Very High

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17 Number of Units Section 8 housing analysis New Orleans Section 8 Housing Unit Distribution by Neighborhood Type (Number of Units) Efficiency 1-Bdrm 2-Bdrm 3-Bdrm 4-Bdrm 5-Bdrm 6-Bdrm Low and Very Low Moderate High and Very High Unit Type

18 Percentage of Units Section 8 housing analysis (contd.) New Orleans Section 8 Housing Unit Distribution by Neighborhood Type (Percentage) Efficiency 1-Bdrm 2-Bdrm 3-Bdrm 4-Bdrm 5-Bdrm 6-Bdrm Low and Very Low 20.00% 62.69% 62.05% 72.97% 72.37% 62.50% 50.00% Moderate 40.00% 17.91% 22.29% 17.12% 15.79% 31.25% 0.00% High and Very High 40.00% 19.40% 15.66% 9.91% 11.84% 6.25% 50.00% Unit Type

19 Reflections Opportunity mapping Metropolitan wide analysis Using public (e.g. census, state and local) and private (e.g. ESRI) data Mapped opportunity distribution

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24 Observations Section 8 housing primarily concentrated in low and very low opportunity areas Voucher recipients might have fewer choices outside low opportunity areas A system of disadvantage that affects life outcomes Re-concentrating poverty Audit by GNOFHAC Prevalent discrimination Reduced housing choice

25 Next Steps Update opportunity distribution Based on Census 2010 data Identify additional indicators Overlay Provide additional overlays Get detailed information on voucher movers Neighborhood analysis for voucher movers

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