A Just & Resilient Recovery

As enhanced unemployment benefits and eviction moratoria burn off, millions of renters are at risk of eviction. We’re working with localities including New Haven, Wake County (NC), and Newark to extend eviction bans and legal aid, create lease workout models to keep renters in their homes, and explore longer-term affordable housing and tenant protection strategies that address the persistent vulnerability of low-income renters.

Read more about our work to prevent evictions in Wake County from HR&A Partner Phillip Kash and Director Sarah Kirk here.

Small businesses and neighborhood corridors are facing their worst crisis in modern history, but the truth is many were already struggling before the pandemic. We are working with governments such as New York’s and Fairfax County’s to keep businesses solvent during the worst of the crisis and, in the longer term, address underlying stresses to improve small business and corridor health, broaden opportunity to start businesses especially among underrepresented groups, and empower workers and communities to capture a greater share of economic value.

Read more about the importance of data to retail corridor recovery here and about frontline strategies to support small business recovery here.

The pandemic has laid bare gross disparities in our workforce, as those unable to work from home – who are more likely to be female, nonwhite, and low-wage – face either unemployment or the health risks associated with in-person work. We are working with foundations, governments, and the private sector to create more resilient local economies through stronger worker safety nets, enhanced skills training and equitable recruitment practices, and investments in digital infrastructure.

Read more about the need for increased digital adoption from HR&A Partner Kate Wittels here.

While the Work from Home experiment of 2020 will eventually fade, a Work from Anywhere economy is emerging. The pandemic has accelerated trends in which white-collar workers have greater workplace choice, where the central office remains essential but many employees work part-time from home, a coworking space, or new workspaces fashioned out of storefronts, hotels, and residential complexes. We are analyzing the impacts of this trend on real estate, planning, housing markets, municipal budgets, transportation – and workers themselves, including strategies to ensure workers with less power are not left behind.

Read more about the Work from Anywhere economy from HR&A Partners Danny Fuchs and Kate Wittels here.

Every recovery decision made by those in power will have winners and losers, and communities must act now or risk being left out. We help community leaders and advocacy organizations – from Pittsburgh’s Economic Justice Circle to the national philanthropy Blue Meridian Partners – understand who holds the levers of recovery, how recovery decisions are made, and how best to influence decision-making and, therefore, the future of our cities.

Read more about our approach from HR&A Partner Andrea Batista Schlesinger here.

A seismic shift is required for economic development to contribute to ending systemic racism and economic inequality rather than continuing to perpetuate it. We are working with cities, regional organizations, innovation districts, and foundations to revisit past strategic plans, reengage communities, and commit to new goals, approaches, incentives, and organizational structures that embrace racial and economic equity and shared prosperity as core principles.

Read more about our approach from HR&A Partner Cary Hirschstein here, about our work studying the potential benefits of public banking here, and about the role of innovation districts in recovery here.

Understanding which populations, industries, and tax streams are most at risk is essential for fiscally constrained states and municipalities that need to target scarce resources equitably and efficiently. We are working with Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York and Panama City in Florida to take a more nuances approach to economic impact assessment and fiscal projections to set priorities and guide decision-making in the months and years ahead.

Read more about our approach and our work with County leaders on Long Island from HR&A Partner Shuprotim Bhaumik here.

Local governments, transit systems, park organizations, community-based nonprofits, and other institutions essential to our cities need to fundamentally rethink how they derive revenue. Building on years of experience developing innovative funding, financing, and operating strategies, we are working with governments and a range of urban organizations to access and strategize the use of stimulus funds, rethink revenue and asset management strategies, and develop new partnerships that help close gaps and promote long-term financial resilience.

Read more about our insights into the future funding of parks and open space from HR&A Vice Chairman Candace Damon here and about funding strategies for transit systems from HR&A Partner Amitabh Barthakur here.