>>> OKAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THE JUNE 15th 2021 MEETING OF
THE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WILL COME
TO ORDER.
IT'S 2:02:00 P.M.
I'M TAMMY MORALES, CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER JUAREZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER PEDERSEN.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER SAWANT.
CHAIR MORALES.
>> I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT
COUNCIL MEMBER SAWANT IS
EXCUSED.
>> I BELIEVE THAT'S THREE
PRESENT.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION,
TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, TODAY'S
AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
AT THIS POINT, WE WILL OPEN THE
REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
CAN YOU CONFIRM, I DON'T THINK
THERE'S ANYBODY SIGNED UP, IS
THAT CORRECT?
>> THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENT
REGISTRANTS.
>> IN THAT CASE, AT THIS TIME,
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD.
AND JUST MOVE ON.
SO LAKEISHA, WILL YOU PLEASE
READ ITEM ONE INTO THE RECORD.
AGENDA ITEM ONE.
BUILDING AN EQUITABLE ECONOMY
DISCUSSION AND STRATEGIES,
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.
AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT
COUNCIL MEMBER JUAREZ HAS
JOINED THE MEETING.
SO THANK YOU, GREETINGS COUNCIL
MEMBER JUAREZ.
>> THANK YOU, I'M SORRY FOR I
WAS LATE.
>> THAT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT.
OKAY.
SO AS LAKEISHA MENTIONED, WE DO
NOT HAVE A VOTE TODAY BUT I DID
REALLY WANT TO TAKE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY
DISCUSSION AND TO HEAR FROM
SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS WHO
HAVE BEEN DOING SOME REALLY
IMPORTANT WORK IN SEATTLE,
THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO
BUILD AN EQUITABLE -- AN
EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
SO I'VE BEEN MEETING REGULARLY
WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO HAVE
THE CONVERSATION THAT WE
STARTED LAST YEAR ABOUT
BUILDING COMMUNITY WEALTH IN
SEATTLE.
I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE
IMPORTANT NOW THAT WE'RE
PLANNING AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY
FROM THE PANDEMIC AND REALLY
VITAL THAT AS A CITY WE THINK
STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW TO
REBUILD OUR COMMUNITIES IN A
WAY THAT ENSURES RESILIENCE FOR
OUR NEIGHBORS AND ENSURES
WORKER PROTECTIONS AND SMALL
BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THAT REALLY PROTECTS THE
RIGHTS OF OUR LOW INCOME
NEIGHBORS AND OUR BLACK AND
BROWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STAY
ROOTED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF THAT'S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO
DO.
WE KNOW THAT OUR ECONOMIC
SYSTEM DOESN'T SERVE ALL OF US
EQUITABLY.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT AS WE
REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT THE
NEXT SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE, THAT
OUR DECISIONS ARE ROOTED IN HOW
WE TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE AS OUR
NEIGHBORS AND AS OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT
IN PLACE THE KINDS OF SYSTEMS
THAT CAN PREVENT DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
THAT CAN PREVENT THE CONTINUING
DISPLACEMENT OF COMMUNITY
MEMBERS.
IT CAN REALLY ENSURE THAT
EVERYONE GETS TO BENEFIT FROM
THE CITY'S RECOVERY STRATEGIES
AND PROGRAMS.
AND THAT MEANS REALLY
FACILITATING PUBLIC INVESTMENT
IN A WAY THAT EXPANDS ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY AND ENSURES
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, AND REALLY
HELPS BUILD WEALTH FOR ALL OF
OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS PANEL
THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER TODAY.
THIS AFTERNOON WE WILL BE
HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS
WHO WILL SHARE THEIR VISION AND
SOME OF THEIR STRATEGIES FOR
HOW WE BUILD THAT EQUITABLE
RECOVERY.
FIRST, WE WILL HEAR FROM RYAN
DONAHUE, WHOSE WORK I JUST WANT
TO NOTE, I LEARNED ABOUT AS
MY, CAPACITY AS THE PUGET SOUND
DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER WHERE
RYAN WAS PRESENTING WORK HE WAS
DOING FOR PSRC.
I WANT TO CLARIFY COUNCIL HAS
NOT HIRED RYAN AS A CONSULTANT
ON THE PRESENTATION, HIS
BACKGROUND IS LISTED THERE.
BUT HE'S BEEN DOING WORK WITH
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM
BEING HERE TO SHARE WITH US
SOME OF WHAT HE LEARNED IN THAT
CAPACITY.
WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM JAGUNA
GUSHURU FROM THE PEOPLE'S
ECONOMY LAB.
AND GREGORY DAVIS FROM RAINER
BEACH.
AND THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY
COALITION WHO WILL SHARE THEIR
PRIORITIES AROUND HOW WE
PREVENT DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
SO WE'LL HEAR FROM ALL OF THE
PANELISTS AND DEFINITELY HAVE
TIME FOR DISCUSSION ONCE EVERY
GROUP HAS GONE.
BUT PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO ASK
QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY,
COLLEAGUES.
AND THEN WE CAN ALSO HAVE A
DEEPER DISCUSSION AFTER WORDS.
SO WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO PASS
IT TO RYAN TO GET US STARTED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL
MEMBER.
AND TO ALL OF YOU FOR HAVING ME
HERE.
I WILL PULL UP MY SLIDES
QUICKLY HERE.
AND I WILL ASSUME THAT EVERYONE
CAN SEE THEM UNLESS I HEAR
OTHERWISE.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU, I REALLY
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A KIND OF
MOMENTOUS TIME PERIOD WHEN IT
COMES TO EQUITABLE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND I'M REALLY
IMPRESSED WITH THE EFFORT THAT
YOU'RE ALL PUTTING INTO
FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO IT RIGHT
UNDER A LOT OF TIME PRESSURE.
TO OPEN, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE
A SENSE OF WHO I AM AND WHERE
I'VE WORKED.
AS WAS MENTIONED, I'VE DONE
SOME WORK ON ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE IN THE BROADER SEATTLE
REGION.
I'VE DONE WORK IN PORTLAND AND
A NUMBER OF OTHER SMALLER AND
LESS FAST-GROWING CITIES AND
REGIONS.
IN ADDITION TO MY CONSULTING
WORK, I'M A NON-RESIDENT FELLOW
AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION.
AND SO I GET TO DO RESEARCH AND
WORK WITH THE CITIES AND
REGIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY ON
ALL SORTS OF ISSUES RELATED TO
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO I'LL BE SPEAKING SOMEWHAT
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE HERE IN
THE CITY AND THE REGION.
BUT ALSO KNOW I'M DRAWING ON
LESSONS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES
AS WELL.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY, AND
I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF SO THAT WE
HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR
DISCUSSION.
IS I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY
DEFINE THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM
THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IN
SOME SENSES IT'S VERY OBVIOUS
WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
BUT IN OTHER WAYS, IT CAN BE
PRETTY COMPLICATED TO TEASE
APART WHAT'S AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECT OF COVID VERSES LONGER
TERM CHALLENGES THAT PREDATED
IT.
SO I HOPE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON
WHAT THE BROADER ECONOMIC
PROBLEM OR CHALLENGES.
SECONDLY, I HOPE TO TRACE OUT
JUST A VERY BASIC, SIMPLE MODEL
OF THE COMPONENTS OF AN
ECONOMIC, EQUITABLE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
AND THEN I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A
FEW INTERESTING PRACTICES OR
MAYBE BEST PRACTICES THAT MIGHT
BE WORTH A CLOSER LOOK AS YOU
THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE WORTH
FUNDING WITH THE INCOMING ARPA
FUNDS.
SO I SAID I WANTED TO START BY
DEFINING THE MOMENT.
BUT I WANTED TO START ON A
SLIGHTLY MORE POSITIVE NOTE.
WHICH IS JUST MAKING NOTE OF
WHAT'S GOING WELL IN THE
SEATTLE REGION.
AND SO THIS CHART IS OBVIOUSLY
RATHER BUSY AND PERHAPS
DIFFICULT TO ABSORB ON FIRST
GLANCE, BUT THE BASIC MESSAGE
OF IT IS THAT BROOKINGS LOOKED
AT THE 53 LARGEST METRO AREAS
IN THE COUNTRY AND PLOTTED THE
MEDIAN WAGE IN EACH OF THOSE
REGIONS AGAINST WHAT IT WOULD
TAKE TO PROVIDE A FAMILY
SUSTAINING WAGE.
AND SEATTLE, THIS IS THE METRO
AREA NOT THETY, BUT THE SEATTLE
METRO AREA IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE
IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WHERE
THE MEDIAN WAGE IS A FAMILY
SUSTAINING WAGE.
I CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE SORT
OF METHODOLOGY OF THAT.
BUT THE BASIC POINT HERE IS
THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
START BY RECOGNIZING WHAT'S
GOING WELL IN THIS REGION AND
WHAT COULD BE ACCELERATED AND
WHAT WE CAN TRY TO CONNECT MORE
PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES AND
BUSINESSES TO.
BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S OFTEN
THIS NARRATIVE IN THIS REGION
THAT WE ARE A HAIRS BREATH AWAY
FROM BECOMING THE NEXT SAN
FRANCISCO, AND THAT MAYBE
CREATES MORE SKEPTICISM THAN IS
WARRANTED ABOUT WHAT INNOVATION
AND TECH AND ALL THESE OTHER
THINGS THAT DEFINE OUR ECONOMY
CAN DO.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT
HERE THAT, AS YOU CAN SEE,
SEATTLE IS A LONG WAYS FROM THE
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IN TERMS
OF LACK OF AFFORDABILITY.
AND IT'S DOING BETTER AGAIN
THAN 90% OR MORE OF LARGE METRO
AREAS.
SO THERE ARE OTHER PLACES WHERE
INEQUALITY MIGHT BE LOWER AND
HOUSING PRESSURES MIGHT BE
LESS.
AND THERE MIGHT BE LESS OF
THOSE FRICTIONS.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE
PLACES JUST SIMPLY AREN'T
PRODUCING AS MANY LIVING WAGE
JOBS AS SEATTLE IS.
SO THAT'S A POSITIVE NOTE.
AND WHAT IT TELLS ME IS THAT WE
SHOULD THINK ABOUT CONNECTING
MORE PEOPLE AGAIN AND MORE
COMMUNITIES TO WHAT MAKES THE
CITY'S ECONOMYFUNCTION AS
OPPOSED TO TRYING TO BUILD
WALLS AROUND THOSE PARTS OF THE
ECONOMY AND SORT OF KEEP THEM
ENTIRELY CONTAINED.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT THAT'S
WHAT'S WORKING WELL, THIS IS
THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG ABOUT
WHAT ISN'T WORKING WELL.
THE WAY THAT I THINK ABOUT THE
PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS THAT COVID
REVEALED A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT
LONG PREDATED COVID.
AS OPPOSED TO JUST CREATING ITS
OWN SET OF CHALLENGES.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND
EQUITABLY TO COVID, WE NEED TO
THINK ABOUT THE CRACKS IN THE
FOUNDATION OF OUR ECONOMY THAT
PREDATED IT.
JUST A FEW WAYS TO CAPTURE WHAT
THOSE WERE, FIRST OF ALL, THIS
ECONOMY WAS SIMPLY NOT
PRODUCING ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY.
THERE JUST WERE NOT ENOUGH GOOD
JOBS TO GO AROUND.
IF YOU LOOK PRE-COVID, ALMOST
HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
REGION WERE EITHER OUT OF WORK
OR IN LOW-WAGE JOBS.
THAT'S PRETTY PROFOUND FOR AN
ECONOMY THAT'S DONE AS WELL AS
SEATTLE'S HAS.
SECONDLY, THE ONE THING THAT
YOU MIGHT THINK THAT THIS
REGION IS DOING WELL IS
CREATING LOTS OF NEW INNOVATIVE
HIGH GROWTH BUSINESSES.
BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT TRUE
EITHER.
SEATTLE IS LIGHTING PLACES LIKE
DENVER, NASHVILLE, AUSTIN, ET
CETERA, IN TERMS OF CREATING
NEW SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES.
SO FOR ALL OF THE OVER ALL
GROWTH THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED,
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH GOOD JOBS ,
WE'RE NOT CREATING ENOUGH
SUCCESSFUL YOUNG BUSINESSES AND
THEN OF COURSE YOU ADD ON TO
THAT THAT THERE'S INEQUITABLE
ACCESS TO WHAT OPPORTUNITY WE
DO HAVE.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS IN TERMS
OF JOBS, GREATER SEATTLE IS
AMONG THE WORST IN THE COUNTRY
IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY AND TECH
AND MANAGEMENT JOBS.
THERE'S A HUGE GAP IN TERMS OF
OWNERSHIP OF POTENTIALLY HIGH
GROWTH BUSINESSES BY RACE AND
ACCORDING TO BROOKINGS, SEATTLE
HAS EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE
SLOWEST PROGRESS ON CLOSING
GEOGRAPHIC INEQUITIES OF ANY
LARGE METRO AREA IN THE
COUNTRY.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF
CHALLENGES AND AGAIN, THOSE
THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR IN
THE COVID RECOVERY ARE REALLY
MUCH LONGER TERM CHALLENGES.
SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT
RESPONDING TO THOSE SORTS OF
THINGS, I REALLY THINK ABOUT
FOUR COMPONENTS OF A STRATEGY.
AND THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE,
BUT IT'S EASY TO OVER LOOK OR
UNDER WEIGHT ANY ONE OF THESE
THINGS.
SO THE FIRST THING, AS I
MENTIONED, IS THIS ECONOMY,
AMAZINGLY ENOUGH WAS SIMPLY NOT
CREATING ENOUGH GOOD JOBS.
SO ONE COMPONENT OF A STRATEGY
HAS TO BE DOING EXACTLY THAT.
THE SHORT STORY HERE IS THAT
GOOD JOBS TEND TO BE AN
INNOVATIVE INDUSTRY.
SO TECH, MANUFACTURING, ET
CETERA.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD THINK ABOUT
AGAIN VERY BRIEFLY IS WHERE ARE
THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE RAPIDLY
GROWING IN THOSE INDUSTRIES?
AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY CONTINUE TO GROW?
THAT THEY STAY HERE IN THE
CITY.
I THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE RANT
POWERED BIKES IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE.
SORT OF TECH, SORT OF
MANUFACTURING, SORT OF CLEAN
TECH COMPANY BASED IN BALLARD,
IT'S GETTING TONS OF OUTSIDE
INVESTMENT.
IT'S CREATING JOBS.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE HAS
SEATTLE GOTTEN INSIDE OF THAT
COMPANY AND SAID HOW CAN WE
MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY OF THOSE
JOBS ARE CREATED HERE AS
POSSIBLE AND ARE CONNECTED TO
DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE?
SO JOB CREATION, JOB
PREPARATION, THE MAIN THING I
WANT TO SAY IN THE JOB
PREPARATION OR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT SORT OF COMPONENT
OF THIS IS THAT WHAT WE KNOW IS
THAT WHAT WORKS TAKES
INVESTMENT.
SO WE KNOW WHAT WORKS.
BUT THE PROGRAMS THAT WORK,
COST 10,000 TO $20,000 PER
PERSON TO TAKE THEM FROM THE
MARGINS OF THE ECONOMY INTO
HIGH GROWTH, WELL-PAID JOBS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY T PUBLIC
WORKFORCE SYSTEM TENDS TO SPEND
ABOUT 10% TO 20% OF THAT PER
PERSON.
SO WE NEED TO SOMEHOW CLOSE
THAT GAP.
THIRDLY, WE NEED BUSINESSES TO
CHANGE HOW THEY OPERATE.
AND A LOT OF BUSINESSES WANT TO
CHANGE HOW THEY OPERATE AND
BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE.
AND THEY SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE THIS
BULLET THAT SAYS MANAGEMENT IS
A TECHNOLOGY.
MEANING THAT WE HELP BUSINESSES
ALL THE TIME UPGRADE THEIR
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATE AND GO
THROUGH ACCELERATORS AND ALL OF
THESE THINGS TO DEVELOP NEW
PRODUCTS.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
WE CAN HELP COMPANIES AND TEACH
THEM THE BECOME MORE INCLUSIVE.
AND LASTLY, ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITY.
WE CAN SOLVE ONE THROUGH THREE.
AND PEOPLE STILL MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO REACH GUYS.
PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABLE TO EARN AN
INCOME BUT NOT DEVELOP WEALTH.
SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
NOW, TO CLOSE, I'M JUST GOING
TO WALK THROUGH SORT OF ONE, I
THINK COMPELLING EXAMPLE IN
EACH OF THESE FOUR CATEGORIES.
SO IN TERMS OF JOB CREATION,
THIS IS A MODEL THAT'S BEEN
DEVELOPED IN CINCINNATI CALLED
THE MINORITY BUSINESS
ACCELERATOR.
I DON'T THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE
KIND OF PLOPPED DOWN IN SEATTLE
AND EXPECTED TO WORK IN EXACTLY
THE WAY THAT IT DOES IN
CINCINNATI, BUT THE BASIC
COMPONENTS ARE REVEALING.
SO THE ACCELERATOR ITSELF, WHAT
IT DOES IS IT WORKS WITH
MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES WITH
APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS
IN REVENUE.
SO THESE AREN'T REALLY SMALL
BUSINESSES BY MOST STANDARDS.
THOSE ARE PRETTY SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESSES, TEN EMPLOYEES, A
MILLION IN REVENUE, BUT THEY
COULD EASILY GET TO 100
EMPLOYEES AND 100 MILLION IN
REVENUE.
AND THAT IS A SPOT WHERE A LOT
OF COMPANIES KIND OF FLOUNDER
AND NEVER REACH THEIR
POTENTIAL.
SO THERE'S A CLEAR FOCUS ON
WORKING WITH A SMALL PORTFOLIO
OF THOSE HIGH, POTENTIA
COMPANIES.
BEFORE THAT THERE'S A MINORITY
BUSINESS COLLABORATIVE.
THE URBAN LEAGUE, AFRICAN
AMERICAN CHAMBER.
THE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY AND SEVERAL OTHERS WHO
DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO WORK
WITH BUSINESSES THAT NEED THAT
REALLY HIGH QUALITY SUPPORT
BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL READY
PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
WHAT THEY CAN DO IS THEY CAN
SCAN ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE AND
IDENTIFY COMPANIES WHO ARE ON
THE CUSP OF THAT.
AND SO THIS COLLABORATIVE WORKS
TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY TEN
COMPANIES A YEAR THAT THEY
THINK COULD COLLECTIVELY CREATE
150 JOBS AND THEY FUNNEL THOSE
INTO THE ACCELERATOR.
SO THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF THE
BOOTS ON THE GROUND, ON THE
FRONT LINES, WORKING DIRECTLY
WITH COMPANIES AND FINDING
THOSE THAT HAVE THIS POTENTIAL.
AND THEN LASTLY, ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM, ARE
COMPANIES WHO HAVE BEEN
ORGANIZED SUCH THAT THEY HAVE
CHANGED THEIR PROCUREMENT
PROCESSES AND THEIR PROCUREMENT
GOALS AND THEY'RE CONNECTED
DIRECTLY WITH THE COMPANIES
GOING THROUGH THIS ACCELERATOR.
AND THE SUCCESS OF THIS
PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN WRITTEN
ABOUT IS QUITE REMARKABLE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN
GENERAL, SMALL BUSINESSES DO
NOT CREATE A LOT OF JOBS AND
WEALTH.
AND SO THERE'S A REAL ARGUMENT
FOR FOCUSING IN ON THOSE THAT
REALLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DO
SO.
SO THAT'S ONE PROGRAMSING
PRACTICE.
IN TERMS OF JOB PREPARATION OR
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHAT MY
KIND OF RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE
IS TO THINK ABOUT EXISTING
INITIATIVES THAT ARE HERE IN
THE CITY AND THE REGION AND HOW
THOSE CAN BE EXPANDED.
AND THE REASON I THINK THAT IS
THAT SEATTLE IS FORTUNATE TO
HAVE AMAZING PROGRAMS LIKE YEAR
UP IS ONE EXAMPLE.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS
YOUNG LOW-INCOME PRIMARILY
PEOPLE OF COLOR TO JOBS IN THE
TECH SECTOR.
A NATIONAL EVALUATION BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOUND THAT
YEAR UP PRODUCED THE BIGGEST
AND MOST SUSTAINED EARNINGS
GAINS OF ANY WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT HAD
EVER BEEN EVALUATED
ESSENTIALLY.
AND THIS EXISTS HERE IN
SEATTLE.
THE CHALLENGE IS THAT EVEN
THOUGH IT'S FREE, AND EVEN
THOUGH THE RESULTS ARE AMAZING,
YOU HAVE TO TAKE SIX OR TWELVE
MONTHS OFF WORK TO BE PART OF A
PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
AND SO, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES
TO CREATE MORE WRAP AROUND
SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
GOING THROUGH THESE THINGS
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO
PROVIDE CHILD CARE OR EARN AN
INCOME WHILE THEY DO SO.
IN MANY CASES.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THE PROBLEM
WITH YEAR UP IS THAT IT GETS
PEOPLE INTO ENTRY LEVEL TECH
JOBS BUT THEY OFTEN HIT A
CEILING AFTER THAT.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THE
OPPORTUNITY IS TO THINK ABOUT
THIS SORT OF TAPESTRY OF
PROGRAMS WE HAVE HERE.
AND THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE USE
CITY RESOURCES AND INFLUENCE TO
HELP PULL THEM INTO NEW
OCCUPATIONS ? TO WORK WITH NEW
BUSINESSES?
OR AGAIN TO PROVIDE MORE
SUPPORTS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE GOING THROUGH THESE PROGRAM
SO THEY CAN BE AS EQUITABLE AS
POSSIBLE?
>>> THIRDLY, IN ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITY, ONE FRUSTRATION I
HAVE WITH THIS CONVERSATION IS
THAT IT TENDS TO BE NARROWLY
FOCUSED ON SMALL BUSINESS
CREATION.
AND SMALL BUSINESS CREATION IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR
REASONS THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HELP 30 OR 40
SMALL BUSINESSES START TO END
UP TEN YEARS LATER WITH A
SINGLE ONE THAT'S STILL ALIVE,
GENERATING WEALTH AND HIRING
PEOPLE.
SO IT'S A PRETTY RESOURCE-
INTENSIVE WAY TO GET AT
BUILDING WEALTH.
ANOTHER COMPLIMENTARY APPROACH
IS TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE
HELP EXISTING BUSINESSES WHO
MAY NOT HAVE A SUCCESSION PLAN
AND THEIR OWNERS MAY BE HEADING
TOWARD RETIREMENT.
HOW DO WE HELP EXISTING
BUSINESSES TRANSITION TO WORKER-
OWNED COOPS.
SO THERE'S AN EXAMPLE IN
MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL WHERE A
NONPROFIT WORKS REALLY
INTENSIVELY WITH BUSINESSES WHO
ARE THINKING ABOUT EXIT
STRATEGIES AND HELPING THEM GO
THROUGH THE CO-OP CONVERSION
PROCESS.
IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF
MINNEAPOLIS HAS PARTNERED WITH
THIS AND OTHER NONPROFITS AND
SAID WE WILL SUBSIDIZE 50 HOURS
OF CONSULTING FOR A COMPANY WHO
IS THINKING ABOUT GOING THROUGH
THIS PROCESS TO WORK WITH AN
ENTITY LIKE NEXUS COMMUNITY
PARTNERS.
AND THE HOPE IS THAT AS THIS
GETS UP TO SPEED THAT IN THE
CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO CONVERT 20 EXISTING
COMPANIES TO COOPS EVERY YEAR.
THIS MEANS THAT PEOPLE
AUTOMATICALLY START BUILDING
WEALTH WITHOUT HAVING TO GO
THROUGH THE INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT PROCESS OF STARTING A
BUSINESS.
IT MAKES THOSE BUSINESSES MORE
PRODUCTIVE.
IT GIVES THE OWNERS AN EXIT
STRATEGY, ET CETERA.
LASTLY, ONE MORE EXAMPLE IN THE
ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY CATEGORY
THAT I THINK IS REALLY
IMPRESSIVE AND IMPORTANT IN
GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION IS
THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TRUST.
BASICALLY THE MODEL HERE IS
THAT MERCY CORE AND A COUPLE
IMPACT INVESTORS IDENTIFIED A
NEIGHBORHOOD IN PORTLAND THAT
WAS ON THE CUSP OF REALLY
GENTRIFYING AND THEY BOUGHT A
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, RESIDENTS
IN THE IMMEDIATELY ADJOINING
AREAS CAN BUY SHARES IN THAT
PROPERTY FOR AS LOW AS 10
DOLLARS A MONTH.
IN THREE YEARS THE GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT SHARES IN
THIS BUILDING WILL OWN IT OUT
RIGHT.
THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT
SHARES ARE AS YOU CAN SEE, 62%
WOMEN.
49% IMMIGRANTS.
VERY DIVERSE AND GENERALLY LOW
INCOME POPULATION THAT'S BOUGHT
SHARES IN THIS BUILDING AND IN
ADDITION TO NOW OWNING A
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN THEIR
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WILL INCREASE
IN VALUE OVER THE NEXT HANDFUL
OF YEARS, THEY'RE ABLE TO
PROACTIVELY AND THOUGHTFULLY
LEASE OUT THE SPACE WITHIN THAT
BUILDING TO MINORITY OWNED
BUILDINGS AND NONPROFITS.
IT BENEFITS THE OWNERS IN TERMS
OF WEALTH.
BUT ALSO GIVES BUSINESSES A
PLACE TO OPERATE OUT OF IN
THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AGAIN, I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF
HERE, BUT MY PARTING THOUGHTS
WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS, NUMBER
ONE, I THINK THERE'S OBVIOUSLY
A LOT OF PRESSURE TO FOCUS ON
STABILIZING THE ECONOMY AFTER
WHAT'S HAPPENED.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
HOWEVER TO THINK ABOUT AS WE
STABILIZE THE SMALL BUSINESS
SECTOR AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES
ALONG WITH IT.
HOW DO WE SORT OF TAKE
PROACTIVE STEPS TO BUILD NEW
INDUSTRIES AND BUILD COMPANIES
THAT ARE GOING TO CREATE GOOD
JOBS AND CREATE WEALTH.
THAT WON'T HAPPEN IF THE FOCUS
IS JUST ON STABILIZING THE MOST
VULNERABLE BUSINESSES.
SECONDLY, AS I SHOWED, NEARLY
HALF OF PEOPLE IN THIS ECONOMY
PREVIOUSLY WERE IN LOW-WAGE
JOBS OR OUT OF WORK.
THAT MEANS WE DON'T NEED TO
CREATE HUNDREDS OF JOBS OR TENS
OF JOBS, WE NEED TO CREATE
THOUSANDS OF GOOD JOBS AND
TRAIN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOR
THOSE GOOD JOBS.
AND SO I WOULD FOCUS CONSTANTLY
ON HOW TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND
INITIATIVES AT SCALE.
AND THAT PROBABLY MEANS LINKING
WITH EXISTING REGIONAL SYSTEMS
AND ORGANIZATIONS TO DO THAT
QUICKLY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'M JUST
REALLY ENCOURAGED THAT THERE
ARE INVESTMENT READY
OPPORTUNITIES LIKE I'VE
HIGHLIGHTED THAT ARE BEING
DEVELOPED HERE IN THE CITY AND
THE REGION OR IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO I DO THINK THAT WITH THE
RIGHT FRAME WORK, YOU CAN BEGIN
TO INVEST IN SOME VERY HIGH
IMPACT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE
UPCOMING ARPA FUNDS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE,
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS LATER.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, RYAN,
VERY EXCITING.
I DO HAVE MAYBE JUST ONE OR TWO
QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION --
HAD A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS AND
IN THE PSRC MEETING THAT WE
HAD, I DONE KNOW, MAYBE IT WAS
A MONTH AGO, LAST MONTH, YOU
SHARED SOME DATA ABOUT WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE REALLY STRATEGIC IN
HOW WE TARGET INVESTMENTS.
AND YOU HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED TO
FOCUS ON BLACK WOMEN.
FOR VERY PARTICULAR REASONS.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT
RESEARCH AND THAT -- HOW THAT
FOCUS SORT OF JIVES WITH WHAT
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HERE
TODAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH.
SO I WORKED WITH A BIG REGIONAL
TASK FORCE ON A REGIONAL
RECOVERY FRAME WORK WHICH WAS
KIND OF CONVENED AND LED BY
GREATER SEATTLE PARTNERS AND
THAT REPORT JUST CAME OUT LAST
WEEK.
AND WHEN WE DEVELOPED THAT
FRAME WORK, WE TRIED TO
ILLUMINATE THE FULL SCALE OF
THE CHALLENGE FACING THIS
REGION, WHICH AS I MENTIONED IS
WE SOMEHOW NEED TO FIND A WAY
TO CREATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
BETTER JOBS.
IN ORDER I THINK THOUGH TO GET
A COMPLICATED COALITIONS OF
ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY BEGIN
WORKING TOGETHER ON SOLUTIONS,
YOU NEED TO SORT OF COME UP
WITH A NEARER TERM MORE
TANGIBLE MORE ACHIEVABLE GOAL.
RIGHT?
BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO STAY
MOTIVATED WHEN YOUR TASK IS TO
DO SOMETHING SO BIG THAT IT'S
SO HARD TO SEE YOUR DAY TODAY
PROGRESS TOWARDS.
SO WE SAID OKAY, WE KNOW WE
NEED TO CREATE TENS OR HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF GOOD JOBS OR
THOUSANDS OF NEW BUSINESSES, IF
WE'RE GOING TO SET A NEARER
TERM GOAL, WHAT LOGICAL
APPROACH CAN WE TAKE TO DOING
THAT?
LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO JUST SAY
LET'S DO 5% A YEAR AND WE'LL
GET THERE EVENTUALLY.
WE WANTED A REAL LOGIC.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT'S
PRETTY OBVIOUS WHERE THE
GREATEST FORMS OF ECONOMIC
EXCLUSION ARE.
AND THAT IS AMONG WOMEN OF
COLOR.
SO AS ONE EXAMPLE, THERE'S THIS
GREAT BROOKINGS RESEARCH ON WHO
HAS GOOD JOBS IN THE ECONOMY,
WHICH HERE IN SEATTLE LET'S SAY
IS $20 AN HOUR PLUS BENEFITS.
AND I'LL GET THE NUMBERS WRONG
BUT I'LL CORRECT THEM LATER BUT
IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 65% OF
WHITE MEN WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE
IN THIS REGION HAVE A GOOD JOB.
IF YOU GO DOWN THEN THROUGH
WHITE WOMEN, BLACK MEN, ET
CETERA, WHAT YOU FIND IS THAT
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT LIST BY
QUITE A LONG STRETCH IS
HISPANIC WOMEN AND BLACK WOMEN.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IN
BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND IN OTHER
NUMBER OF OTHER CATEGORIES.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WOMEN OF
COLOR WERE THE LAST TO RECOVER
FROM THE PREVIOUS RECESSION AND
WERE THE MOST IMPACTED.
SO THERE'S A LITANY OF DATA
POINTS THAT BASICALLY SAY IF WE
DO NOT BUILD PROGRAMS AND
STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENTS THAT
TAKE THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS
INTO ACCOUNT, THEY WILL BE
MISSED.
WE'VE SEEN IT TIME AND AGAIN.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IN THAT
PROCESS IS WE SAID LET'S JUST
START BY DOUBLING DOWN ON THAT
POPULATION.
AND THE POINT IS NOT THAT WE
SHOULD ONLY SERVE WOMEN OF
COLOR, THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER
POPULATIONS DEPENDING ON HOW
YOU BREAK IT DOWN THAT ARE
EXCLUDED AND DISADVANTAGE AND
MARGINALIZED.
BUT THE SORT OF THEORY IS THAT
IF YOU CAN BUILD PROGRAMS THAT
WORK FOR THOSE POPULATIONS WHO
THE DATA SEEM TO SAY ARE MOST
MARGINALIZED, THEN THOSE
PROGRAMS SHOULD WORK FOR OTHER
POPULATIONS THAT FACE OTHER
FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AND
MARGINALIZATION.
SO I THINK THAT THAT LEEPS
LENSE IS A REALLY EFFECTIVE WAY
TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THOSE NEEDS
WHEN YOU DO DEVELOP PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES.
>> THANK YOU, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR SHARING THAT.
OKAY.
COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS
BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT
PRESENTER?
I'M CHECKING THE HAND FUNCTION
LET'S MOVE ON, I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO HEARING NEXT FROM
JAGUNA WITH PEOPLE'S ECONOMY
LAB.
ARE YOU PREPARED TO SHOW YOUR
SLIDES ? YES.
LAKEISHA IS GOING TO DO THAT.
OKAY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER,
MORALES.
>> HELLO.
I AM A LAB LEAD WE ARE THE
PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB.
AND TODAY I'M GOING TO BE
GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
BACKGROUND ON THE PEOPLE'S
ECONOMY LAB AND THEN SPEAKING
TO OUR INSIGHTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO AN
ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN OUR REGION
AND HOW THAT RECOVERY CAN
BETTER ADVANCE A TRANSITION TO
A MORE JUST, RACIALLY EQUITABLE
AND RESTORATIVE ECONOMY.
NEXT SLIDE.
I'LL START BY GIVING YOU A
LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION
INTO OUR ORGANIZATION.
THE PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB IS AN
ORGANIZATION THAT CENTERS THE
EXPERIENCES OF BLACK INDIGENOUS
AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND WORKS TO CONVENE COMMUNITY
LEADERS TO WORKSHOP
TRANSFORMATIVE IDEAS AND BUILD
NEW ECONOMIC MODELS THAT
ADVANCE A JUST TRANSITION
LOCALLY.
WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS AN OVER
ALL JUST TRANSITION IN OUR
BROADER NATIONAL AND GLOBAL
ECONOMY.
BUT HAVE TAKEN IT UPON
OURSELVES TO BE THE LOCAL
LEADERS IN GUIDING AND
STEWARDING THAT TRANSITION
AMONG LOCAL BI-POP COMMUNITY
LEADERS, CONNECTING THEM TO
LARGER STAKEHOLDER INSTITUTIONS
AND INCUBATING AND SUPPORTING
THEIR TRANSFORMATIVE WORK BY
OFFERING OUR NETWORK, OUR
RESOURCES, AND OUR COMPASSION
AND DEEP COMMUNITY IN WALKING
THROUGH THEIR STRUGGLES WITH
THEM.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THE
PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB.
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT WE CONSIDER A
PEOPLE'S ECONOMY.
A PEOPLE'S ECONOMY IS AN
ECONOMY THAT'S RESTORATIVE AND
IS JUST AND THAT PUTS PEOPLE IN
PLACE FIRST.
IT MEETS LOCAL NEEDS HERE AND
EVERYWHERE AND NOW IN THE
FUTURE.
IT'S AN ECONOMY WHERE
INVESTMENTS, ENTERPRISES AND
TRANSACTIONS ARE DESIGNED
AROUND OUR VALUES AS FOLKS IN
BIPOP COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LOW
INCOME AND DISEMPOWERED IN
CURRENT ECONOMY AND WHERE POWER
IS SEEDED IN THE PEOPLE.
IN THOSE WHO CONSUME THOSE
PRODUCTS AND THOSE WHO PRODUCE
THOSE PRODUCTS.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING AROUND A
VISION OF A NEW ECONOMY THAT IS
JUST AND RESTORATIVE.
RATHER THAN EXTRACTIVE AND
EXPLOITIVE.
THAT COMES FROM AN
UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEEP
RETAILS THAT FOLKS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES CONFRONT.
AND WE WORK FROM THAT AWARENESS
TO DEFINE THE STEPS THAT ARE
NECESSARY TO ADVANCE A JUST
TRANSITION LOCALLY AND WE WORK
TO SORT OF SUPPORT THAT
ADVANCEMENT.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO WHILE WE CALL THIS A
PEOPLE'S ECONOMY, THERE ARE
MANY OTHER WORDS FOR THE NEW
ECONOMY THAT WE'RE ENVISIONING
AND THAT MANY OTHERS AROUND THE
NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD ARE
ENVISIONING.
SO YOU CAN HEAR IT CALLED A
SOLIDARITY ECONOMY, A NEW
ECONOMY, A WELL BEING ECONOMY,
AND MAYBE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY
AND GLOBALLY IS THAT LARGELY
FOLKS ON OUR PLANET HAVE
REALIZED THAT THIS ECONOMY DOES
NOT WORK FOR US.
BOTH HERE IN OUR CITY AND IN
CITIES IN COMMUNITIES AROUND
THE WORLD AND THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING BETTER.
THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING
TOWARDS.
AND SO WE FIND OURSELVES IN
DIFFERENT SPACES, DEFINING THIS
ECONOMY WITH DIFFERENT TERMS.
BUT WE SEE THE SAME VALUES
RESONATING ACROSS THE GLOBE.
LARGELY GROWING OUT OF THE
EXPERIENCES OF OUR CURRENT
ECONOMY.
WHICH ARE THE EXPERIENCES OF
COLONIALISM, WHITE SUPREMACY,
AND EXTRACTION.
THOSE REALITIES ARE GLOBAL.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A
GLOBAL RESPONSE GROWING OUT OF
THE PEOPLE TO CREATE A NEW
ECONOMY.
WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE
BASIS FOR A TRANSITION TO A
SOCIETY THAT PROVIDES US ALL
WITH GREATER SATISFACTION AND
WELL BEING.
AND WE'RE WORKING LOCALLY TO
LEAD THAT.
REALLY ACTUALLY TO SUPPORT THE
LEADERSHIP OF OUR BI-POP
COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO ARE
LEADING THAT.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO THE PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB
WAS FORMED YEARS AGO AROUND A
SET OF SEVEN VALUES THAT LOCAL
COMMUNITY LEADERS IDENTIFIED AS
WHAT THEY SAW AS REALLY THE
BASIS FOR WORKING TOWARDS THAT
NEW ECONOMY IN OUR REGION.
THE FIRST WAS AROUND LOCAL
NEEDS.
EALLY FOCUSING OUR WORK AND
OUR CRAFTING OF THIS NEW
ECONOMY AROUND LOCAL NEEDS.
LOCAL OWNERSHIP AND A LOCAL
ECOSYSTEM.
RESILIENCE.
CULTIVATING A DIVERSE ECONOMY
THAT'S NOT CENTERED IN
POWERFUL, LARGE STAKEHOLDERS.
BUT ONE THAT IS DISTRIBUTED.
MUCH LIKE OUR NATURAL
ECOSYSTEM.
BEING RESILIENT IN THE SENSE OF
LEARNING AND ADAPTING FROM OUR
EXPERIENCES IN OUR INDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICING
CONTINUOUS INNOVATION IN
RESPONSE TO THE FORCES THAT
WE'RE CONFRONTING EVERYDAY.
ANOTHER ONE WAS EQUITY.
WE WANT TO ADVANCE AN ECONOMY
AND WORK THAT PROVIDES
EQUITABLE ACCESS, COMMUNITY
OWNERSHIP AND ADVANCES
DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING AND
LEADER SIP, AGAIN, SHIFTING
POWER BACK TO THE PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND WHO ARE NOT EMPOWERED IN
THIS CURRENT ECONOMY.
GETTING BACK TO WHAT WE
CONSIDER THE NATURAL STATE OF
THOSE PEOPLE.
BEING EMPOWERED NOT
DISEMPOWERED.
NEXT IS STEWARDSHIP.
CARE AND SERVICE TO PEOPLE AND
PLANNING.
THAT IS WHAT DRIVES US.
WE FEEL THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE
CORE DRIVING MOTIVATION OF THIS
ECONOMY AND THIS WORK.
RATHER THAN PROFIT.
RATHER THAN POWER.
CARE AND STEWARDSHIP OF PEOPLE,
PLANET, AND THE COMMENTS.
NEXT IS COLLABORATION VERSES
COMPETITION.
WE WANT THE BASIS OF ALL OUR
WORK TO BE COLLABORATION,
ALWAYS LOOKING TO COLLABORATE
AND COOPERATE AND LOOKING TO
BREAK DOWN SYSTEMS OF HIERARCHY
WHICH INHERENTLY DISEMPOWER OUR
PEOPLE.
NEXT IS INTEGRITY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO ADVANCE TO
WORK IN AN ECONOMY THAT'S
TRANSPARENT.
THAT'S INCLUSIVE IN DECISION
MAKING AND THAT BRINGS IN THE
INTEREST OF AS MANY FOLKS AS
POSSIBLE.
AND WE WANT TO ALIGN ALL OUR
WORK AND GOALS WITH COMMUNITY
PRIORITIES.
SO WE STRIVE TO AUTHENTICALLY
AND TRANSPARENTLY WORK TO
ADVANCE GOALS OF COMMUNITY.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE CAN BE
CHALLENGES WITH THAT
TRANSPARENCY AND THAT
INCLUSIVENESS, BUT WE FEEL THAT
THE VALUE IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM
SUSTAINABILITY IS ROOTED IN THE
INTEGRITY OF THE WORK.
NEXT IS RELATIONSHIPS.
WE BELIEVE THAT -- IN THE VALUE
OF DEEP RELATIONSHIPS.
WE BELIEVE THIS WORK BECOMES
SUBSTANTIVE AND EFFECTIVE AS
DEEP RELATIONSHIPS ARE ENGAGED
BECAUSE IT ENABLES US TO GET TO
THE CORE ISSUES AND CORE
REALITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO
CONFRONT.
AND SO WHILE ENGAGING IN DEEP
RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH OUR WORK
MAY BE COSTLY, WE FEEL THOUGH
VEMS IN THOSE DEEP
RELATIONSHIPS ARE REALLY WHAT
WILL ALLOW US TO BUILD
SOMETHING THAT'S SUSTAINABLE.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK NOW A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE JUST
TRANSITION FRAME WORK.
THE PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB
OPERATES WITHIN THIS JUST
TRANSITION FRAME WORK WHICH IS
A FRAME WORK DRAWN FROM THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT.
WHICH ARTICULATES SPECIFIC
STRATEGIES TO TRANSITION US
FROM AN EXTRACTIVE ECONOMY TO A
LIVING ECONOMY.
SO AS YOU'LL SEE ON OUR SCREEN,
WHAT WE IDENTIFY AS THE
EXTRACTIVE ECONOMY IS OUR
CURRENT ECONOMY BASED ON A
WORLD VIEW DRAWN FROM
HISTORICAL REALITIES SUCH AS
WHITE SUPREMACY, PATRIARCHY,
AND CONSUMERISM.
AN ECONOMY WHERE RESOURCES ARE
EXTRACTED, WHERE WORK IS
EXPLOITED AND WHERE THIS SYSTEM
IS PROTECTED BY MILITARISM,
POLICE PROTECTION, ET CETERA,
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCLOSING
WEALTH AND POWER.
AND SO IN TERMS OF SHIFTING
FROM THAT ECONOMY, WE'RE
LOOKING TO SHIFT TO AN ECONOMY
BASED ON A WORLD VIEW OF
SACREDNESS AND CARING, WHERE WE
FEEL MOST OF OUR PEOPLE'S
INDIGENOUS VALUES ALIGN.
AN ECONOMY WHERE RESOURCES ARE
NOT EXTRACTED BUT ARE USED AS
SOMETHING THAT'S REGENERATIVE.
WHERE EARTH IS VIEWED AS PART
OF OUR BEING RATHER THAN AN
INANIMATE OBJECT TO EXTRACT
FROM.
WHERE WE FOCUS ON COOPERATION
THROUGH WORK.
NOT OF EXPLOITATION OF LABOR
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROFIT.
AND WHERE THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE
OF THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE
WORKING TOWARDS IS ECOLOGICAL
AND SOCIAL WELL BEING RATHER
THAN THE ENCLOSURE OF WEALTH
AND POWER OR DOMINANCE OF THE
EARTH.
AND SO AGAIN, WE FEEL THAT THIS
SYSTEM WILL BE ULTIMATELY
GOVERNED BY DEEP DEMOCRACY
ROOTED IN DEEP RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SO AS THAT IS THE GREAT
LIVING OR PEOPLE'S ECONOMY THAT
WE'D LIKE TO ACHIEVE, WE
UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF
WORK IT TAKES TO GET THERE.
SO THE JUST TRANSITION FRAME
WORK ARE A SET OF STRATEGIES
TO ENABLE US TO WORK TOWARD
THOSE GOALS.
SO THAT INVOLVES STOPPING THE
BAD.
STOPPING THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE
EXTRACTIVE ECONOMY THAT WE NEED
TO END IMMEDIATELY AND BUILDING
THE NEW.
IT ALSO INVOLVES DIVESTING FROM
POWER SYSTEM OF THE EXTRACTIVE
ECONOMY AND INVESTING IN NEW
SYSTEMS OF THE LIVING ECONOMY.
AND SO THE PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB
FOCUSES ON OUR AREA OF THIS
STRATEGY WHICH IS BUILDING THE
NEW.
AND WE FOCUS ON BUILDING NEW
ECONOMIC MODELS THAT CENTER AND
EMPOWER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
LOCALLY AND SUPPORT LOCAL
LEADERS AND COMMUNITIES IN
ADVANCING THEIR WORK TOWARDS A
JUST TRANSITION HERE IN SEATTLE
AND WESTERN WASHINGTON.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO AS PART OF OUR WORK, A
FEW MONTHS AGO, WE CONVENED A
COALITION OF COMMUNITY LEADERS
TO DO A JUST TRANSITION AND
MAPPING PROJECT TO REALLY MAP
THE EXTRACTIVE ECONOMY AS OUR
LOCAL BI POP COMMUNITIES SEE IT
CURRENTLY.
TO THEN MAP THE LIVING OR
REGENERATIVE ECONOMY THAT OUR
LEADERS ENVISION ON BEHALF OF
THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEN TO
REALLY WORK THROUGH MAPPING THE
AREAS OF INTERVENTION AND THE
BARRIERS THAT ARE THERE ON OUR
PATH TOWARDS THAT NEW ECONOMY.
SO SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN
THAT EXPERIENCE ARE ON THIS
CALL.
BUT WE HAD THE AFRICAN AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, RAINIER
BEACH ACTION COALITION.
BLACK DOT, NAHILAHI FUND.
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AMONG
OTHERS.
GATHERING OVER A SERIES OF
ABOUT SIX CONVENINGS TOGETHER
TO MAP THE EXTRACTIVE AND
LIVING ECONOMIES AND REALLY
TALK THROUGH THESE SPECIFIC
AREAS OF INTERVENTION AND THE
SPECIFIC BARRIERS THAT THEY SEE
AS MOST RELEVANT IN GETTING US
TO A MORE JUST ECONOMY LOCALLY.
WE FOUND IT TO BE A
TREMENDOUSLY VALUABLE
EXPERIENCE IN BRINGING THOSE
LEADERS TOGETHER AROUND THAT
VISION AND BEING ABLE TO REALLY
SORT OF DO WORK IN DEEP
COMMUNITY WITH THOSE LEADERS.
THEY GAVE EVEN MORE TIME THAN
THEY'RE GIVING REGULARLY FOR
THEIR WORK.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO
COLLECTIVELY COME TO ALIGNMENT
ON OUR VISION FOR A MORE
RESTORATIVE ECONOMY AND TO
COLLECTIVELY IDENTIFY THOSE
OPPORTUNE AREAS OF INTERVENTION
THAT WE SEE AS LEADERS AND
REALLY TO SHAPE A CLEAR PICTURE
OF WHAT WE FEEL THAT JUST
TRANSITION LOOKS LIKE LOCALLY
EXPSM WHAT THE NEW LIVING
ECONOMY CAN LOOK LIKE LOCALLY
HERE IN OUR AREA.
WE FEEL THAT BY GIVING THAT
VISION LIFE AND BY BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH THIS
PROCESS WE ARE HELPING TO BUILD
THAT MOMENTUM AND TAKE STEPS
TOWARD THAT.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO AGAIN, DURING THOSE
MAPPING PROJECT EXERCISES, WE
SPOKE TOWARDS OUR STRATEGIC
FRAME WORK FOR A JUST
TRANSITION.
SO IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT
WE REALLY DID REALIZE WAS THAT
THIS TRANSITION IS A PROCESS OF
NAVIGATING TREMENDOUS
CONTRADICTIONS.
THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET
TO OUR LIVING ECONOMY TOMORROW.
BUT THAT WE WILL NEED TO BE
ABLE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO
ASSESS THE EXTRACTIVE ECONOMY
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCING
TO THIS LIVING ECONOMY IN A
VERY SOPHISTICATED WAY THAT
REQUIRES US TO NAVIGATE A
MYRIAD OF CONTRADICTIONS.
THERE'S NO FORMULA FOR THIS.
THERE'S NO ROAD MAP FOR THIS
CURRENTLY.
BUT WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE
CRAFTING WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY
THE ROAD MAPPING FORMULA THAT
OTHERS WILL LOOK TO IN THE
FUTURE.
BUT WHAT WE REALIZE IS THAT IT
TAKES THE INVESTMENT INTO THIS
PROCESS.
AND A COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO MOBILIZE A
TREMENDOUS RESERVOIR OF
COMMUNITY CAPITAL, EXPERIENCE,
AND GENIUS, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE
THINGS THAT NONE OF US CAN SEE
INDIVIDUALLY.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY
CONNECT IN THE SPIRIT OF DEEP
COMMUNITY, CARING, AND
SACREDNESS.
WE'RE ABLE TO UNLOCK A
DIFFERENT LEVEL OF
COLLABORATION FROM THOSE FOLKS.
AND SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT
PROCESS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS
TO CONTINUE FOR US TO WORK
TOWARDS THAT LOCAL JUST
TRANSITION.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
SOME OF THE KEY DEFINING
CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS NEW
ECONOMY AND JUST TRANSITION
LOCALLY.
WHAT WE SEE AS KEYS ARE
DECISION MAKING AND OWNERSHIP
OF PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
MOVING TO THE HANDS OF WORKERS
AND CONSUMERS IN OUR BI POP
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
ULTIMATELY IS THAT THE PURPOSE
AND SCALE OF PRODUCTION IS
ULTIMATELY SHIFTED TO MEET THE
NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE IN PLACE.
WE KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT WHERE
THE ECONOMY IS RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE
GOAL THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING
TOWARDS.
AND THAT ULTIMATELY, THROUGH
NAVIGATING THE CONTRADICTIONS
WILL BE DIFFICULT AND
CHALLENGE, WE FEEL THE ONLY WAY
TO OVERCOME THEM IS TO HAVE A
CLEAR VISION OF WHAT THAT GOAL
IS.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO ONE OF OUR OTHER GROUPS
THAT WE CONVENE AS A LAB IS THE
COMMUNITY CAPITAL WORKING
GROUP.
WHICH A GROUP OF LOCAL
STAKEHOLDERS FROM COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS,
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, AND
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS WHO ARE
INTERESTED AND INVESTED IN
ADVANCING MORE ACCESS TO
CAPITAL THAT IS AFFORDABLE, IN
A IS EQUITABLE, AND THAT MEETS
THE NEEDS OF OUR LOCAL BI-POP
COMMUNITIES.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO IN OUR CONVERSATIONS
WITH OUR COMMUNITY CAPITAL
GROUP.
WE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S
MISSING FROM OUR CAPITAL
ECOSYSTEM AND WHAT BARRIERS ARE
TO THEIR SUCCESS?
SOME OF FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE
RECEIVED FROM FOLKS ARE THAT
THE COMMUNITY CAPITAL ECOSYSTEM
IS NOT ADEQUATELY IDENTIFYING
AND ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES
OF SOME OF THE INEQUALITY THAT
CREATES BARRIERS TO CAPITAL.
ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CAPITAL IS
STILL A PROBLEM.
UNDERWRITING AND THE FINANCIAL
SYSTEM IS VERY MUCH TIED TO
FIVE Cs.
AND OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR
CONSUMERS ARE NOT ABLE TO
ACCESS FINANCING WHEN DEALING
WITH THAT PARADIGM FOR THE MOST
PART.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A HOLISTIC
APPROACH TO LENDING.
THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR
CULTURALLY RELEVANT TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS.
AND WHEN WE SAY TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE, WE SEE THAT TERM A
LOT.
ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE NEED IS
HUMAN CAPITAL.
LARGELY IT USES THE TERM
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
WHAT WE FOUND FROM
ORGANIZATIONS WITH OUR SMALL
BUSINESS PEOPLE IS WHAT THEY
NEED ARE HUMAN CAPITAL SUPPORTS
THAT WHITE PEOPLE HAVE IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES.
THEY DON'T HAVE WEALTHY
BANKERS, LAWYERS, ACCOUNTANTS,
RICH UNCLES, AND COUSINS TO
GIVE THEM THIS ECOSYSTEM OF
SUPPORT.
IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN THE CURRENT
SYSTEM, WE'LL NEED TO PROVIDE
THAT SYSTEM FOR THEM.
ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT
ULTIMATELY FAILS TO SOME
DEGREE.
FOR THE MOST PART, THAT SUPPORT
IS CALLED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO
REALLY HAVE A MORE -- A WIDER
VIEW OF WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS.
SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS NEEDED
AND WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED.
BECAUSE OFTEN THE TERM
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS A BIT
REDUCTIVE.
WE HEARD COMMERCIAL
AFFORDABILITY AND LEASE
AGREEMENTS ARE STILL BIG
CHALLENGES.
WE HAVE HEARD THAT NEW POLICIES
ARE NEEDED IN LEGISLATION TO
CREATE THE SUPPORTS FOR OUR
FOLKS TO ADVANCE PASSED SOME OF
THESE BARRIERS.
AND WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE'S
A BIG WILL FOR ANCHORED
INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS LARGE
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS, LARGE
BUSINESSES TO WORK WITH BI-POP
COMMUNITY COALITIONS AND
BUSINESSES TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO
THESE PROBLEMS.
WE'RE SEEING TOO MANY SILOS AND
AGAIN WE'RE HEARING THAT HUMAN
CAPITAL NEEDS TO BE INVESTED.
NEXT SLIDE.
THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR, WE
WORKED TO ADVANCE NEW MODELS AS
THE BASIS OF A JUST AND
RESTORATIVE ECONOMY.
WE HAVE A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
THROUGH WHICH WE PROVIDE DIRECT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND ONGOING
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
CONSULTING, AND A NETWORK OF
SUPPORT TO FIVE PROJECTS IN OUR
LOCAL AREA LED BY BIPOC
COMMUNITIES AND LEADERS
ADVANCING NEW ECONOMIC MODELS
THAT ARE TRANSFORMING THESE
INCLUDE LATA AHMAD OF THE
DRIVER'S UNION.
THE UNION OF DRIVERS THAT
FOUGHT FOR $15 AN HOUR.
THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR BENEFIT
FOR GIG WORK RS AND RIDE SHARE
DRIVERS AND WORKING TO DEVELOP
A FRAME WORK FOR MUTUAL SAID
AND SHIFTING POWER TO GIG
WORKERS IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE
TECHNOLOGY IS BEING USED MORE
TO DISEMPOWER THEM.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO SHAPE A
COMMUNITY CONTROLLED ENTITY
THAT ALLOWS FOLKS THAT ARE
DRIVING LYFT AND UBER AND DOING
GIG WORK TO ACCESS POWER, TO
ORGANIZE THEMSELVES, TO ADVANCE
MUTUAL AID AND TO TAKE A
LEADERSHIP ROLE AND ALSO
CHARTING WHAT DOES AN INCLUSIVE
ECONOMY LOOK LIKE LOCALLY.
WHAT DO THE RIDE SHARE DRIVERS
WANT WHAT POSITION DO THEY WANT
TO PLAY?
WE FEEL LIKE THIS ORGANIZATION
IS A GREAT SEE FOR THAT
CORPORATION TO REPRESENT THE
INTEREST AND REAL THE IS OF GIG
WORKERS -- REALITIES OF GIG
WORKERS.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY BASED FOOD
SHARE PROGRAM BUILDING A LOCAL
BIPOC LARGELY WOMEN LED FOOD
ECOSYSTEM ROOTED IN SOUTHEAST
SEATTLE.
ARIEL BANK STARTED THIS
ORGANIZATION BY GIVING OUT FOOD
IN HER COMMUNITY.
THROUGH HER DIRECT COMMUNITY
SERVICE AND OUTREACH, SHE WAS
ABLE TO BUILD OUT A LOCAL
COMMUNITY FOOD ECOSYSTEM THAT
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT HER
IN EXPANDING.
WE FEEL A LOCAL LEADER LIKE
THIS, A BLACK WOMAN IN
COMMUNITY, WHO HAS CREATED A
SOLUTION IN HER COMMUNITY
DESERVES TO BE SUPPORTED AND TO
BE AMPLIFIED.
NEXT WE HAVE ASIA.
ASIA IS AN INDIGENOUS ARTIST
COLLECTOR THAT BRINGS TOGETHER
ARTISTS FROM MANY DIFFERENT
NATIONS AND URBAN NATIVES TO
WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP
THEMSELVES AS ARTISTS, TO
COLLECTIVELY FIND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT.
úTO ADVANCE THEIR SKILLS.
AND ALSO TO SUPPORT OTHER
COMMUNITIES.
THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR, THEY
HAD A BLACK LIVES MATTER
SUPPORT PROGRAM.
BUT THEY HAVE REALLY CREATED
THEMSELVES AS AN ORGANIZATION
DEEPLY ROOTED IN NATIVE WOMEN
AND NATIVE CULTURE THAT'S
CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR
NATIVE ARTISTS AND IT'S ALSO
UTILIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WEALTH CREATION TO SHIFT POWER
SOCIALLY AND TO SEND MESSAGES
OF SOLIDARITY WITH OTHER BIPOC
COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE MARK JONES, A CO RIGGS
OF 40 PLUS BIPOC COMMUNITY
LEADERS IN SEATTLE.
WITH 200 YEARS OF COLLECTIVE
EXPERIENCE.
LOOKING TO CREATE NEW MODELS
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO OWN AND
CREATE REALESTATE AND COMBAT
DISPLACEMENT BY CREATING THE
ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
OUR COMMUNITIES NEED TO REALLY
FIGHT THIS TREMENDOUS
GLOBALIZED WAVE OF
GENTRIFICATION WE'RE FACING.
NEXT WE HAVE ANNALEAH.
WHO IS LAWRCHGING THE SOUTH
CITY FARMING COOPERATIVE IN
SOUTH PARK.
WHICH IS A PROJECT LED BY AND
CONTROLLED BY LOW INCOME LATINO
WOMEN WHO ARE BUILDING A
FARMING COOPERATIVE AND LOOKING
TO ESTABLISH A FOOD BUSINESS
COOPERATIVE BASED ON THOSE
FARMING ACTIVITIES.
THOSE ARE OUR FELLOWS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PEER
LEARNERS.
INCLUDING LIZZIE OFFERING A
COALITION IN THE INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT TO EMPOWER SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS AND COMMUNITY
MEMBERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT.
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO I THINK I'LL GO TO THE
NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO
TOUCH ON OUR STEERING
COMMITTEE.
WE'RE LED BY AN AMAZING
STEERING COMMITTEE OF SIX
LEADERS, ONE OF WHICH IS ON
THIS CALL.
OF THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY
COALITION.
OUR STUDENT COMMITTEE INCLUDES
-- OF AFRICAN HOUSING AND
DEVELOPMENT.
TIANA.
ELANA OF PUGET SOUND SAGE.
AND SO ART STEERING COMMITTEE
IS NOT JUST A BOARD THAT, YOU
KNOW, ABSTRACTLY CREATES A
STRATEGY FOR US AND GIVES IT TO
US TO IMPLEMENT.
WE WORK WITH OUR STEERING
COMMITTEE BY LIVING IN DEEP
COMMUNITY WITH THEM AS
COMMUNITY LEADERS DIGGING DEEP
INTO THE REALITIES AND
CHALLENGES OF THEIR COMMUNITIES
IN A SAFE SPACE.
AND HELPING THEM WORK THROUGH
THOSE CHALLENGES.
GETTING INVESTED IN THEIR
PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEIR PROBLEMS
ARE OUR PROBLEMS AND THEN USING
THAT COLLECTIVE SOLIDARITY AND
WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY OUR
COMMON AREAS OF CHALLENGE THE
COMMON SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS THAT
WE'RE ALL FACING AND WE GET
DIRECTION INTEREST THEM ON
WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE US TO BE
WORKING.
THESE ARE THE LEADERS DOING THE
WORK ON THE GROUND.
DEDICATING TEAR LIVES TO THE
COMMUNITIES.
WE THEIR DIRECTION, WORK IN
DEEP COMMUNITY WITH THEM.
AND WORK FROM THAT DIRECTION TO
CREATE THE SYSTEMS AND SUPPORTS
THAT THEY NEED TO LEAD A JUST
TRANSITION.
AND SO I'LL END IT THERE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL
SHOUT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES.
THEY COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
BUT WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
AND WE'D LOVE TO ENTERTAIN ANY
QUESTIONS AT THE Q&A.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS IS GREAT.
REALLY EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, THE BIGGER PICTURE
ABOUT HOW WE HAVE TO SHIFT THE
WAY WE THINK ABOUT HOW THESE
SYSTEMS WORK AND BE VERY
CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE CAN START
TO CREATE NEW MODELS THAT
CENTER OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS
AND THEIR DESIRE FOR HEALTHIER
SYSTEMS THAT CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT THEM.
SO VERY EXCITING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD?
I DO WANT TO, I'M SURE COUNCIL
MEMBER JUAREZ WANTS TO GIVE A
SHOUT OUT TO HER NIECE WHO WAS
ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES HERE.
>> THANK YOU, MADAME PRESIDENT.
YES, ASIA, MY NIECE IS ON
THERE.
SHE WORKS WITH MY DAUGHTER,
RAVEN JUAREZ, AND THEY ARE PART
OF THE COMMISSION AND THE SHOW
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT
WORK FOR A COUPLE YEAR
YEARS NOW AND THEY JUST GOT THE
COMMISSION TO DO THE WORK AT
BELLVIEW COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BRAG BUT I
KIND OF TEXTED TO THE CHAIR,
HEY, THERE'S MY GIRL, FULL
RIDE, COOPER UNION.
I'M EMBARRASSING THE HELL OUT
OF HER RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU.
>> VERY EXCITING.
I THINK THAT CALLS FAR
COMMITTEE FIELD TRIP SOON
MAYBE.
>> UHM , OKAY.
SO LET'S MOVE ON THEN.
I DO WANT TO SAVE SOME TIME FOR
A BROADER DISCUSSION AT THE
END.
SO NEXT WE HAVE GREGORY DAVIS.
TO TALK ABOUT DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
AND ELIANA IS HERE.
THANK YOU ELIANA WHO IS GOING
TO WALK THROUGH THE SLIDE SHOW
FOR US.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, I'LL
TAKE THAT AS MY CUE TO START.
I'M GREGORY DAVIS.
AND I'M MANAGING STRATEGIST AT
THE RAINIER BEACH ACTION
COALITION AND NEWLY SELECTED
MEMBER OF THE EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.
I TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND
COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES FOR
INVITING US AND, YOU KNOW, I'D
ACTUALLY BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T
ALSO ASK YOU TO SEND OUR WARM
REGARDS TO YOUR LEGISLATIVE
AIDS.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THE KIND OF
WORK THAT THEY PUT IN TO
SUPPORT YOU AND TO SUPPORT THIS
CITY.
AND ALSO GOT TO GIVE A SHOUT
OUT TO ELIANA HORN WHO HAS BEEN
OUR CONSULTANT ON THIS WORK.
I'M BEING JOINED BY THE
STELLAR PARTNER, YODANIS.
AND SHE SEEMS TO BE EVERYWHERE,
UBIQUITOUS, AND WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON THIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS
WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF ROTATE.
SHE'S GOING TO TAKE ONE SLIDE.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THE OTHER
SLIDE THROUGH THE WHOLE
PRESENTATION.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, BY, YOU
KNOW, THIS FIRST SLIDE, WE'RE
KIND OF TLKING ABOUT THIS IN
THE MANNER OF DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION IN KING COUNTY.
AND HOW TO STOP IT.
PUGET SOUND SAGE MULTICULTURAL
COMMUNITIES COALITION AND
RAINIER BEACH ACTION COALITION
CAME TOGETHER IN THE SUMMER
BECAUSE WE KNEW THE EFFECTS OF
THE PANDEMIC WOULD BE
DEVASTATING TO OUR COMMUNITIES
AND WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT
WOULD HAPPEN IN TERMS OF
BLACKS, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF
COLOR, LAND, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND
COMMUNITIES.
AS WE KNOW, A LOT OF
UNCERTAINTY LIES AHEAD.
SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN
THE BAN ON EVICTIONS,
MORATORIUM LIFTS AT THE END OF
THE MONTH?
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN
BANKS START FORECLOSING ON
HOUSEHOLDS WHO HAVE FALLEN
BEHIND THE ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS?
SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
HOW COVID-19 CRISIS HAS CREATED
INCREASED RISKS.
AND FOR WHAT WE CALL DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
AND WHAT THE COUNCIL CAN DO TO
STOP IT FROM HAPPENING.
WE WROTE A POLICY BRIEF, A
COMMUNITY POLICY BRIEF AND A
LEARNING TOOL THAT ARE
AVAILABLE ON PUGET SOUND SAGE'S
WEBSITE.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO SHARE AS PRIORITIES
FOR TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE MADE
SURE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, WHAT WAS MOST URGENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT -- WE WANTED TO
TALK ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE
SWIFTLY.
AND WHAT WAS GOING TO HAVE THE
MOST IMPACT.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO
DODONIS TO TAKE THE NEXT SLIDE
AND TALK ABOUT DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
>> THANK YOU, GREGORY.
SO BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER.
WE WANT TO QUICKLY DEFINE WHAT
WE MEAN BY DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
DISASTER GENTRIFICATION IS WHEN
REALESTATE SPECULATORS TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF A DISASTER TO BUY
AND TAKE LAND OR HOUSING FOR
LOW OR CHEAP TO HIGHER INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS FOR A PROFIT.
THIS OFTEN RESULTS IN THE
DISPOSSESSION OF LAND, LOSS OF
WEALTH.
AND FORCE RELOCATION OF BIPOC
COMMUNITIES.
IT BEGINS WITH VULNERABILITY OF
BIPOC COMMUNITIES.
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, THERE'S
SIMULTANEOUS OR THE PROSPECT OF
DISPOSSESSION OF BIPOC
COMMUNITIES OF THEIR LAND AND
HOUSING AND SPECULATION BY
DEVELOPERS AND FINANCIAL
ENTITIES LOOKING TO MAKE A
PROFIT TAKES PLACE WHICH
ULTIMATELY LEADS TO
DISPLACEMENT.
WITHOUT INTERVENTION, DISASTERS
CONTRIBUTE TO A CYCLE OF
DISPOSSESSION AND DISPLACEMENT
THAT CREATES DEEPER
VULNERABILITY FOR P BIPOC
COMMUNITIES WHEN THE NEXT
DISASTER COMES AND THE CYCLE
BEGINS AGAIN.
AND WHAT THAT I'M GOING TO TURN
IT OVER TO GREGORY.
>> THANKS.
SO WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH
DETAIL.
WE SAW THIS PLAY OUT VERY
CLEARFULLY THE SUB PRIME
MORTGAGE CRISIS.
2007-2008.
REFERRED TO AS THE GREAT
RECESSION AND THE RECOVERY.
THERE.
WE PUT RECOVERY IN QUOTES.
OUR COMMUNITIES DIDN'T RECOVER
FROM THE GREAT RECESSION.
IN TERMS OF THE IMPACTS ON OUR
HOUSING, MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WERE DISPLACED THROUGH
THE RECOVERY PERIOD DUE TO
DISASTER GENTRIFICATION.
WE WANTED TO GO THROUGH HOW
THAT CYCLE PLAYED OUT.
FIRST, WE KNOW THAT OUR BLACK
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ARE
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO SUB
PRIME LOANS AND THE IMPACTS OF
THE RECESSION.
SO YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING IS
JUST OUR VULNERABLE STATE.
THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENS IS
DISPOSSESSION.
SO WE SAW HOW FORCLOSURES,
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED
BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF
COLOR, COMMUNITIES, AND THERE'S
MORE INFORMATION ON THAT IN OUR
BRIEF.
SO THIS WAS TRUE NATIONALLY.
IT WAS TRUE IN SEATTLE.
AND IT WAS TRUE IN SOUTH KING
COUNTY.
SO WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE
MADISON VALLEY ONLY HAD 2% OF
THEIR HOUSING STOCK FORECLOSED
ON.
BUT BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF
COLOR NEIGHBORHOODS EXPERIENCED
MUCH HIGHER IMPACTS.
RAINIER VALLEY FOR EXAMPLE, 8%,
BRENMAR, SKY WAY, 13%.
TUKWILA, 14%.
SO THEN THE NEXT STEP IS
SPECULATION, THAT'S WHERE THE
CORPORATE LANDLORDS, THEY A
AMASS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND THE RATE OF BUYING UP OUR
LAND INCREASED DRAMATICALLY.
FOR EXAMPLE IN 2013, MAJOR
INVESTORS IN PUGET SOUND
BROUGHT OVER 3100 SINGLE FAMILY
HOMES.
THAT WAS FIVE TIMES MORE THAN
IN 2012.
THEN THE NEXT THING THAT
HAPPENS IS DISPLACEMENT.
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE
FORECLOSED ON, DISPLACED,
PRICED OUT OF THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS.
ONE IN ELEVEN BLACKS.
ONE IN ELEVEN BLACK ADULTS WERE
EVICTED IN KING COUNTY BETWEEN
2013 AND 2017.
>> AND NOW IF WE ARE TO EXAMINE
THE COVID-19 CRISIS, IT'S
REALLY UP TO OUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION TO
MAKE SURE BIPOC COMMUNITIES ARE
NOT DISPOSSESSED AND DISPLACED
AGAIN.
WE KNOW THAT SO MANY FAMILIES
ARE BEHIND ON RENT, FOR
EXAMPLE, AND IN WASHINGTON
STATE, AS OF APRIL 2021,
ESTIMATES WERE 239 TOW PEOPLE
WERE BEHIND ON RENT.
THE CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS
THAT 150 MILLION PER MONTH OF
THE PANDEMIC IS NEEDED TO
STABILIZE WASHINGTON
HOUSEHOLDS.
THE PROTECTIONS CREATED ARE NOT
ENOUGH.
ESPECIALLY FOR BLACK HOUSEHOLDS
A LOT OF BLACK RENTERS HAVE NOT
BEEN ABLE TO BEN IT FROM THE
THE LOTTERY SYSTEM RECENTLY
UTILIZED.
THE AMOUNT OF RENT RELIEF MONEY
IS LIKELY NOT ENOUGH TO COVER
ALL HOUSEHOLDS AND IT'S
DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.
THE EVICTION PREVENTION FIXES
IN THE WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE
DON'T ADDRESS ECONOMIC
EVICTIONS AND STILL RELY ON
PEOPLE HAVING ENOUGH MONEY TO
PAY ONGOING RENT AND A PAYMENT
PLAN FOR THE BACK RENT.
THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY ISN'T
HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH FOR THAT
TO HAPPEN.
SO IT'S JUST DIRE.
AS YOU ALL VERY WELL KNOW.
AND ALSO WASHINGTON RATE FOR
FHA LOANS GIVEN TO LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS IS NOT GOOD.
60% OF FHA LOANS IN WASHINGTON
STATE ARE DELINQUENT.
WITH 12% SERIOUSLY DELINQUENT.
MEANING MORE THAN THREE MONTHS
BEHIND.
MEANWHILE CORPORATIONS ARE
PREPARING, GATHERING $245
BILLION ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO
PURCHASE DI SPHRESESSED
PROPERTIES.
>> SO OUR POLICY PLATFORM
CONSISTS OF SIX POLICY
SOLUTIONS.
AND WE WANT TO SEE THESE PASSED
BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS
KING COUNTY.
THEY FALL INTO THREE
CATEGORIES.
BUILDING, BLACK INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE OF COLOR POWER.
I'M GLAD I GOT THIS SLIDE
BECAUSE I CAN SAY THE WORD
POWER AND BLACK AND INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE SAME
SENTENCE.
THE OTHER STRATEGY IS
ADDRESSING THE SYMPTOMS OF THE
CRISIS.
AND THEN THE THIRD STRATEGY IS
DETERRING PROFITEERING.
SO WE WANT TO ACT NOW.
TO ADDRESS COVID-19 DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO PUT IN
PLACE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR
THE FUTURE.
SO AS THE PRESENTATION ON
DISASTER GENTRIFICATION SHOWED,
OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN IN
THIS CYCLE OF DISPOSSESSION AND
VULNERABILITY TO DISASTER.
WE NEED POLICIES THAT WILL
INCREASE BLACK INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE OF COLOR AUTONOMY,
DECISION MAKING, AND POWER IN
ORDER TO TRULY ADD DRESS
GENTRIFICATION, THAT'S THE
FIRST THING, THE SECOND THING
IS WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE
HOUSING RELATED SYMPTOMS OF THE
PANDEMIC.
IMMEDIATE REPERCUSSIONS,
EVICTIONS FORCLOSURES, LOS OF
OUR HOMES AND WE WANT TO DE
PROFITEERING.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOES WHAT IT
DOES BECAUSE IT HAS A CHANCE TO
MAKE A LOT OF MONEY OFF OUR
LAND WE WANT TO PASS POLICIES
THAT MAKE IT LESS PROFITABLE
AND LESS APPEALING TO TAKE OUR
LAND.
WE NEED ALL THREE APPROACHES TO
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION.
WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITY
ACQUISITION.
THE FIRST POLICY IN OUR
PLATFORM IS TO GREATLY INCREASE
INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY
ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION
FUNDS AS WE LOOK BACK INTO CITY
AND RESEARCH AND TALK ABOUT
WHAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE
EXTREME LOSS OF BLACK HOMES AND
WEALTH IN THE SUB PRIME
MORTGAGE CRISIS IN 2008.
THE ABILITY FOR COMMUNITY TO
BUY DISTRESSED PROPERTIES CAME
UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
OUR COMMUNITIES NEED RESOURCES
TO BUY THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE
DISTRESSED AND ARE VULNERABLE
AS WELL AS TO GET AS MUCH LAND
AND VARIOUS HIGH DISPLACEMENT
RISK OFF THE MARKET AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE.
AND INTO THE HANDS OF COMMUNITY
TO PERMANENTLY STORE THE
PROPERTY.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL COMMUNITY
STEWARDSHIP OF LAND.
WHICH GREGORY WILL TALK ABOUT A
BIT MORE IN THE MOMENT.
AND WE NEED MONEY EARMARKED FOR
COMMUNITY ACQUISITION NOW
BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE HAS LAID INCREDIBLE
GROUND WORK FOR THIS TO HAPPEN
AND ACTUALLY, I PROUDLY CAN
POINT YOU TO THE PICTURE ON THE
SLIDE.
IT'S THE MCC BUILDING IN HELLMAN
CITY THAT WE ACQUIRED ON MAY
12th.
AND WE DID SO --
>> WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
>> OH I'M SORRY.
>>
>> WHAT DID YOU ALL HEAR LAST?
>> THERE WE GO.
>> YOU JUST BOUGHT THE MCC
BUILDING.
>> OF COURSE, WONDERFUL.
I WAS JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT
EDI FUNDS.
BUT WE REALLY LOOKED -- WE
TARGETED THAT BUILDING
SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT HOUSES
SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WOULD BE
AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT BECAUSE
WE KNEW THAT OTHER POTENTIAL
BUYER WRS LOOKING TO DEVELOP
CONDOS AND A SUPER MARKET SO WE
MOVED QUICKLY BECAUSE OF EDI WE
WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THAT
BUILDING.
BUT THAT ASIDE, I JUST WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT WE NEED MORE.
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT COMMUNITY ACQUISITION AND
PRESERVATION FUNDS AND WE NEED
THE FUNDS TO BE TARGETED TO
VULNERABLE DISTRESSED
PROPERTIES.
THE CITY CAN PURCHASE
PROPERTIES NOW AND HOLD THEM
UNTIL COMMUNITY IS READY TO
STORE THEM.
WE ALSO NEED MORE FUN TO SEED
AND SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS
WORKING TOWARD COMMUNITY
STEWARDSHIP OF LAND AND TO
CREATE AND TRY NEW THINGS SUCH
AS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TRUST.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO IN
DEPTH INTO VARIOUS EXAMPLES.
BUT SOME MODELS TO LOOK AT --
TO LOOK TO I SHOULD SAY ARE THE
WASHINGTON DC AFFORDABLE
HOUSING PRESERVATION FUND WHICH
TARGETS PROPERTIES THAT MAYBE
DISTRESSED AND OTHER COMMUNITY
EXAMPLES.
DEADLY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD
INITIATIVE IN BOSTON AND
SEVERAL COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
TRUSTS WHICH ENABLE COMMUNITY
TO PULL RESOURCES TO BUY
PROPERTIES AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
FOR
>> THANKS.
SO I TOLD YOU SHE WAS A STELLAR
PARTNER FOR MCC TO BE ABLE TO
BE IN A POSITION TO ACQUIRE
THAT PROPERTY AFTER ALL THE
RESILIENCE THAT THEY HAD TO GO
THROUGH IT'S JUST TREMENDOUS.
TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY
STEWARDSHIP OF LAND.
WE KNOW THAT FUNDING AND
POLICIES NEED TO CENTER A SHIFT
TO THE FRAME WORK.
TRANSFORMING FROM SOMETHING
THAT CREATES INDIVIDUAL WEALTH
INTO A SHARED RESOURCE THAT
GENERATES COMMUNITY PROSPERITY.
TO ME THIS IS THE NEW STATE OF
THINGS, COMMUNITY PROSPERITY
VERSE INDIVIDUAL WEALTH.
SO WE WANT TO SEE THIS
THROUGHOUT POLICY AND BUDGET
PRIORITIES.
GET AS MUCH LAND OFF THE
SPECULATIVE MARKET AND INTO
COMMUNITY HANDS AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE.
THAT'S KIND OF OUR MANTRA.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY MEAN
BUYING NOW.
TO HOLD UNTIL THE COMMUNITY IS
READY.
ALTHOUGH WE'VE GOT SOME GROUPS
OUT THERE THAT ARE READY TO
MANAGE LAND.
YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIT VERY
WELL IN THE COMMUNITY
STEWARDSHIP OF LAND.
AND BECAUSE THEY EMBODY THE
PRINCIPLES, AND YOU HEARD HIM
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE
PRINCIPLES.
PRINCIPLES DRIVEN BY VALUES
INCLUDING RACIAL JUSTICE,
AFFORDABLE, AND COMMUNITY OVER
PROFIT, CENTERS COLLECTIVE
OWNERSHIP AND SELF-
DETERMINATION HAS DRAMATIC
DEMOCRATIC DECISION MAKING,
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES, THE LAND
IS PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE, AND
IN COMMUNITY HANDS,
PERMANENTLY.
AND BUILDS COMMUNITY POWER.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THE
PROJECT THAT RAINIER BEACH
ACTION COALITION IS CENTERED IN
THIS COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP OF
LAND BECAUSE THE IDEA OF IT
ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
RAINIER BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
PROCESS.
AND NOW IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT
BUILDING THAT WE HAVE, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING
TENANT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WE HAVE OUR FARM STAND THAT
LAUNCHES JUNE 19th.
WE'VE CONDUCTED CRIME
PREVENTION THROUGH
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN WORKSHOPS
OUT OF THERE RECENTLY WITH
YOUNG ADULTS AND WE JUST
LOCATED A COLD STORAGE UNIT
THERE.
WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MANY IN THE FOOD JUSTICE FIELD
ARE SAYING THERE'S A LACK OF.
SO OUR PROJECT IS CENTERED IN
THIS COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP OF
LAND AND WE THANK THE CITY FOR
ITS SUPPORT IN HELPING US
ACQUIRE THAT.
>> IF I DIVE INTO OUR TOP
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY, I JUST
WANT TO, GREGORY, IF IT STILL
CONTINUES TO BREAK UP, LET ME
KNOW, AND I MAY HAVE YOU TAKE
THE RANKS.
THIS IS OUR SECOND POLICY AND
TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.
AND IT'S THE TENANT FOR
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY TO
PURCHASE ACT.
WE WANT TO TAKE WHAT WE BUILT
IN THE EDI FRAME WORK TO BE
ABLE TO RESPOND MORE URGENTLY
AND MORE TIMELY IN ORDER TO
AVOID GREATER DISPLACEMENT.
THE TENANT COMMUNITY OR
COMMUNITY -- TO BE PURCHASED AS
GIVES TENANTS THE CITY OR
DESIGNATED ORGANIZATIONS THE
ABILITY TO MAKE THE FIRST OFFER
WHEN THE PROPERTY IS GOING TO
BE SOLD AS WELL AS THE ABILITY
TO MATCH ANY OFFER.
THIS POLICY WOULD HELP PRESERVE
AFFORDABILITY AND CREATE A PATH
TO TENANT OWNERSHIP.
HERE'S BRIEFLY HOW IT WORKS.
THE LANDLORD GIVES LORDESS TO
TENANTS THAT HE OR SHE INTENDS
TO SELL.
THIS IS A REQUIREMENT IN
SEATTLE WITH THE 90 DAYS NOTICE
THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
NEXT TENANT HAVES THE RIGHT TO
MAKE THE FIRST OFFER.
SEATTLE HAS SOME VERSION OF
THIS IN PLACE ALL READY BUT IT
NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED.
NEXT THE LANDLORD ACCEPTS OR
REJECTS THE OFFER.
IF THE LANDLORD REJECTS THE
OFFER, THE TENANT HAVES THE
RIGHT TO MATCH ANY OTHER OFFER
AND HAVE PRIORITY WHICH IS
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE RIGHT OF
FIRST REFUSAL.
WE ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE
NEED FOR THIS POLICY TO APPLY
IN THE FORCLOSURE CONTEXT.
IN CALIFORNIA THEY PASSED
LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE
RIGHT FOR TENANT FAMILIES LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
NONPROFITS AND COMMUNITY LAND
TRUST TO EXCEED THE HIGHEST BID
AT A FORCLOSURE AUCTION.
THE POLICY CAN BE STRUCTURED IN
MANY WAYS AND THERE ARE A FEW
EXAMPLES LISTED ON THE SLIDE.
INCLUDING IN WASHINGTON DC AND
SAN FRANCISCO AS WELL AS THE
LEGISLATION THAT WE SPOKE OF
THAT I JUST MENTIONED IN
CALIFORNIA, TO REALLY BE
SUCCESSFUL, IT REALLY NEEDS TO
BE PAIRED WITH FUNDING FOR
ACQUISITION AND --
ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THIS
WORK FOR IT TO HAPPEN WELL.
>> SO OUR THIRD POLICY
RECOMMENDATION, BY THE WAY,
THESE POLICIES, THERE IS
PRECEDENCE FOR THEM.
WHISTLEBLOWER NOT JUST PULLING
THEM OUT OF NOWHERE.
WE SCAN THE COUNTRY.
A LOT OF WORK GOING ON IN DC
AND THE BAY AREA, SEATTLE
TAKING ON SOME OF THESE WOULD
BE IN GOOD COMPANY.
THE THIRD POLICY RECOMMENDATION
THAT WE WANT TO SEE THE
CREATION OF IS WHAT WE'RE
CALLING EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
ZONES.
SO THIS IS -- IT EQUIPS
COMMUNITIES IN HIGH
DISPLACEMENT AND LOW ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITY AREAS WITH
INCREASED DECISION MAKING AND
THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP THEIR
OWN COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT
WILL STABILIZE AND INCREASE
COMMUNITY PROSPERITY.
THE RAINIER BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD
PLAN IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ONE
PIECE OF THIS.
SO WITHIN THE EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT ZONE, THE COMMUNITY
WOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH
COMMUNITY PLANNING POWER.
WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW, AND WITH COMMUNITY LED
PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
SO THE PLANNING POWER IS TRUE
COMMUNITY LED PLANNING WHERE
COMMUNITIES DETERMINE WHICH
SHOULD HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES AND THE COMMUNITIES
KNOW.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW IS WHERE THE COMMUNITY
WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO
REVIEW PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND
MAKE SURE THEY COMPLY WITH
COMMUNITY LED PLAN.
AND THE COMMUNITY LED PUBLIC
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS A
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LED BY
AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE
COMMUNITY THAT COULD PURCHASE
PROPERTIES BEFORE THEY'RE LOST
AND HAVE GREATER IMPACT ON
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.
EXAMPLES ARE HERE IN SEATTLE.
THAT CAN START PAVING THE WAY.
THE SEATTLE HISTORIC AND
SPECIAL REVIEW DISTRICTS.
INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL
SPECIAL REVIEW DISTRICT AS WELL
AS PIKE PLACE.
WHICH ARE BOTH HISTORICAL
REVIEW PROCESSES AND A PDA.
THE CULTURAL SPACE IS PDA.
IS A STRONG EXAMPLE ALSO OF
COMMUNITY LED, COMMUNITY
ACCOUNTABLE PDA AND IT'S A GOOD
START.
BUT WE DO NEED MORE.
>> OUR FOURTH POLICY IS
NONSOLICITATION OR CEASE AND
DESIST ZONES.
WHICH RESTRICT REALESTATE
AGENTS FROM HARASSING OUR
COMMUNITIES.
THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR ESPECIALLY
IN ECONOMIC CRISIS WHEN OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE VULNERABLE TO
THIS KIND OF SOLICITATION IN
ADDITION TO PROVIDING LOSS OF
OUR LAND GENERALLY THIS KIND OF
SOLICITATION INCREASES
VULNERABILITY TO SCAMS AND BAD
DEALS.
OUR ELDERLY ARE ESPECIALLY
VULNERABLE.
AND WE ACTUALLY STARTED HEARING
OF THIS TAKING PLACE IN SEATTLE
IN AROUND MARCH OR APRIL AT THE
HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND FROM A FEW RESIDENTS WITHIN
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT.
THIS WAS SHARED BY OUR PARTNER,
AFRICA TOWN.
AND IT'S JUST, I FEEL LIKE EVEN
FOR THOSE ELDERS, IT JUST
BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES.
AND ANOTHER EXAMPLE --
>> I'M WONDERING IF YOU TURN
YOUR CAMERA OFF IF YOUR AUDIO
MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE STABLE.
I HAVE TO DO THAT SOMETIMES
MYSELF.
LET'S TRY THAT.
>> LET'S GIVE THAT A TRY.
I APOLOGIZE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING
TODAY.
>> SO THE OTHER EXAMPLE THAT WE
HEAR OF IS THE PO BOX EXAMPLE
WHERE A LOT OF THESE
SOLICITATIONS ARE BEING SENT TO
PO BOXES EVEN AND SO IT SEEMS
TO BE ON THE INCREASE DURING
THIS TIME OF CRISIS.
AND THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
WAYS THAT A POLICY CAN BE
STRUCTURED TO ADDRESS THE
SOLICITATION ISSUE.
ONE IS TO DESIGNATE AN ENTIRE
AREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE
AUTOMATICALLY NOT ALLOWED TO BE
BOTHERED.
THE OTHER IS AN OPT-IN SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE NEED TO SIGN UP
INDIVIDUALLY.
NEW YORK FOR EXAMPLE HAS HAD
ONE ON ITS BOOKS FOR DECADES
AND HAS EXPANDED DESIGNATION
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
NEW JERSEY ALSO HAS AN
ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THIS
ISSUE.
GREGORY?
>> YEAH.
SO WE'VE GOT TWO POLICIES LEFT.
TWO POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
LEFT.
HANG IN THERE.
I'M SURE WE'VE ALL SEEN ON TV.
THESE TV SHOWS THAT PROMOTE
THIS IDEA OF FLIPPING.
AND IT LOOKS VERY GOOD ON THE
CAMERA.
BUT FLIPPING IS WHEN A HOME IS
BOUGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF
SELLING IT QUICKLY FOR A LARGE
PROFIT.
NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIVING
OR PROVIDING HOUSING.
SO ON THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE
THIS MAP, IT'S USING DATA FROM
THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
WHICH USED DATA FROM THE
ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
DOCUMENTING FLIPPING FROM 2015
TO 2019.
SO WE SEE THIS PROBLEM IS
CONCENTRATED IN BLACK,
INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR
NEIGHBORHOODS, SUCH AS RAINIER
VALLEY, RAINIER BEACH, AND.
SO A FLIPPING TAX CREATES AN
ADDITIONAL COST ON FLIPPING
WHICH WOULD MAKE IT LESS
APPEALING FOR INVESTORS AND THE
LIKE.
THE BEST WAY TO STRUCTURE THIS
IS TO MAKE THE TAX LARGE ENOUGH
TO MAKE THE PRACTICE LESS
PROFITABLE.
AND HAVE THE TAX GRADUATES OVER
TIME.
SO THE LONGER A PERSON HOLDS ON
TO A PROPERTY THE LESS THEY'RE
PENALIZED.
THIS WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN AT
THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT THE CITY CAN PUT ITS
LOBBYING POWER BEHIND THAT.
>> FINALLY, WE WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE NEED FOR LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS TO CANCEL, EXTEND
EVICTION MORATORIUM AND PREVENT
FORCLOSURES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE REASON WHY
RENT RELIEF IS NOT ENOUGH.
AND JUNE 30th IS TOO SOON FOR
COMMUNITIES TO BE STABLE.
THE SCALE OF DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION IS DEPENDENT ON
WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO
AROUND THE ISSUES, CANCELING
RENT DEBT AND EXTENDING THE
MORATORIUM WILL PREVENT
DISPLACEMENT DUE TO COVID-19 IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
THERE'S FEDERAL LEGISLATION ON
THE BOOKS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE
HEARD OF BY ILHAN OMAR, THE
CITY CAN PUT THEIR WEIGHT
BEHIND AND THE TENANTS UNION OF
WASHINGTON IS LEADING THE LOCAL
CAMPAIGN.
IN THE MEAN TIME, WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO MAKE RENT RELIEF
CONTINGENT ON DEBT CANCELLATION
AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME
TENANT PROTECTIONS WILL BE IN
PLACE AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR
TENANTS TO ACCESS RENT RELIEF
MONEY.
WE WANT TO SEE LOW CALL
GOVERNMENTS PLACE NEW OR EXTEND
EVICTION MORATORIUM -- OR
EXTEND THE EVICTION MORATORIUM,
CREATE A DEFENSE TO EVICTION, A
FAILURE TO PAY RENT IS DUE TO
THE PANDEMIC, AGGRESSIVELY
PREVENT FORCLOSURES, AND
STABILIZE HOMEOWNERS AND
ESPECIALLY HAVE IN MIND SMALL
BIPOC HOMEOWNERS AND MULTI-
FAMILY LANDLORDS.
.
>> SO YOU CAN TAKE A DEEP
BREATH.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF
WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND WHEN WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE
THIS PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ALSO
ASKED WAS, WHAT ARE OUR TOP
PRIORITIES?
WE SHARED SIX AND VALUES AND
PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE HAD
TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT WAS MOST
URGENT?
WHAT WAS -- WHAT CAN BEDONE AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE?
AND THEN WHAT'S MOST IMPACTFUL
? SO WE DETERMINED THAT, WHAT
WE SPOKE TO BEFORE IN THE
PRESENTATION IS THAT OUR BUDGET
PRIORITY THAT MEETS THESE
CRITERIA IS COMMUNITY
ACQUISITION FUNDING AND THE
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY THAT MEET
THESE CRITERIA IS THE TENANT
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY TO
PURCHASE ACT.
SO WE NEED THE CITY TO SET
ASIDE MONEY NOW TO BUY
VULNERABLE PROPERTIES.
CAN I TELL YOU WHAT TO DO?
WE NEED THE CITY TO SET ASIDE
MONEY NOW TO BUY VULNERABLE
PROPERTIES AS THEY COME UP.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS THE CITY CAN
DO TO STOP GENTRIFICATION AND
DISPLACEMENT IN BLACK,
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR
COMMUNITIES DUE TO THIS CRISIS.
IDENTIFY VULNERABLE PROPERTIES
AND BUY THEM AND HOLD THEM FOR
STEWARDSHIP.
WE NEED LEGISLATION TO INCREASE
THE RIGHTS OF TENANTS,
COMMUNITY GROUPS TO PURCHASE
PROPERTIES BY GIVING INCREASED
RIGHTS TO THE SALES PROCESS.
AND THE ABILITY TO MATCH ANY
OFFER THAT THE TENANT -- THAT
THROUGH THE ACT -- THROUGH THE
TENANT COMMUNITY TO PURCHASE
ACT.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO COVER OUR
COMMUNITY POLICY BRIEF WITH YOU
TODAY.
AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR
BEARING WITH ME AS I HAVE
TECHNICAL ISSUES.
WE ALSO WANT TO HONOR OUR
PARTNER, SAGE, PUGET SOUND,
SAGE, THAT IS NOT HERE WITH US
TODAY.
YOU CAN READ THE FULL COMMUNITY
POLICY BRIEF AND GO THROUGH THE
WEB PAGE THAT OUTLINES THE
COMMUNITY POLICY BRIEF AT THE
LINK ON THE SLIDE AND WE'D ALSO
BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE IT TO YOU.
THANK YOU.
WOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY.
THIS IS VERY EXCITING.
HERE FROM ALL OF YOU AND ALL OF
YOUR GREAT CREATIVE THINKING I
WANT TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP
FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION TO
MY COLLEAGUES.
I WILL GET US STARTED IF THAT'S
OKAY.
SO YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR ME,
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT -- LET'S SAY
THAT I COME TO THIS WORK AND
THESE IDEAS WITH KIND OF A
THEORY OF CHANGE, IF YOU WILL.
THAT IF WE CLOSE THE RACIAL
WEALTH GAP, WE WILL HAVE BEGUN
TO BUILD THOSE NEW SYSTEMS THAT
YOU'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT,
RIGHT?
THAT ARE ROOTED IN GREATER
ACCESS AND GREATER DEMOCRACY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S LOFTY.
I THINK IT'S STRATEGIC.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THIS
WORK EXCITES ME.
IS IT REALLY IS ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, IF WE CLOSE THE GAP
BETWEEN A BLACK FAMILY AND A
WHITE FAMILY, THEN THAT MEANS
THAT WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY DONE
ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE -- OR
MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED
TO DO TO DISMANTLE WHAT ISN'T
WORKING AND BUILD UP WHAT IS
WORKING.
AS PAUL SAID, WE ALL DO BETTER
WHEN WE ALL DO BETTER.
SO I'M HEARING ALL OF YOU TALK
ABOUT NEW WAYS OF SUPPORTING
BUSINESSES.
NEW WAYS OF HOME OWNERSHIP, YOU
KNOW, ASSURING HOME OWNERSHIP,
OR, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING PEOPLE
FROM FORCLOSURE, NEW ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HEARD SEVERAL THINGS FROM
GREGORY AND YODONIS BUT I'M
WORNING, RYAN AND JAGUNA IF YOU
CAN MOB TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS
THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD PURSUE
TO START TO BUILD THOSE NEW
SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT AND REALLY SEE THE KIND
OF IMPACT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO
START SEEING.
>> I'M HAPPY TO GO FIRST JUST
TO KEEP IT IN CHRONOLOGICAL
ORDER OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
I -- I THINK THAT ONE THING
THAT I HAVE HEARD A LOT IN
DISCUSSIONS IN SEATTLE IS THAT
THE DISCUSSION AROUND SMALL
BUSINESS CAN GET A LITTLE BIT
MUDDIED.
THE FEDERAL SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION MIGHT CALL
ANYTHING UNDER 500 EMPLOYEES A
SMALL BUSINESS FOR OTHER PEOPLE
SMALL BUSINESS IS LESS THAN
FIVE EMPLOYEES AND THERE'S
TERMS LIKE MICRO BUSINESS AND
SCALE UP BUSINESS AND START UPS
AND THERE'S DOZENS AND DOZENS
OF TERMS.
THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN
CONSTITUENCIES.
PEOPLE USE DIFFERENT WORDS FOR
THE SAME THING AND THE SAME
WORD FOR DIFFERENCE THINGS AND
IT CAUSES A LOT OF FRICTION AND
MAYBE DUPLICATION.
AND SO ONE THING THAT I THINK
IS REALLY IMPORTANT GOING BACK
TO THAT CINCINNATI MODEL IS
DEVELOPING A SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE
NOT ONLY HELPING CREATE
BUSINESSES AND STABILIZING
THOSE THAT ARE VULNERABLE.
BUT WHERE WE REALLY HAVE A
STRATEGY FOR IDENTIFYING THOSE
THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO
TRULY SCALE AND PROVIDE THEM
WITH THE CONNECTIONS AND
CAPITAL AND SERVICES THEY NEED.
AND A LOT OF THIS AGAIN GETS
SORT OF LOST IN THE SMALL
BUSINESS CONVERSATION THAT
THERE'S HUGE DISTINCTIONS
BETWEEN A SMALL RESTAURANT OR A
RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT VERSES
ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT MIGHT BE
CONSIDERED SMALL BUT IT'S IN
THE TECH SECTOR AND HAS HUGE
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IF IT
CONNECTS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
OR THE RIGHT SOURCES OF CAPITAL
OR A MANUFACTURING COMPANY WITH
25 OR 30 EMPLOYEES.
LIKE THESE ARE ALL VERY, VERY
DIFFERENT THINGS WITH VERY
DIFFERENT NEEDS AND I THINK IN
ALL OF THAT WHAT OFTEN GETS
MISSED IS THIS FOCUS ON, AGAIN,
AS IN CINCINNATI, THOSE 5 TO 10
EMPLOYEE, 500,000 TO 1 MILLION
IN REVENUE COMPANIES THAT HAVE
WORKED SO HARD OVER YEARS OR
DECADES TO START AND BEGIN TO
GROW AND THEN THEY GET TO A
POINT WHERE THE CAPITAL RUNS
OUT OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME
CONNECTIONS AS PERHAPS WHITE-
OWNED COMPANIES DO.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY
IMPORTANT THING TO FOCUS ON AND
THERE'S SEVERAL ENTITIES IN THE
REGION THAT ARE BEGINNING TO DO
SO.
THE OTHER IS I WOULD JUST AGAIN
KIND OF PLUG, AND THIS IS
BUILDING ON WHAT OTHERS HAVE
SAID.
THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TRUST
MODEL.
THIS IS NOT MY AREAS OF
EXPERTISE, I TEND TO WORK IN
MORE TRADITIONAL CORNERS OF THE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD, BUT
IT'S APPEALING TO ME JUST IN
THAT, AS I MENTIONED, SMALL
BUSINESS CREATION IS LIKE A
VERY DIFFICULT AND FRAUGHT PATH
TO WEALTH CREATION AND FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE IT'S NOT A REALLY
ACCESSIBLE MEANS OF WEALTH
CREATION, EVEN WHEN ALL THE
RIGHT SUPPORTS ARE IN PLACE.
IT'S JUST A BRUTAL LIFESTYLE TO
TRY TO GROW A BUSINESS THAT
SUCCEEDS OVER THE YEARS.
SO FINING THESE OTHER
MECHANISMS BY WHICH PEOPLE IN
COMMUNITIES CAN DEVELOP WEALTH
I THINK IS A SUPER IMPORTANT
COMPLIMENT THAT COULD BE OVER
LOOKED.
AT LEAST IN THE KIND OF WORLDS
THAT I OPERATE IN, IT'S
CERTAINLY OVER LOOKED BECAUSE
THERE'S SUCH A NARRATIVE ABOUT
THE POWER OF SMALL BUSINESS.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE AWAY
FROM THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THESE SORTS OF
ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF DEVELOPING
WEALTH, WHETHER IT'S THE
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TRUST OR
CO-OPS, ARE AGAIN I THINK A
REALLY IMPORTANT COMPLIMENT.
THANKS RYAN.
>> TOUCHING ON KIND OF IN TERMS
OF BUILDING WEALTH THROUGH
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD
LOVE TO SEE THE CITY ARTICULATE
A GREATER FOCUS ON DEVELOPING A
STRATEGY FOR ADVANCING ECONOMIC
INCLUSION IN THESE INDUSTRIES
WHERE THERE ARE HIGH WAGE JOBS
AND OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD
ECONOMIC POWER LOCALLY.
HOWEVER, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE,
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE TREMENDOUS
GAPS IN THOSE WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.
SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS ARE THAT
THEY DO NOT FUND PEOPLE FOR THE
TIME THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO
SPEND IN THOSE PROGRAMS.
SO THEY NEED TO FUND THE TIME
FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND IN THOSE
PROGRAMS IF THEY WANT THOSE
PROGRAMS TO BE SUSTAINABLE FOR
OUR PEOPLE.
SO I THINK THAT THE CITY CAN BE
A POWERFUL LEADER IN TERMS OF
CREATING PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALIGN STATE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, LARGE
TECH BUSINESSES LOCALLY, PORT
OF SEATTLE, OTHER GOVERNMENT
AND GOVERNMENT RELATED
INSTITUTIONS, WHICH HAVE THESE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND
ARE LOOKING TO MEET THEM BUT
HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES.
ULTIMATELY, THESE PROGRAMS ARE
NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THE LIVES OF
THE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE IN
THEM.
SO IF WE COULD FIND MORE PEOPLE
TO GET THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS I
THINK WE WOULD SEE MORE SUCCESS
IN GETTING FOLKS TO JOBS WHERE
THEY CAN INCREASE THEIR INCOMES
AND BUILD WEALTH . BUT THEN
THEY ALSO NEED INSTITUTIONS
THAT ARE CONTROLLED AND LED IN
OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM
ADVANCE WHILE THEY'RE IN THOSE
COMPANIES.
WE DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER
OF HIGH VALUE FOLKS WORKING IN
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND
INCLUSION FOR PRIVATE
ORGANIZATIONS.
MY SISTER LEADS THAT WORK FOR
NET FLIX.
WE NEED TO MOBILIZE THOSE
PEOPLE AS WELL.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THE
CITY BEING THAT FULCRUM, THAT
LEADER THAT IS DEFINING THE
STRATEGY THAT AN INCLUSIVE AND
EQUITABLE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY, THAT IS REALLY GOING
TO FILL THOSE GAPS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMPLIMENT
TO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THE GENIUS AND
THE COMMUNITY CAPITAL THAT'S IN
THE COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT COMING
TO THIS WORK NEEDS TO BE
BROUGHT TO THIS WORK SOMEHOW.
AND MAYBE THROUGH THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS THAT FOLKS AT A
HIGH LEVEL IN CITY HAVE WITH
OTHER EXECUTIVES MAYBE THEY CAN
INITIATE MORE OF THOSE
COLLABORATIONS BUT THAT'S GOING
TO BE NEEDED TO MAKE WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT REALLY WORK AS A
MECHANISM TO CREATE WEALTH FOR
OUR PEOPLE.
THEIR LIVES AND THEIR REALITIES
NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED, THEY
NEED TO BE FUNDED TO GET
THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS.
I HEAR WHAT RYAN IS SAYING
ABOUT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
WE NEED BIPOC COMMUNITY
INSTITUTIONS TO BE FUNDED SO
THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE
MICRO BUSINESSES AND LARGER
BUSINESSES, I WOULD ENCOURAGE
YOU TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT FOR
LENDING TO UNDER SERVED MARKET
WHICH IS WAS STARTED BY THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THE
SBA AND COVERED LOS ANGELES AND
BALTIMORE.
AND FOCUSED ON IDENTIFYING THE
BUSINESSES THAT EMPLOYEE THE
LARGEST NUMBER OF FOLKS IN
BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES
AND CREATING STRATEGIES TO
SPECIFICALLY ADVANCE THOSE
BUSINESSES IN THAT TOP TEN
LIST.
I WORKED ON THAT PROJECT WHEN I
WAS IN LOS ANGELES AND IT WAS
PRETTY EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF
CREATING OPTIONS FOR NEW
PROGRAMS AND THEN GETTING THOSE
OPTIONS FUNDED BY SBA AND BY
THE MILKEN INSTITUTE AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THERE ARE FUNDERS COMMITTED TO
FUNDING THE SOLUTIONS
BEFOREHAND.
SO I THINK WE NEED THAT SAME
KIND OF MOBILIZATION LOCALLY IN
TERMS OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS AND IT SHOULD
ALIGN WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OF CONGRESS' KEY INDUSTRY
STRATEGIES LOOKING AT CLEAN
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE
ENGINEERING AND TECH.
I THINK THOSE AREAS ARE KEY.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE FOLKS LIKE
OUR DRIVERS UNION INVOLVED IN
THAT PROCESS.
THAT'S WHAT WE SEE AS PART OF
THAT SHIFT.
IF WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A NEW
SYSTEM FOR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
LET'S BUILD INSTITUTIONAL POWER
AMONG OUR GIG WORKERS BY
BRINGING THEM INTO THAT
PROCESS.
BUT WE CAN'T BRING THEM INTO
THAT PROCESS IF THEY NEED TO
PAY ALL THEIR BILLS AND FEED
THEIR CHILDREN AND THEN SPEND
ANOTHER TEN HOURS EVERY WEEK ON
THESE PROJECTS.
WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT CAPITAL.
I WANT TO KEEP THAT MESSAGE UP
FRONT.
WE NEED THE CITY TO FUND THE
HUMAN CAPITAL.
WE HAVE THE LEADERS.
WE HAVE THE PEOPLE.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
>> I'M EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE
DID BEGIN SOME OF THIS WORK
THIS MORNING WHEN WE WERE
MOVING THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION
ABOUT ARPO FUNDING.
SO WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL
FUNDING THAT WE ARE SENDING TO
WORK WITH THE PORT OF SEATTLE
FOR THEIR OPPORTUNITY
INITIATIVE.
IT'S AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
FOR YOUNG PEEL.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT, DID IT
LAST SUMMER.
WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH THEM
IF WE PASS THIS BILL.
TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING
WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEN I
DON'T RECALL EXACTLY HOW MUCH
COUNCIL MEMBER STRAUSS PUT IN.
I WONDER IF ONE OF THE OTHER
COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN REMIND ME.
I THINK HE AMENDED THE BILL TO
PUT 60 MILLION IN FOR
ACQUISITION FUNDING.
I MIGHT HAVE THAT NUMBER WRONG.
BUT WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE
THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS
AND I DO THINK IT'S BEGINNING
TO PERCOLATE AMONG COUNCIL
MEMBERS AND THE CITY.
SO I'M GETTING EXCITED ABOUT
THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE
HAVING.
COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS OR ISSUES THAT FOLKS
WANT TO ADDRESS OR ASK OUR
PANEL ABOUT THIS MORNING?
OR THIS AFTERNOON?
IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY ALL READY.
COUNCIL MEMBER PEDERSEN,
PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU CHAIR MORALES,
THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR
STAFF FOR ASSEMBLING THIS PANEL
AND THANK ALL THE PANELISTS FOR
BEING HERE.
EACH PRESENTATION INDIVIDUALLY,
THEY SUPPLEMENTED EACH OTHER
REALLY WELL.
THERE ARE ALL THESE INTERTWINED
STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING WEALTH
AMONG MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
AND PREVENTING THE DISASTER
GENTRIFICATION THAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT WHETHER IT'S FOR
TARGETING THOSE WELL PAYING
JOBS THAT ARE -- HAVE -- FOR
EMPLOYERS THAT ARE LIKELY TO
EXPAND AND WE CAN EMPLOYEE MORE
OF OUR OWN RESIDENTS.
AND THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT
WE DONE HAVE SPECULATION FROM
THOSE WHO DO HAVE EXTREME
WEALTH TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WHO DON'T.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH CHAIR MORALES ON
SOME OF THESE -- SOME OF THESE
STRATEGIES.
ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE
REALESTATE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.
SO THANK YOU, EVERYBODY FOR
BEING HERE.
FOR
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
OKAY. I
DO HAVE -- SORRY I JUST WANT TO
ASK ANOTHER QUESTION OR TWO AND
REALLY JUST FOR SOME
CLARIFICATION, RYAN, IN YOUR
PRESENTATION, YOU TALKED ABOUT
GEOGRAPHIC INCLUSION.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW
WHAT THAT MEANS BUT COULD YOU
JUST EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT.
>> SURE, IF YOU ALL WANT TO
LOOK UP THESE STATISTICS,
BROOKINGS PUTS OUT A REPORT
EVERY YEAR CALLED THE METRO
MONITOR.
WHICH IS A SERIES OF INDICATORS
THAT COMPARED METRO AREAS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF
INCLUSIVE GROWTH.
AND IF YOU PULL UP THE SEATTLE
KIND OF PROFILE ON THE METRO
MONITOR, WHAT YOU SEE IS KIND
OF BLUE EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE
SORT OF MATRIX OF INDICATORS.
AND BLUE INDICATES GOOD
PERFORMANCE.
AND THEN DOWN IN THE CORNER
THERE'S THIS BRIGHT RED SPOT
WHICH IS GEOGRAPHIC INCLUSION
AND WHAT THAT MEASURES IS
PROGRESS OVER TIME IN TERMS OF
MEDIAN INCOME, POVERTY RATES,
AND ONE OTHER MEASURE BY CENSUS
TRACK.
SO BASICALLY THERE'S BEEN TONS
OF JOB CREATION, MEDIAN INCOMES
HAVE GONE UP, YOU KNOW, ON ALL
THESE OTHER INDICATORS AT LEAST
FROM A HIGH LEVEL THIS
ECONOMY IS PERFORMING WELL AT
LEAST RELATIVE TO NATIONAL
STANDARDS.
THAT'S ADMITTEDLY A LOW BAR.
THE ONE PLACE WHERE VERY LITTLE
IF ANY PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE
OVER TIME IS IN TERMS OF
CLOSING THE GAPS BETWEEN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS AT SORT OF THE
90s PERCENTILE AND THE 10th
PERCENTILE.
MORE AND MORE JOBS.
BUT IT'S NOT CLOSING THE GAPS
BETWEEN THE TOP NEIGHBORHOODS
AND BOTTOM NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHICH COMES AS NO SURPRISE TO
ANYONE ON THIS CALL.
BUT IT'S USEFUL TO KNOW THAT
EVEN RELATIVE TO OTHER METRO
AREAS, SEATTLE SEEMS TO REALLY
BE STRUGGLING ON THAT FRONT.
>> USEFUL INDEED.
OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COLLEAGUES
?
DOES ANYBODY ELSE
-- GREGORY? YODANIS? ANY OTHER
COMMENTS YOU WANT TO MAKE
BEFORE WE WRAP THINGS UP?
>> YEAH.
THANKS, I WANT TO REINFORCE
POINTS MADE BY RYAN AND JAGUNA
AND THEN SAY THE CITY IS ON THE
CUSP OF THIS.
WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL
BUSINESSES WE KNOW THE OFFICE
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS THE
ONLY IN SEATTLE RESOURCE.
BUT WE HAVE A PROJECT MANAGER
FOR RAINIER BEACH ALONE.
AND THERE ARE OVER 200 ENTITIES
THAT THIS PERSON HAS TO TRY TO
SUPPORT.
MORE MONEY IS NEEDED THERE.
AND YOUR REFERENCE TO THAT
POSSIBLY HAPPENING NEEDS TO
HAPPEN.
THE OTHER IS AROUND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
HELPING THIS ORDINANCE COME
INTO REALITY.
THAT'S PRIORITY HIRE INTO THE
CONSTRUCTION TRADE AND THE FACT
THAT IT HAS MOVED OVER TO KING
COUNTY.
IT HAS MOVED OVER TO THE PORT
OF SEATTLE.
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HA
ACTUALLY PICKED ITS UP.
SO WE'RE ON THE CUSP.
BUT MORE RESOURCES ARE NEEDED
THERE TO OPEN THAT PATHWAY
FURTHER NOT ONLY INTO THE
CONSTRUCTION TRADE BUT INTO THE
GIG ECONOMY THAT'S ALL READY
BEEN SAID.
SO YOU GOT MODELS.
YOU GOT STRUCTURE THERE.
WE JUST NEED TO PUT MORE
RESOURCE IN THERE.
FOR
>> I'D LIKE TO ASK GREGORY, IN
YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU
MENTIONED THAT THE KIND OF
URGENCY OF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE CITY TO ALLOCATE FUNDS TO
RECLAIM THE LAND, IN TERMS OF
THE, YOU KNOW, IN PARTS OF THIS
CONVERSATION WE TALKED ABOUT
PARTICULARLY WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND PROCUREMENT,
RIGHT?
BEING AREAS THAT ARE MORE OF
OPPORTUNE FOR INCREASING
INCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
DO YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO
RECLAIM SPACE FOR THOSE BURPS
BEFORE WE NECESSARILY HAVE A
PROJECT ALIGNED IN ? SAY MAYBE
FUNDING IN YOUR COMMUNITY IN A
SPECIFIC SPACE THAT COULD BE
IDEAL FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
DONE IN THE MOST EQUITABLE AND
ROBUST FASHION OR PROCUREMENT
DONE IN THAT WAY.
BECAUSE I TO I DO THINK YOU
TOUCHED ON THE URGENCY AND
OPPORTUNITY OF THE MOMENT N.
THE MOMENT WE SPECIFICALLY
TALKED ABOUT WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND PROCUREMENT.
THAT MONEY COMES IN QUICKER
THAN SMALL BUSINESS GROWING
FROM MICRO BUSINESS TO A BIG
BUSINESS MAYBE IN FIVE TO TEN
YEARS.
SO YEAH.
I'D JUST LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU
THOUGHT.
>> WOULD SAY IT'S NOT
SOMETHING WE'VE TOUCHED ON BUT
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NEED.
AND IT'S -- I WOULD ABSOLUTELY
SAY THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY AS
WELL IN THE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE
CALLING FOR CERTAIN COMMUNITY
INVESTMENT FUNDS TO BE
AVAILABLE TO MEET THOSE URGENT
NEEDS.
BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WITH
DISASTER GENTRIFICATION, IT'S
NOT AN AREA THAT WE, DELVED
INTO WHICH IS INTERESTING
CONSIDERING MY WORK WITH THE
PEOPLE'S ECONOMY LAB WE
PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE
COLLABORATED AND THOUGHT
THROUGH SOME OF THOSE
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT WE
COULD HAVE INCORPORATED INTO
THE COMMUNITY BRIEFING.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE
HEARD OF TO ALSO ADD IN SOME OF
THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SESSIONS THAT WE HELD.
BUT ABSOLUTELY THERE WOULD BE
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
>> TERRIFIC.
THANK YOU.
WELL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY
FOR BEING HERE.
WE'VE HEARD SOME GREAT IDEAS
THIS AFTERNOON FOR HOW TO
SUPPORT BUSINESSES AND HOW TO
SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.
AS WE COME OUT OF THE FOG OF
COVID, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD
TO REALLY WORKING WITH EACH OF
YOU TO MOVE THESE IDEAS INTO
POLICY AND BUDGET PROPOSALS.
SO YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM US.
AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT THE
PROCESS THIS FALL AND ANY
OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE FOR
GETTING SOME LEGISLATION
CRAFTED I DO WANT TO THANK MY
STAFF FOR HELPING PULL THIS
TOGETHER.
ALEXIS WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
GETTING YOU HERE TODAY AND
GETTING YOUR SLIDES READY.
I WANT TO THANK HER AND
LAKEESHA FARMER.
THIS IS HER LAST MEETING AS
CLERK BEFORE SE SHE LEAVES US
TO A TEND GRADUATE SCHOOL.
CONGRATULATIONS, WE'RE EXCITED
FOR YOUR NEXT PATH AND CAN'T
WAIT TO SEE WHAT GREAT THINGS
YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO HER.
AND LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THERE'S
A TOUCH ON MY STAFF WILL BE
STEPPING UP TO SERVICE CLERK
FROM NOW ON STARTING WITH THE
JULY MEETING.
SO THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO
THAT.
THE NEXT MEETING THE COMMUNITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
IS JULY 20th AT 2:00 P.M.
AND WE WILL SEE ALL OF YOU
THEN.
THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN EVERYBODY
FOR BEING HERE.
AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.