Recent Updates from the Bay Area Equity Atlas
Dear Atlas Users,
In the last few months, we’ve seen the federal government attack access to public data, underscoring just how important open information is for holding our governing institutions accountable and safeguarding democracy.
Data represents real people and their experiences, making them visible in policymaking spaces where decisions are made about their lives. These attacks are about denying the reality of entire communities, and giving those in power a pass when it comes to addressing inequities.
We’ve always believed that by putting the power of accurate and deeply disaggregated data into the hands of community leaders and policymakers, we could create a more equitable Bay Area. We remain committed to that belief today — no matter what happens in Washington.
Here’s what we’ve been up to this year.
New Analysis: Exploring Housing Equity in the Bay Area’s Black Communities
Our newly released Black Communities and the Bay Area’s Housing Crisis is a regional analysis of data on homeownership and housing affordability for Black residents in the 9-county Bay Area. The second installment in our Black in the Bay Area and Housing Equity in the Bay Area research series, this piece examines recent trends for Black households in the context of longstanding structural barriers to fair housing and the disproportionate impact of the foreclosure crisis on Black families.
Our analysis found that both US-born Black Americans and Black immigrants own homes at lower rates than the overall Bay Area population, and accrue less value in their homes than homeowners in general. And in recent years, Black homeowners and renters alike have moved away from historic communities in San Francisco and the East Bay.
Visit our interactive dashboard to learn more.
Data Update: Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker
The December 31, 2024 deadline to obligate funds from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program has now passed. To understand and hold to account how local jurisdictions invest these dollars in our communities, we have updated the Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker to reflect city and county spending plans through September 30, 2024.
Our latest assessment reveals that the nine counties and 32 larger localities in the Bay Area had made plans to spend $2.97 billion (99 percent) of their $3 billion SLFRF funds, leaving $24 million (1 percent) for them to allocate into the last quarter of the year. Learn more about our findings.
Atlas Site Training for Community Organizations and Advocates
On May 13th, the Bay Area Equity Atlas team will host a virtual training in collaboration with the San Francisco Foundation. This training will engage community advocates on how to use our resources to support their organization’s mission, teaching participants how to utilize the tool to track the state of equity across the region.
We invite anyone interested in getting more comfortable with our resources to attend and share with their networks. Register here.
Coming Soon
Please stay tuned for more exciting updates in the coming months, as we have several new projects in development:
In May, we’re releasing an analysis of fossil fuel refineries, air pollution, and environmental justice efforts in the East Bay, and in June we will conclude our Black in the Bay series with an analysis of occupational segregation and workforce equity for the region’s Black workers. We also plan to release new community member profiles in our “In Their Own Words” story series, and will have updated data for our interactive indicator tables later this year.
Until next time,
– The Bay Area Equity Atlas team
In the last few months, we’ve seen the federal government attack access to public data, underscoring just how important open information is for holding our governing institutions accountable and safeguarding democracy.
Data represents real people and their experiences, making them visible in policymaking spaces where decisions are made about their lives. These attacks are about denying the reality of entire communities, and giving those in power a pass when it comes to addressing inequities.
We’ve always believed that by putting the power of accurate and deeply disaggregated data into the hands of community leaders and policymakers, we could create a more equitable Bay Area. We remain committed to that belief today — no matter what happens in Washington.
Here’s what we’ve been up to this year.
New Analysis: Exploring Housing Equity in the Bay Area’s Black Communities
Our newly released Black Communities and the Bay Area’s Housing Crisis is a regional analysis of data on homeownership and housing affordability for Black residents in the 9-county Bay Area. The second installment in our Black in the Bay Area and Housing Equity in the Bay Area research series, this piece examines recent trends for Black households in the context of longstanding structural barriers to fair housing and the disproportionate impact of the foreclosure crisis on Black families.
Our analysis found that both US-born Black Americans and Black immigrants own homes at lower rates than the overall Bay Area population, and accrue less value in their homes than homeowners in general. And in recent years, Black homeowners and renters alike have moved away from historic communities in San Francisco and the East Bay.
Visit our interactive dashboard to learn more.
Data Update: Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker
The December 31, 2024 deadline to obligate funds from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program has now passed. To understand and hold to account how local jurisdictions invest these dollars in our communities, we have updated the Bay Area Recovery Dollars Tracker to reflect city and county spending plans through September 30, 2024.
Our latest assessment reveals that the nine counties and 32 larger localities in the Bay Area had made plans to spend $2.97 billion (99 percent) of their $3 billion SLFRF funds, leaving $24 million (1 percent) for them to allocate into the last quarter of the year. Learn more about our findings.
Atlas Site Training for Community Organizations and Advocates
On May 13th, the Bay Area Equity Atlas team will host a virtual training in collaboration with the San Francisco Foundation. This training will engage community advocates on how to use our resources to support their organization’s mission, teaching participants how to utilize the tool to track the state of equity across the region.
We invite anyone interested in getting more comfortable with our resources to attend and share with their networks. Register here.
Coming Soon
Please stay tuned for more exciting updates in the coming months, as we have several new projects in development:
In May, we’re releasing an analysis of fossil fuel refineries, air pollution, and environmental justice efforts in the East Bay, and in June we will conclude our Black in the Bay series with an analysis of occupational segregation and workforce equity for the region’s Black workers. We also plan to release new community member profiles in our “In Their Own Words” story series, and will have updated data for our interactive indicator tables later this year.
Until next time,
– The Bay Area Equity Atlas team
