Equity in Oregon

I'm just coming back from a great meeting of advocates looking to create opportunities for Oregonians to prosper. Oregon Thrives is chaired by Jerrallyn Ness who is also the Executive Director of Community Action Organization in Washington County. Oregon Thrives is also organized by other folks such as Janet Byrd from Neighborhood Partnerships and Patti Whitney-Wise from Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.

There were many in the room addressing the issues of income, jobs, housing, health care, education, hunger and accountability. But the one thing we all had in common was the notion of equity. Not equity in the sense that  everyone should have exactly the same things, which seems to be a common misconception when the word is used, but equity in the sense that everyone should have the opportunity to advance their own well-being.

That notion is certainly at the core of what 211info does. Not purely because of altruism, but because we understand that when our communities are healthy and safe, ourselves and our families are healthy and safe.

Unfortunately, though, healthy and safe communities don't spring up from the ground. They take hard work to build. That is why I am excited about the Equity Atlas Project. The project is lead by the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) and they summarize it as:

The Regional Equity Atlas maps equity conditions in the greater metropolitan region (Portland). By measuring access to opportunities like affordable housing, transit, parks and grocery stores, the Atlas illustrates which people and places have the best access and which ones have the worst access to these important assets. Dozens of non-profits, government agencies and businesses have all used the Equity Atlas to help inform investments, strategic planning, fundraising and much, much more to help ensure the right of every person to have access to opportunities necessary for satisfying essential needs and advancing their well-being—as a key component of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region's approach to development.

I think its a pretty cool concept. And one that will only improve with 2010 census data.

Let us know what you think makes a good equity indicator. And share how you think your community could be more equitable.