The next Ward 8 Community Economic Development (W8CED) town hall is on Wed March 23 at 7:00 p.m. You’re invited! Register here: Link.
The town hall focuses on arts and culture and features panelists such as Keyonna Jones, from the Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center (CHACC); Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio; Antwanye Ford of Enlightened; and Rahsaad Bernard, of Building Bridges Across the River.
W8CED is developing a community-centered economic development plan that builds on the social and financial assets to steer development, social and economic, in the ward.
Since January, W8CED has hosted bi-weekly community town halls featuring expert panelist with lived experience in the subect matter. The panel is followed by breakout working groups that prioritize recommendations from SWOT analysis and translates into outcomes, develop actions needed to achieve outcomes and identify policy changes to strengthen enabling environment. The town hall results are integrated and centered in a community economic development plan; the plan will be completed this summer after the town halls.
“As we believe those closest to the problems have the solutions and should be driving the growth and decision-making, this is a ground-up community-centered process,” W8CED wrote in an email. “We have the opportunity to reimagine and bring equitable development resources to transform our community from a social and human service economy into the arts, culture, innovation, and thriving business economy that we deserve.”
Last year, more than 1500 residents participated in the many forums, surveys, and town hall meetings to identify community assets, opportunities, leaders and economic development solutions in order to deliver social impact and improve social and human outcomes in the following areas: public safety, education, small business development, workforce development, housing, healthcare and access, environment and sustainable development, cooperatives, arts and culture, youth, family and seniors, and transportation.
