CLF serves as a partner in the development of tools and initiatives geared towards institutionalizing equity in government policy, process and practice. Here are highlights of recent efforts around the region:

Metro Equity Strategy

In response to years of community engagement by CLF and partners, the Metro Regional Government adopted equity as one of the region's six desired outcomes in 2010, and recently launched an Equity Initiative that aims to institutionalize an equity framework across the agency.  Metro has initiated the development of an organizing framework that would help Metro consistently incorporate equity into policy and decision making.  CLF will join other community partners in providing input on the development and implementation of the equity strategy.  Request More Information

City of Portland Comprehensive Plan Update

CLF joined forces with community partners to form the Health Equity Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, a network led by Oregon Public Health Institute to ensure that health and equity remain a focus of the City of Portland Comprehensive Plan Update.

Oregon Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity

CLF serves on the Advisory Committee for the 2013 Oregon Legislative Report Card for Racial Equity.  We also served on Advisory Committee for the 2011 Oregon Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity, which examined legislation introduced in the Oregon Legislature that directly impacts Oregon's communities of color. The report assesses the extent to which the Oregon Legislature supported policies that advance racial equity in order to close disparities, protect against discrimination, and promote civic participation for all Oregon residents.

City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights

CLF helped the City of Portland successfully create the Office of Equity and Human Rights, which will support opportunities for everyone to achieve their full potential. The office will work with community partners and provide guidance to city bureaus to promote equity and reduce disparities within City government.

Racial Equity Strategy Guide

CLF participated in the Partners for Equity working group, led by the Urban League of Portland. The group created a Racial Equity Strategy Guide that can be utilized by leadership and staff throughout the City of Portland. The Guide was released in July of 2012.

Metro Community Investment Initiative (CII)

The mission of the Community Investment Initiative is to build the region’s economy by investing in infrastructure to support the creation of living-wage jobs. CII's strategy intends to invest in infrastructure, foster communities, improve mobility and enhance schools. CLF has served on the CII Performance Equity and Measurement Committee, working to develop strong measures of equity in the overall CII strategy.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

CLF served as an advisor to OMSI's sustainability exhibit - Clever Together: Our Everyday Choices, launched in the fall of 2012. In large part because of CLF's role on the project, an "equity lens" was used throughout the development of the exhibit materials and content.

Let Us Build Cully Park!

CLF is a partner on the Cully Park project, a coalition effort led by Verde to build a park and create economic opportunity for low-income people in the Cully neighborhood, a predominantly low-income neighborhood that the first Atlas highlighted as having the smallest amount of parkland per resident of any neighborhood in Portland.  CLF served on the Park Project Advisory Committee, Verde's Outreach Committee, and has helped plan the community garden.  CLF has also supported various project funding proposals including funding from the Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grant program, a pot of funds CLF helped create using evidence from the first Atlas.

Photo credit: Tom Miller