Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITYRegional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsOver the 38-year development of LeadershipCouncil, the funding community has seen a numberof impacts affecting the region. The Woods Fund ofChicago indicates that the analytic metric tool,“Community of Opportunity” Index, can betterequip the field ofactivists working inFor Ricardo Millett, president the city andof the Woods Fund of suburbs. With theChicago, the “Community of knowledge providedOpportunity” Index is an by the Index, theinnovative use of information Leadership Councilcan become a morefor public housing and policyaggressive advocateadvocates because it is aand build on itsquantitative measurement community. Thisof the cost to low-income could enable thepeople seeking affordable community to feelhousing and education confident enough toopportunities.address its ownwelfare issues.According toMillett, the Leadership Council believes that thecommunity, not policy professionals, knows what’sbest for its area.The Leadership Council is a consistent advocate andkey figure that partners with regional planninggroups, councils of governments, and others toencourage affirmative support for policies that willexpand fair and affordable housing in the region.These groups have in turn adopted diversity andinclusion in specific frameworks for regional andcommunity planning. The MacArthur Foundation’sWhite hopes that “the entire region becomes lesssegregated, that policies decrease segregation andincrease affordable housing. Already the LeadershipCouncil has been successful in helping minorityfamilies relocate to low-poverty areas through itsdirect service programs. Its continued advocacysupports those efforts.”At the state level, the Leadership Council initiated acollaborative effort with the organization, Businessand Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI),in order to convene regional groups to develop acoordinated state housing policy agenda. Known asthe Illinois Housing Roundtable, the effort has madea real impact on state housing policy through publiceducation, outreach, and organizing. It provided anexcellent opportunity for groups to discuss effectiveprograms and future initiatives around statewidehousing policy. As a result, various organizationsstrengthened relationships, built stronger coalitions,and began prioritizing opportunities that led to somevery successful outcomes.By 2003, positive changes were seen in the area ofhousing policy in Illinois. The Builders Planning andAppeal Act requires 49 communities in the Chicagoregion to create individual plans for increasing theirsupply of affordable housing by 2009. Other lawsinclude a tax incentive to expand support for housingchoice vouchers in high-growth areas and a lawagainst predatory lending.Nationally, the Leadership Council is working withgroups like Fund for an Open Society to enhancesupport for race equity, including co-conveningnational conferences in 2002 and 2004 with agendasfocusing on strategies to build and maintaincommunity diversity. In addition, Pennick of theField Foundation cites an increased visibility ofhousing discrimination cases as a result of theLeadership Council’s work.ResultsToday, the Leadership Council has made significantprogress in overcoming segregation anddiscrimination. For example, in 2004, the LeadershipCouncil’s three centers: handled 2,944 inquiriescovering a range of fair housing needs; helped morethan 92 families locate apartments through itsGautreaux II program in areas that are low in povertyand high in economic opportunities in the city andsuburbs; filed 52 legal actions, including 29 familialstatus complaints stemming from work withGautreaux II families and 15 complaints against theVillage of Franklin Park over discriminatory codeenforcement practices; trained 120 low- andmoderate-income residents in 16 Chicago areacommunities and Rockford, Ill., to advocate for fairhousing and improved human relations at the locallevel through its Fair Housing Advocate TrainingProgram; and provided technical assistance to over30 municipalities in the Chicago region through itsCommunity Relations Program. 63Overall, the Leadership Council demonstrates a trackrecord that makes it a credible resource with a63The Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities. “FY2004 Draft Report.”117Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities