Economic Development with Real Community Benefit

The problem

Too often, major development projects do not deliver tangible benefits to local residents, and instead lead to corporate profits at the community’s expense through gentrification, displacement, traffic, pollution, and other impacts.

The solution

A community benefits approach to economic development aims to ensure that new development serves the needs of local residents, not just the needs of developers. “Community benefits” are assets available through economic development that meet real community needs, including the following: • good wages and benefits for workers involved in the project, including service workers; • affordable housing as part of any residential development; • funding for local infrastructure such as community centers, supermarkets, or schools; • hiring of local residents or members of vulnerable populations; and • creating environmental benefits and mitigating environmental impacts.

Read more about the role that legislators have to play and learn about successful examples across the country.