Public Policy

The Problem:

People are poor for a number of reasons -- some of them involving poor personal choices and circumstances -- others involving systemic problems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty for large sections of our community.  While working one-on-one with individuals to address their needs is essential, that work is largely fruitless without simultaneously fighting to change the systemic inequities as well.

Our Unique Response:

CitySquare has recently  In 2010-2011, our primary foci are:

  • Voter Registration/Education:  Our goals are to increase voter turnout through voter education and voter registration. We will do this by organizing neighbors in areas where CitySquare is at work, to make an impact upon the civic health of our fellow citizens by helping them understand their power as citizens to determine the destiny of their own communities. Like their neighbors throughout the city, we will provide them with opportunities to meet with candidates as we work help them see that their vote is important.
     
  • Unify South Dallas:  CitySquare has helped organize Unify South Dallas as a vehicle to give residents, business owners and neighborhood leaders a greater understanding of the opportunities for economic development in their communities and a greater voice in the decisions that impact their neighborhoods. So far, that relationship has led to ongoing conversations with the City of Dallas about a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for future development that would negotiate developer employment from within the community; investment in education; opportunities for entrepreneurship and small business partnerships.

    Unify South Dallas and CitySquare’s partnership has also led to the adoption and promotion of the South Dallas Plan: a comprehensive redevelopment plan developed by leaders in South Dallas that involves economic development, neighborhood redevelopment, transportation and environmental issues. Education: CitySquare, in partnership with the Rainwater Foundation, recently hosted a screening of the documentary, Waiting for Superman, followed by a panel discussion to help focus the community’s attention on the broken aspects of our public education system, both on a local and a national level. We also fight to educate low-income individuals about the potential pitfalls of “for profit” colleges and how to choose an educational path wisely.
     

  • Immigration:  To increase public awareness about the critical need for a sensible and humane immigration policy, CitySquare along with the Web Foundation, hosted a screening of ‘9500 Liberty’, a documentary of how the lack of a immigration laws negatively impacted the social, economic and political atmosphere in Prince Georges County, Maryland. 

Our Biggest Challenge:

Bringing our neighbors into the public policy arena with us—many of our neighbors have lived entire lifetimes believing that their voice will not be heard among the key decision-makers in our community. We are in the process of showing them just how loudly they can speak into these arenas when we all pull together.

Our Effectiveness:

In 2006, City Council suspended its moratorium on support for tax credit applications for permanent supportive housing in downtown Dallas thanks to the work of CitySquare. Without the Dallas City Council’s support for CitySquare’s tax credit application, the CityWalk@Akard project would not have gone forward.

Worked with Texas Innocence Project and Social Work Department of UTA to get legislation introduced for increased compensation for the wrongfully convicted.

Conducted highly successful voter registration, voter deputization, get-out-the vote efforts with neighbors throughout CitySquare programs.

Organized parents of children in our After School Academy to get DART service restored to the Turner Courts public housing development before they were demolished.

Throughout 2006 – 2009, CDM collaborated with churches, neighborhood associations, and other non-profits to address major infrastructure, neighborhood revitalization and economic development issues, resulting in the formation of the South Dallas HOPE Initiative. This helped South Dallas residents to present an alternative plan for the redesign of S.M. Wright Freeway and addressed environmental issues, area code enforcement, and the proliferation of liquor stores in the process.

To donate to CitySquare’s Public Policy programming, click here

To get involved with CitySquare’s Public Policy programming, please contact Jessica Davila