The full version of the Equitable Growth and Inclusion Strategic Plan can be found in the Appendices section of this site. For the purpose of streamlining the public comment process, the Plan is segmented into eight (8) main parts on this website.
This portion of the plan provides a succinct overview of the four (4) goal areas of the Equitable Growth & Inclusion Strategic Plan (EGISP): Engaged Community, Just Industry, Inclusive Housing, and Equitable Economic Development. The Executive Summary also outlines the Partnership for Southern Equity's (PSE) Principles of Shared Prosperity.
There are nine (9) overarching strategies used throughout the plan. These strategies connect the EGISP's recommended actions, targets, and outcomes.
The Partnership for Southern Equity engaged in a 14-month, community-driven process to develop the EGISP. This portion of the plan highlights key aspects of that process.
Residents are a source of expertise, insight, and skills for any city to activate for the benefit of the greater community. Engaged residents also serve a vital role in holding all leaders accountable for representing the best interests of the community - a critical requirement for equity. East Point should formalize ways for residents to engage and contribute, representing both their neighborhoods, wards, and topics of interest to them. This investment in civic leadership development will pay long-term dividends in the equitable growth of the City. On this page, you'll find PSE's recommendations for fostering an Engaged Community.
East Point should engage with residents to articulate a clear vision for the City as a home for equitable, sustainable industrial jobs, integrate this new vision into zoning code, and establish regulatory/finance mechanisms such as Impact Fees to ensure that communities are protected and directly benefit from a healthy industrial base. The City should solicit community input immediately around establishing a Community Benefits Agreement in order to leverage this tool for short-term impact with development projects in the pipeline. On this page, you'll find PSE's recommendations for establishing a Just Industry.
Unlike other cities struggling with affordable housing, East Point is at the beginning of its revitalization journey and still has affordable supply while development pressures are just beginning to mount. Now is the time to align the City’s policies, programs, and investments to preserve existing units and facilitate the development of new affordable housing. The City can accomplish this by developing new sources of revenue and land, applying housing equity principles to the Unified Development Code design, strengthening eviction prevention efforts and supporting legacy homeowners, and developing essential partnerships that prepare East Point to utilize critical affordable housing tools like Land Banks and Community Land Trusts. On this page, you'll find PSE's recommendations for ensuring Inclusive Housing in the City.
Informed by the needs, wishes, and desires of local residents, equitable economic development is inclusive of the needs of all families. By developing equity-driven policies to promote community economic development as well as leveraging its own resources to advance equity outcomes, East Point can create an economic environment where every citizen is regarded as an asset and no one as a liability. Equitable economic activity positively impacts legacy residents, low-wealth citizens, and historically divested communities of color. This can be accomplished by establishing inclusive infrastructure to govern municipal procurement and economic development, amplifying community voice through Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and other regenerative investment strategies, and promoting oversight and accountability in the inclusion of local businesses and workforce in private development. As the first city in the southeast to commission an Equitable Growth & Inclusion Strategic Plan, East Point will be seen as a national leader in creating equitable places, people, and shared prosperity. Equitable place-based strategies will strengthen the City’s ability to develop land in ways that promote the economic security and the well-being of all of East Point’s residents. Equitable people-based strategies focus on removing barriers to opportunity for East Point residents, preparing them to thrive. Equitable prosperity-based strategies seek to ensure that East Point residents and businesses are provided the tools to actively participate in economic opportunities. PSE hopes that the last year of engagement and the recommendations included in this report help position East Point to pursue equity across place, people and prosperity. On this page, you'll find PSE's recommendations for advancing Equitable Economic Development.