EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
Community Building Partners joins the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley and community members to spark inclusive, conscientious growth.
Richmond, California–one of the last working-class communities of color in the Bay Area–is the site of the proposed UC Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond Bay. This major development can exacerbate income inequality, housing problems, environmental degradation, and even health disparities–or it could transform the lives of its neighbors for the better.
“Anchor Richmond” outlines exactly how the Berkeley Global Campus can become a responsible anchor institution. Responsible anchor institutions consciously and strategically develop in a way that improves the lives of those in its community. This means embracing a Community Benefit Agreement, which is a cooperative partnership between the University, developer, and members of the community, as well as pursuing the Community-owned Development Entity model. The report was informed by a broad range of community stakeholders, including grassroots organizations, worker groups, low-income residents, faith-based leaders, and the formerly incarcerated.
The next step was to create Richmond’s Community-owned Development Entity (CDE). CDEs are mission-driven development organizations. In contrast with private developers or public-private partnerships, the Richmond CDE:
- Has a community benefits mission
- Is nonprofit
- Reinvests profits back into the community
- Incorporates public participation
- Has a majority of community members on its board
- Was shaped by insights from 16 community organizations
- Reflects the unique vision and values of Richmond
The CDE is “the financial vehicle that can achieve both the goals of the university and the Richmond community.” Community Building Partners’ Joe Recchie serves as a founding board member.
