Game-Changing Economic Development in Newburgh, NY

Community Voices Heard (CVH), an advocacy organization led by low-income people working to improve the lives of poor communities in Harlem, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie, engaged the Capstone team to find game-changing economic development models that can reduce unemployment and improve affordable housing in Newburgh, NY. The team used two primary criteria in selecting prospective models. First, the models had to incorporate open, public and participatory decision-making processes; and, the models had to directly benefit the low-income communities where CVH members reside. The team identified and investigated several viable models and strategies that were successfully implemented in other communities with the potential to be similarly applied to Newburgh. The team’s final report outlined approaches such as anchor institution partnerships, renter equity systems, urban agriculture, and resident-led project development and ownership, and how they might be implemented in Newburgh, including specific action steps and funding sources to which CVH can refer.