Overcoming Barriers to Community Engagement

Syretta Hill, Community Development Manager Habitat for Humanity of Wake CountySabrina Kelley, Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator at Habitat for Humanity Fresno CountyAngela Bills, Community Outreach Director, Trinity Habitat for Humanity

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Welcome

Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Community Engagement

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NRI – What is it?

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What barriers are affiliates experiencing? Let’s explore them…

Activity: Write down a real barrier your affiliate is experiencing on notecard.

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Learning Objectives

1. Identify/define community barriers

2. Explore barriers

3. Create simple solutions to address barriers

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Exploring Barriers

• Perceptions

• People

• Process

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Barrier: Perceptions

• Myths and misunderstandings• External feelings about the neighborhood • Community’s feelings about themselves

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Barrier: People

• Habitat• Residents• Non-resident stakeholders• Critical partnerships

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Barrier: Process

• New work for Habitat• Language• Process of engagement • Lack of resources• Communication and trust• Conflicting agendas• Turnover• Time

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Checking the Pulse

• Thoughts from the group ?– Perceptions– People– Process– Other

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Solutions

• Many different strategies

• Based on: community needs, circumstances, and assets

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Solutions: Perceptions

Elementary approaches…

Educate

Engage

Easy and open

Endurance

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Barrier: Cultural gatekeepers

• Listen to their issues or concerns

• Keep them in the loop as part of engagement strategy

• Seek advice/suggestions

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Barrier: Cultural gatekeepers

• Consider nonthreatening engagement tactics (ABWK)

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Long Acres/Apollo Heights communities

• 52% Decrease in Crime. According to the City of Raleigh Police Department - from January 1, 2010 through June 14, 2012 shows a 52% decrease in crime (from 89 incidents to 43 incidents).

Barrier: Cultural gatekeepers

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Question: How do we gain the trust of cultural gatekeepers in the neighborhood?

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Solutions: People

4 B’s of engaging with residents

Be transparent

Be present

Be consistent

Be realistic

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Solutions: Process

Tips for starting:• Review secondary data• Meet with people working in the community• ABCD• Create an Asset Map• Collect more data (informal methods):

o Coffee N Chat o “If this were a”o Neighborhood Meet and Greet

Barrier: Starting the Process - #1

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Question: Where / How do we begin the process of Community Engagement?

Questions to Ask Yourself:1. Do I understand the goals and priorities of NRI? 2. What background work needs to be completed

before I start the process of engaging residents?3. Do I know anyone is already working in the

neighborhood and what are they doing?4. What do I know about the neighborhood …the

residents (assets and dreams?)

Sources of Secondary Data

• GOOGLE• City’s general plan• Elected officials• Public health • agency info• Census data• USDA data• School websites• PD crime maps• Neighborhood Watch

Coordinators20

Developing the Framework for Resident EngagementAsset Based Community Development

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Asset Based Community Development

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Meet with People in the Community

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Barrier: #2 Recruiting Community Members

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Question: How do we recruit residents and partners?

Questions to ask yourself / team: 1. Who do we need?2. Why do we need them?3. Who is going to contact them?4. What are the next steps?

Example – Who Do We Need? Why?

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Barrier #3 – Agendas and Perceptions

“…it has been difficult to get African/American churches to partner with us….”

“…residents don't show up for meetings and we don’t know how to motivate them to show up…”

“…too many opportunities to pursue given the capacity at the affiliate…”

“…people don't believe that we are going to actually do the work, so they don't sign up then they see us out there working

and get mad when we don't do work on their house…”26

6 Tips for Meaningful Engagement

1. Lay down your agenda.

2. Take up a listening posture.

3. Document resident-led neighborhood development priorities.

4. Create buy-in by working on resident-led priorities and projects.

5. Build resident trust through community outreach events (block parties, neighborhood meet and greets, church events, etc.)

6. Recruit strategic partners early in the process.

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Solutions: Activity

• Pair Up• Review the Barrier • Identify a Strategy• Report Out

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Monday Morning Plan

• Create a profile of your focus neighborhood.• Walk the neighborhood (often).• Create an asset map.• Organizing listening events (Coffee N Chat).• Prepare to host monthly meetings.

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HfHI Resources

• http://my.habitat.org/ • http://www.habitat.org/env/NRI_default.aspx

• Conference calls: To receive direct email announcements for training conference-calls and register for desired topics, send full contact information including affiliate role/title and location to confcalls@habitat.org • Learning Resources in the My.Habitat Knowledge Center. http://my.habitat.org/kc/learning-resources • Affiliate Support Center at 877-HFHI-HELP (877-434-4435) or USSupportCenter@habitat.org

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Other Useful Resources

• http://nw.org/network/index.asp

• http://i-c-d.org/

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oua/initiatives/neighborhood-revitalization

• http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=Choice_Neighborhoods_2012.pdf

• https://www.bja.gov

• http://www.successmeasures.org/

• http://www.abcdinstitute.org/

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Thank you!!

• Syretta Hill - syretta.hill@habitatwake.org Community Development Manager Habitat for Humanity of Wake County

• Sabrina Kelley - sabrina@habitatfresno.org Neighborhood Revitalization

CoordinatorHabitat for Humanity Fresno County

• Angela Bills - angela.bills@trinityhabitat.org Community Outreach Director,

Trinity Habitat for Humanity