The City of Redwood City wins $10,000 in support to expand its efforts to drive equity and affordability for residents, helping them maintain stable employment and save for the future.
The city was one of the eight municipalities selected by the National League of Cities ‒NLC‒ to participate in the Rapid Grants program for the Promotion of Economic Mobility.
Following a competitive process, eight U.S. cities will receive a total of $100,000 to support local initiatives aimed at improving the economic mobility of their residents.
The City will use the funds to support its Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Leadership (IDEAL) efforts, which aim to help create a fair and safe city, full of opportunities for all members of the community, regardless of their identity, background or income.
Additionally, grant funds will strengthen the efforts of the Redwood City Together community collaborative and other community organizations to promote economic mobility and support partnerships with the City.
Planned activities include job fairs, youth outreach activities related to employment needs, and initial research into a citywide economic mobility plan.
“This grant is a great example of the City’s creativity in funding programs that improve economic vitality in Redwood City,” said City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz. “The grants help us stretch the City’s funding, a critical effort as we face budget shortfalls. In order for all Redwood City residents to thrive, we need to increase economic mobility efforts.”
Each of the eight cities is receiving grants of up to $15,000 along with coaching and peer learning opportunities through NLC’s Economic Mobility Peer Network.
The National League of Cities will present grant implementation updates from Redwood City, as well as Dallas, Gaithersburg, Honolulu, Nashua, New Haven, Redmond and South Bend, at an Economic Mobility Convention prior to the NLC Summit of Cities conference in Atlanta, Georgia, this November.
The funds awarded to cities will be used to launch or expand solutions in one of three key areas: creating quality employment opportunities for residents, providing equitable support to strengthen or start small businesses, or helping residents connect to public services or benefits. These funds have been made possible by the continued support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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