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Neighborhood Improvement and Civic Engagement - Walla Walla, WA
Note: please note that this issue brief should (a) link back to the issue overview on this topic, (b) be focused either the local, state, national, or global level, and (c) be neutrally presented, based on facts, and include footnotes for each of the items. See the Research Guide and Information Sources to assist you.
Goal Statement
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To improve conditions and community resources in poor neighborhoods, especially those with a high Latino population. The case study focuses in Walla Walla, Washington, a small rural town with a growing Latino minority population.
Scope of the Problem factual statements on the extent of the problem in the past, current, or future
- Many neighborhoods in Walla Walla lack common characteristics of a healthy neighborhood: parks, sidewalks, streetlights, etc. As Latinos experience cultural isolation and tension with non-Latinos, many neighborhoods with Latino residents face even more separation from the rest of the community. For a long time, the general community showed little desire to improve or help these poorer neighborhoods. With the Latino population close to 20 percent in Walla Walla, which is partnered with a fairly conservative city, itâs difficult to gain support for projects that works closely with Latino specific issues in neighborhoods.The poverty level is at 17.4 percent in Walla Walla which is higher then both the state and national poverty levels. The number one concern for these residents was the safety of their children. As mentioned before, children have no sidewalks to walk on, and crime and vandalism rates are additional concerns. The neighborhood children experience a lower academic success then their peers from other neighborhoods.
Past Policy key legislation and milestones including significant policy and funding shifts, major studies, etc.
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The local government initially refused to fund Commitment to Community a local NBO that exists to help poverty issues in poor neighborhoods, while simultaneously hoping to decrease poverty in the community. The city government reasoned that its duties remained solely with city infrastructure rather than funding non-profits such as C2C. Furthermore, it did not see utility in specifying an organization that works to relieve barriers pertinent to the Latino community. Most local officials stated that Latinos should assimilate to the traditional United States culture without the help of Latino-specific organizations.
Current Policy summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding
- C2C now receives money from the local government to work in three poor neighborhoods. C2C represents the only organization that offers bilingual tools and resources for motivating civic engagement among the Latino community in Walla Walla.
- Local officials generally believe that increasing civic participation on the neighborhood level not only results in improvements for that neighborhood but also benefits the general community. They hope that C2C will expand their work to other neighborhoods in Walla Walla and College Place.
- Local officials do not want C2C to define themselves as working for Latinos but rather for everyone. They are wary of government being sidetracked through the funding of human services that seem like âwelfare,â even though C2C aims to mobilize local residents to make changes themselves.
- The Port of Walla Walla does not fund C2C and maintains a distant relationship with the neighborhoods and residents of Walla Walla, though C2C is in the process of reaching out to the Port as well as other sectors of the community. This relationship will be extremely vital since the Port is currently planning to redevelop a neighborhood adjacent to a neighborhood C2C works with. Their redevelopment targets the growing wine industry in Walla Walla; however, no strong effort by the Port has included or informed any nearby residents of their decisions.
Policy Options
- My research has found that when resources and tools are available, Latinos and residents in poor neighborhoods are more than willing to improve their conditions. After surveying residents, results indicated that residents felt both safer and empowered after C2C came to work in their neighborhood. Most residents surveyed felt the levels of safety improve over the past year as well as feeling their sentiments positively change over their ability to invoke change in their neighborhood condition.
- I recommend that the government sustain funding for C2C but also that C2C obtains funding from other private sources. If the local government were the sole funding source, it would be easy for the city officials to tailor C2Câs goals to fit their agenda, which could compromise C2Câs original mission.
- C2C and similar organizations elsewhere can garner such local public support if they track and demonstrate the improvements their activities appear to make in key indicators of local wellbeing like crime rates, school achievement, and business development. My examination of such indicators showed that after three years of C2Câs presence in three Walla Walla neighborhoods, the three neighborhoods all experienced a decrease in crime and vandalism. These effects can spill over into surrounding neighborhoods and areas. Additionally, tracking such indicators would help C2C obtain new partnerships with schools, businesses, and other organizations outside government and beyond the affected neighborhood. Such groupsâ involvement would signal a true commitment from the wider community.
- F inally, I recommend that the above entities use C2C as a bridge into connecting the Latino community to the general population. C2C has created relationships of trust within the Latino community and they can help improve racial relations by dissolving existing hesitations due to lack of information to get involved by either party.
Key Organizations/Individuals contacts for public and private organizations and key individuals
- Commitment to Community. The local neighborhood-based organization in Walla Walla. Their mission is to build a healthy community through building healthy neighborhoods. They advocate empowerment and relationship building among the residents they work with. Resources are provided for Spanish speaking families. http://www.bmacww.org/c2c.htm.
- âThe State of the State for Washington Latinosâ website. Here you can find my full report and executive summary along with many other related reports. www.walatinos.org.
- BlueMountain Action Council. A non-profit organization that serves the needs of low-income families and individuals. They partner with C2C on numerous projects including the creation of low-income housing, food drives, and tree-planting. www.bmacww.org/.
- Sherwood Trust Foundation. The largest foundation in Walla Walla that has funded many non-profits in Washington State and funded Commitment to Community for its first three years. (No available website).
- Laura Porter. Director of the Washington State Family Council, she connects what Commitment to Community to the state level, trying to implement the same practices statewide. She believes that childhood safety, community safety, and the general well-being of a community should start with the intimate environment that a neighborhood provides. http://www.fpc.wa.gov/
Glossary of Terms
- Link here to the overview page for the glossary of terms related to this issue brief
Bibliography web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material
Neighborhood Improvement and Civic Engagement - Walla Walla, WA
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