Opportunity Chicago held up as model of “collective impact”

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Stanford Social Innovation Review recently highlighted the “collective impact” of Opportunity Chicago as an example of successful collaborative efforts around the country.

Workforce development initiative Opportunity Chicago, established in 2006 by the City of Chicago, Chicago Housing Authority and The Partnership for New Communities, helped more than 6,000 public-housing residents find quality employment in five years.

After receiving an overwhelming response to a recent article introducing the concept of collective impact, SSIR published an online follow-up – “Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work” – that goes in depth about what it takes to achieve it. In it, the authors point to Opportunity Chicago as a notable case of highly structured, multi-partner efforts that had substantial impact. (PDF of the article here)

Image: Courtesy of Stanford Social Innovation Review.

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As it winds down, Partnership hits conference circuit to share lessons

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As The Partnership for New Communities prepares to sunset next spring, policy advocates across the country are learning from what the organization has accomplished over the past decade.

Partnership executive director Maria Hibbs presented at three major conferences this fall to talk about what Chicago has learned through the Plan for Transformation about economic development of urban communities as well as employment for low-income, low-skilled residents. The Plan, now in year 12 of 15, is an unprecedented overhaul of the city’s public housing that encompasses bricks and mortar, resident services and reforms to the Chicago Housing Authority itself.

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File download: NCLR_Presentation.pdf

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Chicago community welcomes new Chicago Housing Authority CEO

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Chicago leaders gathered this week to welcome Charles Woodyard as he begins his new role as CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority. Julia Stasch, vice president of U.S. programs at The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which hosted the reception, extended Woodyard a warm welcome, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CHA Board President Jim Reynolds also were on hand at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall to commemorate the start of Woodyard’s tenure at CHA.

Photo: Charles Woodyard is the new CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority.

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