Peoria Standard

City of Atlanta issued the following announcement on Aug. 23.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Invest Atlanta today announced the Invest Atlanta Board of Directors voted unanimously to adopt the recently completed One Atlanta Economic Mobility, Recovery & Resiliency Plan for the city of Atlanta. The plan is an extension of Mayor Bottoms’ One Atlanta vision and establishes clear objectives to achieve better economic outcomes for Atlanta residents, primarily black and brown communities where low household income and high rates of poverty and unemployment persist.

“Many Atlanta residents continue to face long-term challenges with sustainable, living-wage-level employment, affordable housing, and other unacceptable inequalities,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “This first-of-a-kind plan and policy for the city provides a clear pathway toward improving the lives of communities that have been left behind and will help strengthen our economy for the future. It is another major step towards Atlanta becoming a truly affordable, resilient, and equitable city for all.”

The One Atlanta Economic Mobility, Recovery & Resiliency Plan initiative began more than a year ago to ensure the City’s economic development strategy provides a means for equitable growth and long-term resiliency, including challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of Mayor Bottoms, the plan was developed by Invest Atlanta – with the support of the Atlanta City Council, a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee and consultants, including Enterprise Community Partners, Urban League of Greater Atlanta, APD Urban, and Bloomberg Associates. Invest Atlanta will implement the plan to achieve the strategic objectives aligned to three-year performance indicators.

“I commend  Mayor Bottoms for her leadership and the Invest Atlanta board for making sure the city’s economic development strategy is rooted in economic mobility principles that work for the benefit of all Atlantans,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “At this unprecedented time, Atlanta needs an intentional, data-driven way to address economic mobility and accelerate an equitable recovery from COVID-19. Leveraging Invest Atlanta and WorkSource Atlanta’s existing economic development tools, new programs and our many partnerships, we have a pathway to become more resilient to economic downturns, build intergenerational wealth and provide new economic opportunities for more residents and businesses.”

The plan addresses five core objectives, including the Creation of Good Jobs, Access to Good Jobs, Small Businesses, Neighborhood Investment, and Affordable Housing, and 34 specific actions to promote economic growth as outlined in the plan. It includes strategies for Invest Atlanta and WorkSource Atlanta to work together, as well with partners to help more Atlantans access job training and living-wage jobs in high-growth industries so they can participate in the economy’s recovery and future expansion.

"United Way of Greater Atlanta's mission is to drive sustainable improvements in the well-being of children, families and individuals in the community. And years of disinvestment and systemic barriers have created inequitable futures for many communities—particularly those of color," said Milton J. Little, President and CEO of the United Way of Greater Atlanta. “This intentional, data-driven strategy delivers on that promise, so every child, family and community have the opportunity to thrive.”

“Now more than ever, we must break down the barriers that proliferate the racial economic wealth gap. Too many Atlanta residents are struggling to gain access to a quality education and skills required to embark on livable wage career pathways and secure small business capital and contract opportunities. Without targeted and leveraged investments with a focus on black and brown communities, we will not break the cycle of inter-generational poverty to gain a foothold for wealth creation that fosters empowerment and strong families and communities,” said Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. “The One Atlanta Economic Mobility Plan is more than an economic development strategy, it is an intentional and bold way of investing in Atlanta’s people, neighborhoods and business districts that will position the city to become recognized in time as “the best place in the nation for economic mobility, equity and building wealth.”

Implementation of the One Atlanta Economic Mobility, Recovery & Resiliency Plan is expected to begin in September 2020. The plan can be viewed and downloaded at www.investatlanta.com/economicmobility.

Original source can be found here.