Community engagement event hosted by Hogan’s Alley Society. Credit: Stephanie Allen

At REIBC’s 2018 Presidents Luncheon, the guest presenters led the audience through a conversation about real estate value, risk, and return in building inclusive communities. Offered from a “community builder’s” perspective, the conversation shone a light on how community-building organizations contribute to building sustainable, vibrant cities.

Presenter Stephanie Allen, founding board member of Hogan’s Alley Society, challenged the audience to get more involved in community building. In her follow-up article for Input, excerpted below, Allen gives us five ways to sink our teeth into equitable community development.

1. Hire and develop diverse teams throughout your organization and include a diversity of perspectives in decision-making.

By including women, people who are racialized, disabled, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, new immigrants, and different ages on your teams and in decision-making, not only will your organization better represent the communities in which you work, you’ll improve your profitability.

2. Use your purchasing power to support community development.

Similar to hiring equitably, you can purchase equitably. BC is a hotbed of social enterprises and non-profit organizations that provide outstanding-quality products and services. Even when it comes to smaller purchases, seeking out and investing in local, community-based organizations and social entrepreneurs has a multiplier effect on community wellbeing.

Download Summer 2019

For more ways to contribute to equitable communities, read Allen’s “5 Ways to Build Equitable Communities Now” in the Summer 2019 edition of Input. Download Summer 2019

Read on, and let us know how your organization takes action to build equitable communities. Write to us at info@reibc.org

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