07. Community Relations - Equitable Community Development

Promote equitable community development

Rationale: Community development practices such as housing supports, community impact assessment, and sustainable hiring practices support the vitality of a community and promote economic security, contributing to diminished risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions associated with instability, displacement, and poverty.

For the most accurate strategy and documentation requirements, please refer to the digital scorecard made available on the Fitwel Platform.

Requirements

Demonstrate compliance with the below:

Equitable Community Development (Full Credit):

To achieve full credit, demonstrate compliance with all the following requirements:

1. Implement an equitable community development plan that includes a minimum of two of the following qualifying practices:

• sustainable hiring practices (e.g., equitable contracting and procurement policy, living wage policy, local and targeted hiring program, workforce training program, entrepreneurial/incubation programs)
• project impact assessment to evaluate and report on the project's impacts on the community (e.g., community impact report, health impact assessment, social impact statement, environmental impact statement, or an equivalent assessment report)
• community benefits agreement that is established with a coalition of community members or group(s)
• housing supports (e.g., providing housing support to existing occupants through a homeownership assistance program, foreclosure prevention program, "right to return" program, employee housing for property managers, or the contribution of locally exacted fees to preserve and expand affordable housing, establishing a renter's credit program)
• homeless support services (e.g., supportive housing, housing search assistance, creation of a Homelessness Advisory Council that includes formerly homeless members, information about and referral to available resources)
• levy developer exactions and impact fees to invest in local, off-site infrastructure improvements (e.g., public infrastructure upgrades, open space preservation, parks and recreation funding, and utilities expansion).

2. Publicize information about the equitable community development plan with all occupants within the project through a minimum of one of the following methods:

• a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
• communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

Compliance Documentation

Design Pathway

Requirement 1

• Upload an annotated copy of the equitable community development plan that details how each practice will be implemented.
• Checkboxes to certify that the equitable community development plan will include the following practices (minimum two):
  • sustainable hiring practices 
  • project impact assessment to evaluate and report on the project's impacts on the community
  • community benefits agreement that is established with a coalition of community members or group(s)
  • housing supports 
  • homeless support services 
  • levy developer exactions and impact fees to invest in local, off-site infrastructure improvements 

Requirement 2

• Checkboxes to certify that information about the equitable community development plan will be shared with all occupants within the project through the following methods (select all that apply):
  • a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
  • communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

Built Pathway

Requirement 1

• Upload an annotated copy of the equitable community development plan that details how each practice is implemented.
• Checkboxes to certify that the equitable community development plan includes the following practices (minimum two):
  • sustainable hiring practices 
  • project impact assessment to evaluate and report on the project's impacts on the community
  • community benefits agreement that is established with a coalition of community members or group(s)
  • housing supports 
  • homeless support services 
  • levy developer exactions and impact fees to invest in local, off-site infrastructure improvements 

Requirement 2

• Upload an annotated copy of the materials that are shared with all occupants within the project.
• Checkboxes to certify that information about the equitable community development plan is shared with all occupants within the project.