Equity strategy | Metro

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Guided by input from many regional partners and informed by research, Metro has identified racial equity as the approach to ensure that all people who live, work and recreate in the Portland region have the opportunity to share in and help define a thriving, livable and prosperous place.

Strategic plan to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion
Last published: June 13, 2016
Download pdf: 4.99 MB

People talking at the April 2016 NAYA

April 2016: Community members from the Native American community help narrow down action items identified in the draft Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

April 2016: Community members from the Native American community help narrow down action items identified in the draft strategic plan

Video

Hear what community members from around the region said when asked to talk about equity. The video was developed in partnership with Momentum Alliance, an organization that serves and is led by youth.

Video

Listen to a conversation with leaders at Metro and across the region about why advancing racial equity matters.

Russian community discussion

March 2016: Russian-Slavic speaking community members provide feedback on the draft Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

March 2016: Russian-Slavic speaking community members provide feedback on the draft strategic plan

photo of youth from Momentum Alliance

Youth from Momentum Alliance and Metro staff gather to discuss the challenges they face and their vision for a better region

photo of representatives from the Latino Network

October 2015: Representatives from the Latino Network meet to discuss their priorities and shared ideas on how Metro can advance equity in the region

photo of representatives from Africa House

October 2015: Community members from Africa House meet to discuss their community's priorities and shared ideas on how Metro can advance equity in the region

The Portland region is stronger when everyone has the same opportunity to succeed. Research shows that places with greater racial inclusion and smaller racial income gaps are the most successful economically: Equity is the best model for economic growth.

In addition to a strong economy, the Portland region is nationally recognized for its livability and its transportation system.

But for people of color, those benefits are more myth than reality – and the inequity hurts us all.

The numbers are staggering. While only 11 percent of whites in the Portland region are below the poverty level, 28 percent of Latinos and 34 percent of blacks earn less than a poverty wage. Blacks and Latinos are about half as likely to own homes as whites and Asians. And areas with the highest asthma rates in our region are also the areas most likely to house people of color.

If greater Portland is going to be the healthy, sustainable, economically resilient and livable metropolitan area we aspire to have, we need to dramatically improve outcomes for people of color. By addressing the barriers faced by those communities, we will improve outcomes for other disadvantaged communities as well.

As the region’s demographics change, we need to plan for our future by addressing long-standing institutional barriers that inhibit success for everyone.

To achieve these ambitious goals, in June 2016 Metro adopted the Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The strategic plan focuses on removing barriers for people of color and improving equity outcomes for these communities by improving how Metro works internally and with partners around the Portland region.

In 2010, the Metro Council adopted six desired outcomes, which were endorsed by partner city and county elected officials. Ensuring that the “benefits and burdens of growth and change are distributed equitably” is one of those desired outcomes, which serve as valuable direction to staff and Metro Council, especially around policymaking activities. The presence of an explicit equity outcome places the issue as a driver in regional policymaking.

In 2012, Metro initiated the Equity Strategy Program, with the objective of creating an organizing framework to help Metro consistently incorporate equity into policy and decision-making. The most significant program accomplishments to date include:

The creation of the Equity Strategy Advisory Committee, a group of external stakeholders who provide input to the Metro chief operating officer and staff regarding the implementation of the equity strategy.
Development of Metro’s working definition of equity.
The investment and creation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program, which demonstrates Metro’s priority to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and establishes a formal group to strategically coordinate and shepherd DEI efforts within Metro.
The completion of the Equity Inventory Report, which catalogued the existing equity-related activities throughout Metro’s departments.
The release of the Equity Framework Report, commissioned by Metro and prepared by six community-based organizations.
The release of the discussion draft of the Strategic Plan to Advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

These equity efforts have been pivotal in Metro’s commitment to develop a strategic direction that will provide the most intentional and effective guidance for the agency. This Strategic Plan to Advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will enable Metro to take swift action while also guiding the development of internal and external policies, programs, plans, and investments.

The Metro Council and staff listened to and spoke with community members, elected officials and leaders in philanthropy, business, housing, transportation, parks and community-based organizations about equity. More than 180 people participated in key stakeholder interviews and community conversations. Their ideas about how to advance equity at the agency and in the region informed the development of a first draft of the equity strategy and action plan.

In spring 2016, more than 140 members of communities of color and immigrants participated in the nine discussion groups organized and facilitated by community-based organizations and consultants. The translated strategic plan executive summary and other materials were used to facilitate four discussion groups in languages other than English. This eﬀort to reach out to and solicit input from people of color and immigrants was important to achieve greater demographic and geographic balance among the people who provided input on the draft strategic plan. The input received at the nine discussion groups was also positive about the goals, objectives and actions included in the draft strategic plan, and additional ideas for future actions were also identiﬁed.

The information collected through the 2016 public engagement activities conﬁrmed the general support for the goals, objectives and actions included in Metro’s strategic plan. It also helped Metro leadership and staﬀ establish priorities for action implementation and reﬁne the evaluation approach included in this ﬁnal version of the strategic plan.

Established in 2013, the Equity Strategy Advisory Committee brought leaders from the philanthropy, nonprofit, public and business sectors together to provide guidance, input and community perspective throughout the creation of the strategic plan. One of the key products of ESAC’s work was a working definition of equity, which framed the development of the strategic plan.

ESAC members

Carl Talton, Chair, United Fund Advisors

Alejandro Vidales, NW Sol

Amanda Whalen, Portland Public Schools

Andrew Singelakis, Washington County

Ben Duncan, Multnomah County

Betty Dominguez, Home Forward

Camilo Sánchez, Clackamas Community College

Desirée Williams-Rajee, City of Portland

Irene Konev, City of Portland

Israel Johnson, Portland Community College

Janet LaBar, Greater Portland Inc.

Julia Meier, Coalition of Communities of Color

Kirsten Kilchenstein, Oregon Community Foundation

Pam Treece, Westside Economic Alliance

Philip Wu, Kaiser Permanente

Rey España, Vice Chair, Native American Youth and Family Center

Past members

Daniel Vázquez, community member

Joseph Berezhinskiy, Slavic Community Center

Judi Martin, Portland Public Schools

Sydney Webb, community member

Virginia Nguyen, Nike

Annual progress reports

Department action plans

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