Opportunity Communities
The Kirwan Institute conducts applied research to support collaborations, community development, fair housing and social justice through our Opportunity Communities program. Producing fair access to critical opportunity structures, like good schools, safe stable neighborhoods and sustainable employment can create positive transformative change in marginalized communities. We collaborate with partners to identify, understand and eliminate structural and racialized barriers to opportunity in critical domains including education, housing, employment, health and health care, civic engagement and others.
 Housing, in particular its location, is the primary mechanism for accessing opportunity in our society. Where you live is more important than what you live in. Read more… |
 The Institute utilizes the community of opportunity model to explore the intersection between marginalization and opportunity for specific racial populations. Read more… |
 The purpose of opportunity mapping is to illustrate where opportunity rich communities exist (and assess who has access to these communities) and to understand what needs to be remedied in opportunity poor communities. Read more… |
 Education has been at the core of the civil rights struggle for decades, and the importance of high quality public education for all is no less critical today. Read more… |
 Promoting policies that support the resurgence of neighborhoods. Read more… |