Transitioning From Now to Then
Communities have to evolve and adapt to the demands of future societies. Notably, technology is a vital component in transforming current issues in society. I envision a community in which transportation is effortless. For example, people can hire an electric bike at one of the stations situated within the community, and later on drop it when they are within walking distance of their destination. This change will reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy use. Additionally, housing should be more affordable by relaxing zoning and developing rules (Menon et al., 2019). Jobs should be provided for at-risk communities to ensure unemployed youth refrain from criminal activities. Education sets the foundation for future generations (Banisakher & McCauley, 2017). Interventions will begin with making elementary and secondary more affordable. Community service offices will be tasked with reducing the gap between campus and community (Bandy, 2020). Laws will be amended to cover modern issues and offer more power to the people in terms of holding leaders accountable. Likewise, I envision a community in which leaders liaise with residents in development projects.
Transforming my future community will prioritize addressing education and housing issues in the community. According to Banisakher and McCauley (2017), when a school’s enrollment exceeds 80% of the permanent capacity it should be considered overcrowded. About 14% of schools within low-income communities are struggling with this challenge (Banisakher & McCauley, 2017). To be prepared for higher future enrollment in elementary and secondary education, the focus should be providing additional classroom space (Banisakher & McCauley, 2017). However, a short-term solution will be flexible grouping where students are grouped based on their ability levels. This approach allows teachers to focus on a smaller group of students with more learning needs. Zoning regulations often deter developers from constructing multifamily, affordable housing. By minimizing fees and costs of complying with building codes, projects will incur lower costs allowing for more affordable housing. Menon et al. (2019) indicate that lack of affordability results from housing costs rising faster than incomes. Partnerships between community land trusts can help in acquisition of land and prepare it for development (Menon et al., 2019). Further, residents should be protected from evictions by focusing on property rights.
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References
Bandy, J. (2020). Challenges and Opportunities of Community Engaged Teaching. Vanderbilt University . https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/challenges-and-opportunities-of-community-engaged-teaching/
Banisakher, M., & McCauley, P. (2017). The Effect of Overcrowding in the US School System, a Simulation Approach. Journal of Education and Learning , 11(1), 67-74. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v11i1.3541
Menon, A., Hodkinson, G., Galal, H., Reckford, J., & Charles, A. (2019). Making Affordable Housing a Reality in Cities. World Economic Forum. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/ WEF_Making_Affordable_Housing_A_Reality_In_Cities_report.pdf
Sustainability
Our social agency is best positioned to orchestrate the changes needed in the community because we are closest to the community. In the sustainability plan, the agency will focus on maintaining progress, conducting changes within the budget and keeping stakeholders engaged. The first step in the plan is identifying our objectives in the target community (Walter, 2013). We aim to improve social amenities such as housing and education. To maximize efforts it will be imperative that we collaborate with experts from different industries. We aim to create love within the community and generate appeal to our agency. According to Walter (2013), love is more long-term and capable of creating a sustainable network of advocates within a community. The second step will define how we expand the workforce to attend to increased demand for services. As the agency develops, the board will have to change to ensure we are working with individuals who fit the organizational objectives (Walter, 2013). The third step is creating sustainable engagement to keep stakeholders loyal. Our social change will intrigue both people and insurance companies due to the low-cost approaches we have opted for.
Similarly, we emphasize transparency and honesty within our organization by scrutinizing cash flows. We have a clearly defined system that tracks when staff is paid, when bills are due and when grant payments are made (Polanco & Summers, 2020). Social agencies must identify which kind of programs they aim to introduce and how they are funded (Polanco & Summers, 2020). The initial grant is just a startup and will be inadequate considering the agency's objectives. Therefore, more grants will be written to fund additional projects, which cannot be supported by other sources of income (Polanco & Summers, 2020). The fourth step will involve creating an open feedback loop where we consider comments, complaints and suggestions from members of the community and other stakeholders. Doing so helps in making changes to future projects, ensuring they appeal to the needs of the community. The fifth step in the sustainability plan is creating exclusivity where the agency appeals to its employees through a rewards program (Walter, 2013). It enhances retention rates and minimizes turnovers. Finally, the agency will have to measure its impact by assessing how life has improved in the target communities due to the changes incorporated.
References
Polanco, H., & Summers, J. (2020, February 4). Cash Flow in the Nonprofit Business Model: A Question of Whats and Whens. NPQ . https://nonprofitquarterly.org/cash-flow-nonprofit-business-model-question-whats-whens/
Walter, E. (2013, September 17). 8 Essentials of Creating a Sustainable Advocacy Program. Forbes . https://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2013/09/17/8-essentials-of-creating-a-sustainable-advocacy-program/#46259b365a27
