Megan Sullivan’s Post

The challenge of both finding and affording workers faces small governments scattered around the U.S., and often forces staff to pick up the slack, Jon Kamp reports. Lendell Tarr, the recreation director of Ashland, Maine, runs the tiny town’s sports programs and drives Little Leaguers to away games. He also cleans the town office, takes seniors out for meals, mows the cemetery lawn and can pitch in driving ambulances and school buses. The challenge for Ashland: Tarr is 65 years old and says that “fishing is calling me.” Town manager Cyr Martin can’t imagine finding enough people, or money, to fill the void. “He just can’t retire,” Martin said. “There’s no way I could have another Lendell doing the lawns, the bus driving.” Federal data show the public-sector workforce outside metropolitan areas skews older, which increases the pressure to replace retiring workers. Local officials and government associations in many states say they face a persistent challenge to find qualified employees who want to work in a small town’s office. Rural areas have long struggled to hang onto—or recruit—young residents launching their careers. Small-town officials say they face particular hurdles when it comes to offering competitive salaries to compete for workers. What steps should rural communities take to address the aging of their workforce? 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/enMVE-Rj 

Happy Friday everyone! I am so so, honestly, so so so so sooooo happy to write something optimistic today. Let's talk about workforce housing, and how we can work and think collaboratively and creatively to land on some new solutions to this very challenging problem of how to house our workforce; how to tackle the problem of little 'a' affordable housing (housing that is 'a'ffordable to those who need it, where they need it) for those who are both too rich, and too poor for all of the other solutions that are tried and true. To address and discuss this important topic, I worked on an article with Bisnow.com in collaboration with Studio B, where we discuss (just) two forms of financing that states like Massachusetts (and beyond!) can use to help mitigate this shortage and spur material, significant, workforce housing development. These concepts are not simple (well, I'd argue that c. 59, s. 5O actually is quite simple and replicable), but they are possible, and they have been stress tested. There is a way forward here if the municipalities that need to house workers want to come to the table to work collaboratively with the developers who know how to build in this IN BETWEEN space. I was talking to the head of economic development for a metro-west city yesterday, and he told me that he has been calling up the largest employers in his city lately and asking them simply "how can we help?". This article provides two ideas for how. We can only control so much, so let's do this. Together.   https://lnkd.in/e_k5XXhK

Affordable does NOT mean "cheap!" And it certainly doesn't mean that is should be poorly designed. Well executed, affordable housing, has the ability to transform our communities into beautiful places where ALL have a place to call home! #affordable #housing #design #starterhomes #housingcrisis #housingforall

Great op-ed from our Friends at CIRTA. "First and foremost, car ownership is out of reach for a lot of people: A third of Indianapolis households have a median income of less than $30,000 a year, meaning that the $9,000 it typically costs to own a car is too much. This statistic no doubt contributes considerably to the data revealing that more than 30,000 Marion County households do not own a car." "A 2015 study suggested that reducing average commute times could help low-income families rise out of poverty. Additionally, a recent transit webinar included stats showing that with 87% of public transportation trips linking riders to employment and local businesses, every dollar invested in transportation networks results in a $4 return on investment."

🌟 Celebrate National Co-op Month with New Insights from the 2023 State of the Sector Report! 🌟 In honor of National Co-op Month, The Democracy at Work Institute & U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives has released its 2023 State of the Sector Report, offering valuable insights into the growing impact of worker cooperatives across the United States. 🛠️📈 Here are a few standout stats from the report: • 465 active worker cooperatives in the U.S. are empowering workers and building community wealth. • Worker co-ops created over 12,000 jobs, providing stable, fair-paying employment opportunities, especially in low-wage industries. • 60% of worker-owners in these co-ops are people of color, making cooperatives a critical tool for advancing racial equity and economic justice. Worker cooperatives continue to show their resilience and innovation in building more inclusive, democratic workplaces and economies. Curious to learn more about how worker co-ops are shaping the future of work? 161st Street Business Improvement District Union Square Alliance (Business Improvement District) New York City Economic Development Corporation New York City Economic Policy New York City Council Small Business Today Magazine NYC Department of Small Business Services SCORE NYC Small Business Roundtables 📊 Read the full report here: https://hubs.li/Q02Vmxmz0 #CoopMonth #WorkerCoops #StateOfTheSector #CooperativeEconomy #EconomicJustice #InclusiveEconomy

The cannabis retail and entertainment industries often focus solely on profits, neglecting the importance of community investment and employee well-being. Too many businesses offer low wages, lack benefits, and fail to create inclusive environments. This approach perpetuates economic inequity and alienates the communities these businesses serve. Additionally, facilities often overlook accessibility, leaving many unable to enjoy their spaces. At Cultiv8CannabisCo, we’re redefining the model based on Nathan Russell and Ben Richards' successful frameworks in Michigan. We prioritize our employees and the broader community by offering starting wages of $21/hour, a four-day workweek, comprehensive healthcare, and fully ADA-compliant spaces. Through contributions to youth programs and adaptive bowling opportunities, we prove that business can do more than profit—it can uplift. 😎

Wait till poor white Trump supporters discover how much of DEI is devoted to helping people in poverty. When all this trickles down to higher ed in the form of cuts to federal financial aid & work study, and it will, maybe economically disadvantaged whites can just read Hillbilly Elegy and try to locate their bootstraps? Hope for a silicon valley booster? Talented children of the poorly educated lower classes will still be eligible for merit based aid.* *Oh. I'm being told all merit based aid goes to Altman at Stargate. Good luck with the roboprofs, poor people. You'll be fine until the vocational trades are fully automated.* *Dang. I'm being told that Stargate's main objective is to replace human labor with cheap robots. Plan B: why not just go to college?* * Yeah, sorry again. The DEI infrastructure for aid to students in poverty has been gutted. Maybe you can go on the government dole? #DEI #AIinEdu

If I'm you, and I'm scrolling through LinkedIn trying to find the right opportunity to be focused on, its whatever you can convert in to #workforcehousing. I am hard-pressed to find a state that doesn't have a major market suffering from a massive disparity in workforce housing needs; As an example, Massachusetts suffers from a 200k+ unit shortage, and the state spends more than $45mm a MONTH to house those on its wait list in hotels/motels/temporary accommodations! Most of these states have giant coffers of cash to deploy for these kinds of programs, which can help with how they withstand the scrutiny of underwriting in today's economic climate and high interest rates. Take the time to intimately familiarize yourself with the dollars available from your state/Commonwealth (looking at you Mass), and find the right deal to convert.

Is affordable housing simply a buzzword, or is it the key to retaining skilled workers in our communities? As we see in Tampa, significant strides are being made to address this critical issue. Tampa General Hospital's investment in a $60 million workforce housing project reflects a growing recognition of the housing challenges faced by those dedicated to our healthcare system. By providing affordable options, they not only support their employees but also enhance the overall stability of our region's workforce. This initiative shines a light on a broader trend where industries, including education, are stepping up to develop workforce housing. It's clear that access to affordable living directly influences recruitment and retention, especially in vital sectors like healthcare and education. As a Realtor, I understand the importance of affordable housing in maintaining balanced communities. When employers invest in housing for their employees, it strengthens the local economy and improves quality of life for everyone. Let’s continue to advocate for and explore innovative solutions to this pressing issue. #AffordableHousing #WorkforceHousing #CommunityDevelopment #RealEstate #Healthcare #TampaBay