Newburgh Revitalization Project

February 25, 2015

Community, Opportunity, Reinvestment (CORe) Initiative.

Initiative Introduction

The Dilemma of Distress

Research in multiple areas has shown that there is a single
common predictor of an individual’s success across health,
educational, and public safety outcomes – a person’s zip
code.
However, there has been little impact on improving
community outcomes despite millions of dollars and dozens
of programs.
In a 2012 analysis, eight state agencies spent $350 million on
60 different programs in distressed neighborhoods within
twelve cities.

The CORe Approach

CORe is a Governor’s initiative to address disparities in
employment, public safety, and well-being (housing,
education, and health) in New York’s most distressed
neighborhoods.
Coordinating state support with local needs to better allocate
resources and make measurable progress in high-need
communities.
Using data to direct attention to the places and peoples that
are most distressed and identify the most successful
community-based efforts to support.

CORe Goals

Align programs, policies, and funding across government
organizations – both vertically (state-to-local) and
horizontally (all state agencies) – to improve community
outcomes in economic opportunity, public safety, and well-
being.
Target efforts and investments based on the places and
people that the data show are linked to concentrations of
distress.
Evaluate interventions and results based on commonly-
shared metrics.

CORe Pilot Neighborhoods

2015 CORe Strategy

Continue to pilot community-level interventions in Albany
and Newburgh neighborhoods that focus on public safety and
employability
Expand COReSTAT neighborhood-level condition data to
allow communities to identify, assess, and overcome barriers
to success
Support partnerships and coordinated systems that leverage
existing resources and better respond to community need.
Build statewide resident engagement in efforts to improve
neighborhood conditions.

1. Pilot Targeted Interventions

In Albany, CORe focuses on improving public safety
outcomes by engaging in data-driven efforts for individuals
re-entering society from incarceration and at-risk youth.
In Newburgh, CORe focuses on improving employability
outcomes by coordinating workforce programs and removing
barriers to employment for the hardest-to-place residents.

2. Expand COReSTAT

COReSTAT is a comprehensive tool
for measuring indicators of distress at
a neighborhood-level.
This tool includes federal, state, and
local data on public safety, economic
prosperity, housing, education, public
health, and human services.
Expanding the COReSTAT tool
through an open platform will allow
the public to access neighborhood
condition data throughout the state.

3. Support Partnerships and Systems

CORe is designed to increase the performance of
government by supporting partnerships and systems that
leverage existing resources. Through this strategy, CORe partners with higher education institutions to align community outreach and evaluate intervention success.
Integrates state resources to better track services delivered
through community organizations.
Joined the Rochester Anti-Poverty State Task Force providing
technical support and best practices.

4. Build Resident Engagement

CORe works to empower communities to achieve
successful outcomes. To fulfill this work, CORe pairs community interventions with a resident engagement component that is designed to build neighborhood capacity and cohesion.
CORe partner, Community Solutions, conducts resident focus groups and surveys to prioritize community need.
The focus groups and surveys build into the Neighborhood Action
Lab where residents identify a complex problem facing their
community and set ambitious goals to solve the problem within a
short timeframe (e.g., 90 days).

Contact Information

Nora Yates, Director

CORe Initiative

518-402-2001

nora.yates@exec.ny.gov

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