Renaissance West Community Initiative

TO PROMOTE A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY CENTERED ON QUALITY HOUSING, EDUCATION, HEALTH, WELLNESS, & OPPORTUNITY.

WITH THE COMMITMENT OF BREAKING THE CYCLE OF INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY BY IMPROVING ECONOMIC MOBILITY, RENAISSANCE WEST COMMUNITY INITIATIVE (RWCI) LEADS THE REVITALIZATION OF A COMMUNITY IN WEST CHARLOTTE (NC). AS A MEMBER OF THE PURPOSE BUILT COMMUNITIES NETWORK, OUR COMPREHENSIVE, PLACE-BASED APPROACH IS CENTERED ON COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES THAT EMPOWER THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY FOCUSING ON EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, HOUSING STABILITY, INCOME STABILITY AND HEALTH EQUITY. RWCI'S REVITALIZATION FRAMEWORK ENCOMPASSES MIXED-INCOME HOUSING, A CRADLE-TO-CAREER EDUCATION CONTINUUM AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. THE COMMUNITY IS COMPRISED OF 1,300 RESIDENTS (THE RENAISSANCE AND LITTLE ROCK APARTMENTS) AND INCLUDES 334 UNITS OF FAMILY AND SENIOR HOUSING. THE CAMPUS ALSO INCLUDES A HIGH-QUALITY CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, A PRE-K THRU 8 PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH A STEAM FOCUS AND A COMMUNITY CENTER. LIFE NAVIGATION AND WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS INCLUDE CASE MANAGEMENT/CARE COORDINATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTIONS, ACADEMIC SUPPORT ADULT/SECONDARY EDUCATION, FINANCIAL AND DIGITAL LITERACY, JOB TRAINING, HOMEBUYER EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS .2020 WAS MARKED BY THE OVERWHELMING PHYSICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC AND AMPLIFIED THE FINANCIAL STRESS, EDUCATION GAPS AND DIGITAL DIVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY. JOB/INCOME LOSS, CLOSING OF SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CONCERNS, EXACERBATED THE HARDSHIPS OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. RWCI WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS TO PROVIDE FREE COMMUNITY WIFI FOR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS LEARNING REMOTELY, PARTNERED WITH LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE COVID-19 SCREENINGS, TESTING, EDUCATION AND MASKS FOR RESIDENTS, PARTNERED WITH FOOD SECURITY PARNTERS AND LOCAL GROCERY PARTNERS FOR WEEKLY MOBILE FOOD MARKETS AND INCREASED ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING AND SERVICES WHILE CONTINUING TO DELIVER OUR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING DURING THE PANDEMIC. EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTHCARE, SAFETY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE THE CORNERSTONES OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY. AS THE COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK, RWCI ENSURES ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES THAT ADVANCE THE EDUCATIONAL, HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT GOALS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHILE ALSO FOSTERING COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND INCREASING THEIR SOCIAL CAPITAL.