Hey Sacramento, it's National Day of Civic Hacking 2016!

Sacramento is one of only 13 communities nationwide with a federally-designated Promise Zone. This defined area of the city and county has a 34% poverty rate, a 19% unemployment rate, and a life expectancy 7 years shorter than the rest of Sacramento County. The federal government and Code for America are promoting the visualization of Promise Zone data as an NDoCH challenge.

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The California Endowment has chosen an area of South Sacramento, which overlaps with the Promise Zone, as one of 14 communities statewide on which it is focusing a decade-long effort to improve health outcomes.

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Neighborhood leader needing data for effective advocacy and planning.

Barb is the Vice President of Riverside Neighborhood Association. Barb’s neighborhood is isolated by rail road tracks and light-industrial business, dotted with empty warehouses. It feels like she’s been fighting for her neighborhood’s survival for years now. Whether proposed high rise apartments that would hamper access to the riverfront, or the opening of yet another bar or liquor store, her neighborhood association seems to always be reacting to something.

Barb has a job as an administrative assistant working for the state in the neighboring county. She feels lucky to have her old car. If traffic is good, it’s a 30 minute drive to her office. But, when the transmission went out last month, she relied on public transportation -- a nearly two-hour bus ride with a transfer at the county line. On her breaks at work, she conducts internet research for the neighborhood association, and she considers neighborhood advocacy to be her “real work.”

Barb’s mother Jean lives with her. Ms. Jean’s diabetes is getting worse, and Barb has been taking time off work to get her to doctors’ appointments halfway across town. The doctor has given them pamphlets on what foods are good for people with diabetes, but her mom prefers the food she’s always cooked, and fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to come by in the neighborhood. The corner store carries a limited selection of produce, but it always seems to be better fit for the trash than a plate.

Many of Barb’s neighbors work two or more jobs in the service industry, which is primarily low-paying, shift work. She wishes there were “good jobs” closer to home, and feels like government and private developers have passed her neighborhood by. On her way to work, Barb sees new businesses popping up in the suburbs. She’d like to see new businesses in her neighborhood. She’s noticed that many of her neighbors have entrepreneurial spirit – whether it be selling homemade lunch plates, or opening music recording studios in their homes.

Barb and her neighbors have heard that the city is launching a new low-interest loan program for organizations willing to bring healthy food to areas like hers. She’d like her neighborhood association to make the case for a location in Riverside–maybe even turning one of those abandoned warehouses into a full service grocery store. She feels at a disadvantage because other neighborhoods have paid professionals making their proposals, and hopes she can find something on the internet to help level the playing field. She does her best during her lunchtime research, but the web sites she finds are tricky to use, and she blames herself for not being good with computers. She pulls together a few statistics, but there’s not enough time to pull together a full proposal for this round, so they let it go.

Formerly Incarcerated Person reentering society.

Gerald is a 35 year old father who was recently released from prison after serving 8 years in prison. Gerald was incarcerated in a state facility, in a rural area, far from the mother of his two boys Laquan, 9, and Terrell, 11. As a result, Gerald’s relationship with the boys is tenuous because it was hard for their mother to bring them to visit and she could not afford more than two collect calls per month. During his incarceration, Gerald reflected on his childhood and the role, or lack thereof, his father played in his life and how that contributed to some of the bad choices he made, which lead to his incarceration. Thus, Gerald is committed to being a positive influence in his sons’ life and ultimately hopes to reunite with their mother, Karen. Gerald knows Karen lives in public housing and he and Karen hope to get him added to the lease so Gerald can live in the home and be a full time dad to the boys.

When Gerald was released from prison he was given a bus ticket to his old neighborhood. He had the clothes on his back and the only money he had was the account balance from his prison account. During his incarceration, his grandmother who raised him died and her children decided to sell the family home, thus Gerald did not have anywhere to call home. Luckily for him he found a homeless shelter to live temporarily but it’s not ideal because he doesn’t like putting that address down on job applications. Also, the only identification Gerald has right now is his prison ID. He doesn’t have a birth certificate, or a social security card, and is embarrassed to try to cash the check containing his account balance from prison with his prison ID.

During his incarceration, Gerald made great strides to improve himself. He obtained his GED, completed a substance abuse program, and earned a vocational certification in electrician technology. Gerald is excited about using the skills he learned in prison because the construction industry is making a comeback where he lives and there is huge demand for licensed electricians. Gerald catches the bus to the library to research next steps on how to become a licensed electrician. He downloads the application and returns to the homeless shelter excited about the future.

Neighborhood leader needing data for effective advocacy and planning.

James is a semi-retired real estate agent who lives in the Fairmont Park neighborhood. The park is located on a major thoroughfare, with a busy bus transfer point along one side. This summer the bus stop was plagued by night-time armed robberies committed by teenagers, and now everyone is on edge. Some people say that the broken streetlights surrounding the park are partially to blame.

The park takes up a full city block has no amenities, except a small corner with aging play equipment made out of metal too hot for kids to play on in the summertime. There are nice playgrounds at nearby private schools, but those aren’t open to the community. James has talked to the City’s Parks & Rec department, and they don’t have funds to install new playgrounds. They barely have enough resources, they said, to keep the grass mowed.

James’s wife works for a nonprofit agency, and recently saw a grant competition for new playgrounds. James thinks Fairmont Park has a shot at getting a grant, especially if they partner with the neighborhood across the street, Oakwood. Between these adjacent neighborhoods there are lots of kids – even more kids who would use the playground if you count those children waiting with their parents at the bus stop!

James knows from living in the neighborhood a long time that the Fairmont Park neighborhood is middle income and racially and ethnically diverse, and Oakwood neighborhood is home to low income, mostly African American families. He reaches out to Ronald, a neighborhood leader in Oakwood he knows from last year’s community planning meetings that were part of the city’s new Master Plan.

They decide to split up the work writing the grant proposal. James’ experience in real estate has taught him how important location is, and Ronald, whose day job is a public school PE teacher, has some specific ideas about features for the play equipment. He and Ronald would like to include a map in the grant proposal that shows how central Fairmont Park is for commuters, and children without access to other places to play. And they want to highlight how the park could bring together these two neighborhoods. They are so excited about the idea of turning Fairmont Park around, that they’re even talking about what they’ll do once the playground gets installed: they’ll approach the city about getting those streetlights repaired, and maybe a monthly arts market, too. James takes a screen shot of Google maps, and draws arrows and boxes on it in Powerpoint, and they include it in the appendix of the grant proposal.

LGBT Youth experiencing homelessness.

Jo is a 19 year old transgender woman, born and raised in a small town in Idaho. Throughout her life, Jo’s family experiences housing instability, causing her to change schools often and have a difficult time making friends and maintaining close relationships. With a lot of time spent on her own, Jo takes solace in drawing and creating art at an early age. During her senior year of high school, Jo comes out as transgender to her classmate Mariah, who accepts and affirms her for who she is. The chance to be open with someone about her gender identity is a huge relief to Jo, and the two become close friends.

After graduation, Mariah suggests they move to Cincinnati together, where they can stay with her cousin for a small fee. Cincinnati offers more transition-related resources for Jo, and it’s much easier to get around in the city (Jo doesn’t have a car). Also, Mariah’s cousin owns a hair salon and says they can help out from time to time to make a bit of money. The two decide to make the move.

After a few weeks of doing temp work and trying to make ends meet in the city, Jo lands a job interview for a receptionist position at a local arts magazine. However, the night before the interview, Mariah gets into a bad fight with her cousin, who tells Jo and Mariah that they are no longer welcome in her home. Jo and Mariah call the few people they’ve met in the city to see if they can crash on someone’s couch, but no one is able to offer them a place to stay. One person, however, gives them the address to a local youth shelter.

While going through intake at the shelter, Jo is informed that shelter policy requires she be housed in the men’s wing because her government I.D. says “male,” while Mariah, who is cisgender, is placed in the women’s wing. Jo asks if an exception can be made so she can be placed in the women’s wing with Mariah. The caseworker explains that she wants to help, but she is limited by strict institutional policies. If Jo wants to stay at the shelter, she needs to stay in the men’s wing.

Separated from her friend, and feeling unsafe due to the sex-segregated housing policy, Jo decides she’s going to find another place to stay. She explains to the caseworker that, in addition to housing, she also needs to prepare for an important interview in the morning. Jo still needs to do some more research on the company, find a safe place to get changed before the interview, and figure out how to get there. She doesn’t have a lot of cash, she’s unfamiliar with the city, and her phone battery is dying. Also, Jo is low on mobile data, so she’s unable to access information without WiFi.

If Jo had an app designed for her needs…

The caseworker suggests Jo download the True Connect mobile app, which will connect her to transgender-affirming housing and other resources that can help her prepare for the interview. Jo uses the shelter WiFi to download the app and finds a safe place to stay for the night.

The next morning, Jo uses True Connect to locate an affordable healthy corner store to get some breakfast, a charging station to finish charging her phone, and a free wifi hotspot so she can do a bit more research on the magazine company before her interview. Through the app, she locates a gender-neutral restroom near the magazine company where she can get ready and a free shuttle bus that will take her close to where she needs to go. Jo notices the app also includes a list of transgender-affirming health care providers, which she plans to explore later. Before the interview, Jo uses True Connect to find a public park near the magazine company where she can decompress and relax.

Thanks to the True Colors Fund for creating this scenario highlighting the True Connect app concept.

Family experiencing homelessness transitioning out of shelter.

Loretta, 24, is a single mom of a 4 year-old with autism and a 2 year-old who being tested for the same thing. They have been in a congregate shelter with a dozen other families for a year. She has concerns that the over-stimulative atmosphere in the shelter is preventing effective support for their needs. She's been using the time in shelter to rebuild after an abusive marriage that left her in deep financial trouble. While in shelter, the case manager has helped her secure her HiSET (formerly GED). Loretta successfully completed a training program, and became a CNA at a nursing facility about 25 miles from the shelter, in a middle-to-high income community. Loretta's children attend specialized day care centers close to work. Their pediatricians are in that area as well. Although she's had some setbacks -- a car accident that put her out of work for a month, and the theft of one whole paycheck by another resident of the shelter -- she still feels that since her job is secure, and she's worked on her credit, she is ready to begin looking for her own apartment.

The state offers a short term rental assistance program that will provide $8,000 for first, last, and security, with the remaining balance to be paid as a monthly rent stipend for 10 months. Although this would provide security for her initial move out, she is afraid that the rents for apartments close to where her job and all the family supports are would be too expensive after those 10 months are up. She does not want to end up back in shelter. Communities with much more affordable rents are 50 miles away from her job and all the supports that help her children with their special needs. She is also concerned about some of the hurtful comments about African Americans and Latinos she has heard from people when she and her children are out in the community where she works, and is concerned that they might not be treated fairly when searching for apartments nearby. She has applied for Section 8 and housing lotteries in every feasible community, but knows that those wait times can be years, and would rather find the right fit to use the 10-month subsidy program, so she decides to move to the apartment 50 miles away. She uses her ten months to change jobs, daycare and doctors.

Section 8 voucher holder/low-income renter searching for housing.

Lynn is a 35 year old mother of 3 who has had a Section 8 voucher for the last year. She and her kids live in an apartment in a low-income neighborhood. After going out for errands with a friend out in the suburbs a few months ago, she has since been extremely committed to finding a new place for her kids to live that has green space and trees, which she had never even thought was an option before. She found out that she could use her voucher in the suburbs too. The neighborhood where she lives now has no parks and nowhere for her kids to play sports, even though they love it. Their schools had to cut a lot of their athletic programs. She wishes she lived closer to a supermarket that had good fruits and vegetables and more options for her kids to try so they can develop good eating habits. She doesn’t like having to give them junk food which seems to be everywhere at her supermarket.

Lynn works as a receptionist in an outpatient facility at a hospital and doesn’t have a car; she relies on public transit or for her sister to drive her and the kids when she can. Lynn is excited to start looking for a new place, but worries about how to get around without a car, because it seems like you have to drive in the suburbs, and she’s not sure the buses even go there. She’s worried it might be tough for her kids to transition schools.

Lynn is able to get a ride out one day to look at places in one of the towns that her sister has been to, which is an hour away from her apartment. They look in newspapers and go on craigslist every day for two weeks and find a couple of places. She goes to one, who won’t take section 8. She’s probably already spent $80 on application fees, only to be rejected. The day is running out, and she decides to go ahead with the 3rd one she sees. She is so relieved when the landlord at the third place tells her that she takes vouchers, she signs up on the spot. If she doesn’t like it, she can always move in a year. This is the only day she has to look, and even though she doesn’t really know a lot about the area, it has grass and trees and big rooms for her kids, so she’s happy. The landlord tells her the schools are good. She still worries she doesn’t know enough about the schools and how she’ll get around.

Survivor of domestic violence, relocating to a new area.

Samira is a mother who just relocated to a new city to leave an abusive and highly dangerous partner. She’s left everything behind and does not want him to be able to find her. She is trying to start over with very little. She’s currently living in an emergency DV shelter. She’s been receiving basic services (shelter, counseling, basic legal advocacy, etc.) through the shelter, but she needs to transition out soon since there is a limit to how long she can stay at the shelter.

Samira needs to find affordable housing and a job. She’s doesn’t have a lot of work experience, but she’s temped in offices before. She doesn’t have a car, so she needs a job that’s either walking distance or that she can get to with public transportation. Although she has custody of her child, there are still ongoing court hearings, and so she needs to be able to travel to the court house for hearings.

She needs to find a home for her and her daughter. She’d like a place that’s safe but close enough to her job and close to her daughter’s elementary school. She will also need to find affordable afterschool care for her daughter while she is at work. Also, her daughter has type 1 diabetes and needs to regularly visit the doctor, so she wants to know where the nearest free clinic or emergency clinic is in case there are complications.

Because she’s in a new area and doesn’t know anyone, except the people at the shelter, she needs to know where everything is, including grocery stores, laundromats, post office, etc. It would be great to know where the nearest police or sheriff’s department is so she can take her protection order to them to have on file. She also is interested in finding a faith-based or culturally-specific community she might be able to connect to in order to rebuild her support system and meet people.

Rural county official seeking to attract new business/industries.

Supervisor Miles is an elected county official who represents Tea County, Virginia, which is located in the Appalachian region of rural southwestern Virginia. For years, Tea County has seen a troubling increase in unemployment. This increase is largely due to the decline of the coal industry, which had previously held the region far above the poverty line. Now the county sits in the middle of a rural region struggling with extreme and persistent poverty.

Paralleling the rise in unemployment, the region has seen a similar increase in drug trafficking and substance abuse. Tea County is a stone’s throw from multiple interstate corridors, making it easily accessible to drug traffickers, and the county’s small police force struggles to patrol this vast and intricate network of highways and county roads. The county’s relatively limited public health resources also struggle to identify and provide treatment to those struggling with substance abuse in Tea County.

On the other hand, the price of land in Tea County is incredibly low compared to some of the more urbanized pockets that surround the region. Supervisor Miles views this as a major draw for potentially incoming businesses and industries. He also believes that the numerous unemployed individuals in Tea County, many of whom have been educated at the various institutions of higher education in surrounding counties, could provide an eager workforce for any incoming employers. Even the proximity of Tea County to major interstate systems, which worsens the county’s substance abuse problem, can be presented as an advantage to potential employers who would be able to quickly move products to numerous markets across the east coast.

If Supervisor Miles is able to effectively paint this picture to potential employers – real estate pricing, eager workforce, plentiful educational opportunities, current and potential infrastructure – he can attract these employers to Tea County and ultimately help to bring his county, and the surrounding region, out of its current tailspin.

Unfortunately, Supervisor Miles lacks the resources necessary to convey this message to employers – he is able to ascertain property values generally by viewing housing listings, but lacks well-structured data on residential real estate and doesn’t have any data related to commercial real estate prices. He knows based on conversations with his colleagues and members of the community that many young residents in Tea County are unemployed, but has little or no information on the levels of unemployment or geographic concentration of unemployed residents. Even when it comes to roads and highways, he may be able to show maps to potential employers, but lacks data that specifically lays out the connectedness of Tea County to surrounding areas and metropolitan centers.

Section 8 voucher holder/low-income renter searching for housing.

Tanya is a 25-year-old mother of 6-year-old and 4-year-old boys. She just received a Section 8 voucher after 2 years on the waiting list. She’s been living in several different places over the last few years. After she turned 18 and had a baby, she wanted a household of her own and rented a unit in a building where her cousin had a place, but lost her job when she her childcare became unreliable (her boyfriend’s mom couldn’t help as much as she had promised), then lived with her sister and then in public housing. Her voucher means to her that she’ll be able to have a nicer place of her own with her kids. She wants them to live in a safer building where they can have quiet after school to do their homework as they get older. She doesn’t like the crime in the neighborhood where she is now, but she can keep her sons inside and there is at least someone she knows in the area to watch them when she really needs it.

Tanya works and takes care of her kids on her own so she doesn’t have a lot of time to look for a place. She doesn’t have a car and gets around mostly on the bus or by walking. Since last year, her youngest has been with an older neighbor during the day who runs a daycare from her home.

The worst thing for her would be to lose the voucher, and she knows from hearing from other people that it’s not easy to get a place. You have only 2 months, and some of the landlords won’t take you once they know you have Section 8. There’s a certain amount she can spend and she gets 2 bedrooms for her and her 2 little boys. She can’t spend more than the specific amount. She is actually not totally clear on the process and the people who are supposed to answer questions aren’t very friendly.

Tanya starts calling landlords and the first 6 units either don’t take voucher holders or are too expensive. She looked on the website GoSection8 and found more places that took her voucher, but didn’t have as much luck finding a place she liked. Tanya is getting nervous about running out of time, and she has a friend who used a Section 8 voucher in a building just a few blocks away from where she’s living now, so she’s planning to go to the same landlord. It’s safer and cleaner than where she is now and she hopes they will take her voucher.