Handbook on Community Benefits Agreements Updated, Re-Issued

From the press release--

Good Jobs First and the California Partnership for Working Families announced the release of an updated version of their handbook on Community Benefits Agreements.

CBAs are innovative contracts between developers and community-labor coalitions to ensure that development projects really benefit local residents.

"Community Benefits Agreements: Making Development Projects Accountable," was written primarily by attorney Julian Gross, legal director of the California Partnership. It draws heavily upon the work of Los Angeles community groups and unions in negotiating a recent series of agreements, including the landmark Staples Center deal and a CBA around the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport.

These agreements include benefits such as living wages, local hiring, affordable housing, environmental improvements and funding for other community needs such as health clinics and youth centers. The report also includes a section on monitoring and enforcement of such agreements, as well as verbatim excerpts of key agreements.
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I also added a link to this report under the "must read reports" section of links on the right.

Reading materials such as this can help community groups put teeth into agreements with developers. It's really important to focus on utilizing such agreements to build communities rather than to focus on one-time benefits with little long-term impact.