Advocacy | Policy Development | Education | Economic Development
Our Areas of Emphasis
The Research, Policy & Impact Center, through a collaborative effort with our partners, stakeholders and advisors, serves as a center of knowledge on key areas of interest in economic development and net worth growth of minorities, women and under resourced populations.
SMALL BUSINESS
HOUSING
HEALTHCARE
EDUCATION
Mission
To Strengthen the Asset Base of Diverse Populations Through Policy, Education and Economic Opportunities
Vision
Economic Prosperity for Diverse Populations
What’s Happening Now
GUILFORD COUNTY HOMEOWNERSHIP PIPELINE PROJECT (GCHPP)
Developer Capacity Building Program
The GCHPP seeks to bring financial education, access to capital, and pathways to homeownership together with small and diverse business development. It will allow participants to network with businesses, local governments, and related organizations and connect them to financial and other resources.
One High Point Commission
In March of 2023, The Research, Policy, and Impact Center (RPIC) was chosen to assist the One High Point Commission in completing its 2021 mandate to conduct research and develop policy recommendations for reparations and restorative policies in the City of High Point. High Point is one of the first dozen cities in the United States to formally seal at the reparations commission.
RPIC was engaged to manage the development of a final report that included original research from Dr. Omar Ali of UNC Greensboro; Dr. Paul Ringel of High Point University, and Dr. Virginia Summey. Dr. Stephen Sills, then the Senior Vice President of RPIC, performed a meta-analysis of research he conducted on socioeconomic conditions in High Point and Guilford County over the past decade. Lea Henry, Director of Housing Equity Initiatives, served as the project manager and proposed the policy recommendations which were considered and refined by the Commission.
On September 18, 2023, the High Point City Council made history by
approving the One High Point Commission report and instructing staff to continue due diligence on the recommended policies.
NC Digital Equity Plan
The Research, Policy and Impact Center (RPIC) was engaged by the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Division of Broadband and Digital Equity to co-author the North Carolina Digital Equity Plan. This plan document incorporated the research, public comments, and partner input gathered over a nine-month period by The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University (The Friday Institute), North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University (IEI). The production of this draft plan required the synthesis of the collected data and wisdom of partners with the institutional experience of the National Institute in closing opportunity gaps for diverse populations for almost four decades.
The Policy Center Staff
Lea D. Henry
Vice President
Shoneca Kent
Director of Community Economic Development Initiatives
Amanda Alston, MSW
Program Manager