Place-Based Opportunities
What is already moving in your state, and what people and places could keep afterward.
This is the living public record behind the Seven Years of Change Places page.
The opportunities below begin with current economic activity, household pressure, public spending, private investment, community priorities, institutions, businesses, and useful work that already exist. They do not assume a community needs another program, another organization, or a preselected ownership structure.
Sometimes the missing piece is not another program or a larger pool of money. It is temporary legal, financial, administrative, technical, purchasing, contracting, information, or coordination capacity that allows resources already present to work together.
For each place, we ask five practical questions:
What is happening now?
What machinery already exists?
Where does the connection appear incomplete?
What can be tested or done now without waiting for a perfect system?
What should remain with households, workers, local firms, and the community after the immediate spending or project ends?
Paid work matters, but it is not always the endpoint. Where the opportunity allows it, we also ask whether useful work can leave people with productive tools, operating knowledge, recurring customers or revenue, lower recurring costs, ownership, or another durable share of the value they helped create.
We also ask who cannot navigate the system or participate through conventional work because of illness, disability, injury, caregiving, age, or other limitations, and whether the opportunity includes them rather than designing around them.
The public briefs are offered for review, correction, use, and local adaptation. The people who live and work in a place determine whether an opportunity is real and what, if anything, should happen next.
KNOW ONE OF THESE PLACES?
If you live there, work there, run a business there, administer a program, study the issue, or see something we have misunderstood, please tell us. Corrections and additions are part of the work. Contact: connect@sevenyearsofchange.org
JUMP TO A STATE
Arizona | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Maryland | New York | Ohio | Oklahoma | Tennessee | Texas
ARIZONA
SOUTH PHOENIX, Arizona
Heat-ready homes and local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
South Phoenix already sits inside City repair, weatherization, contractor, utility and heat-response systems. The opportunity is to connect high-risk households with permanent cooling, electrical, roof, insulation and related improvements faster - while recurring work builds locally retained contractor and resident capacity.
THE OPENING
Can Phoenix connect heat-risk information to permanent repair and weatherization fast enough to make high-risk homes durably safer while recurring work builds local capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Select a bounded group of heat-vulnerable homes or units, trace where each one stalls between emergency heat response, repair, weatherization and utility programs, and identify the actual constraint before adding another program.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Safer homes, lower recurring burden where measurable, completed work, stronger local firms, equipment, skills and operating relationships.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
TUCSON / PIMA COUNTY, Arizona
Home repair throughput and local capacity
Tucson–Pima County is a regional entity and identity encompassing the City of Tucson and the surrounding unincorporated areas within Pima County, Arizona. This area shares interconnected systems of housing, transportation, employment, public services, and community institutions. Understanding the Tucson–Pima County region requires attention to its demographic diversity, land-use patterns, and the governance structures that span municipal and county jurisdictions.
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Tucson and Pima County already operate repair and weatherization programs and are entering a period of larger housing investment, while long waits and a large stock of older homes show a major production gap. The opportunity is to determine what actually limits completed repair production before new capital enters the same bottlenecks.
THE OPENING
What actually limits completed home-repair production across Tucson and Pima County, and which change would increase throughput without simply adding another layer?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Use 20-25 actual repair cases, classify every delay, map existing lawful funding first, and trace contractor solicitation, completion, inspection and payment timing.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
More completed homes, reduced household burden, clearer program handoffs, local payments, operating history, skills and stronger delivery capacity.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
ILLINOIS
DECATUR, Illinois
Industrial investment to local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Decatur already has major industrial investment, manufacturing demand, workforce systems, contractor development, clean-energy production and logistics infrastructure. The opportunity is to identify where that activity can leave durable productive capacity with residents and locally based firms without interfering with the production creating the demand.
THE OPENING
Which functions inside Decatur's existing industrial investment can capable local workers and firms perform and progressively retain, and what specific constraint prevents that progression?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Choose one real industrial or institutional demand stream, make the purchased functions visible, identify local firms and workers already near the capability, and isolate the specific constraint preventing progression.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Repeat customers, operating history, equipment, technical capability, stronger local firms and environmental or productive assets that remain after individual investments end.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Illinois
Community energy to local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
East St. Louis already has a live community-solar project, an ownership-transfer concept, paid subscriber outreach, a Clean Jobs Workforce Hub, utility solar and battery infrastructure, and a City energy-planning process. The opportunity is to make sure the current transition leaves residents, firms and the City with usable operating and ownership capacity as well as new infrastructure.
THE OPENING
Can East St. Louis use its live community-energy pipeline to produce measured household benefit while residents, firms and the City accumulate operating knowledge, paid capability and durable ownership capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Verify the executed ownership-transfer, subscriber, workforce and operating arrangements; then follow one live project function from paid work through capability, operation, maintenance and eventual local control.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Measured household benefit, trained operators, maintenance knowledge, local firms, customer relationships and a productive energy asset capable of remaining locally controlled.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
INDIANA
GARY, Indiana
Land, housing and neighborhood rebuild capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Gary already has demolition, publicly controlled land, housing production, home buyer tools, paid work-based learning and active neighborhood reinvestment. The opportunity is to determine where the path from cleared or repair-needing property to completed housing still breaks - and whether each project can leave stronger resident and locally rooted business capacity behind.
THE OPENING
Are Gary's land, demolition, housing, repair, workforce and home buyer systems connected well enough to produce completed homes and repeat local productive capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Choose a small set of active properties or repair projects and trace title/site readiness, financing, procurement, construction, workforce entry and occupancy using the systems Gary already operates.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed homes, preserved or new ownership and tenancy, contractor operating history, productive skills, clearer land-to-housing processes and stronger local development capacity.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana
Repair to weatherization
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Indianapolis already has weatherization, public and nonprofit repair resources, emergency repair capacity and contractors performing housing work. The opportunity is to connect those pieces when roofs, electrical conditions, mold or other health-and-safety repairs stop an otherwise eligible home from reaching energy improvements.
THE OPENING
Can Indianapolis move repair-related weatherization deferrals to completed energy improvements by connecting existing repair capital and qualified local contractors?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Identify a bounded cohort of deferred or at-risk homes, classify the repair barrier, match each home to existing repair capital, complete the repair and return the household to weatherization.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed repair and weatherization, safer homes, reduced energy burden where measurable, contractor work history and a repeatable local handoff process.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
KANSAS
QUINDARO BOULEVARD / NORTHEAST KANSAS CITY
Food, local ownership and neighborhood capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Northeast Grocers and Groundwork NRG already provide a community-led food-system and local-ownership anchor on Quindaro Boulevard, alongside Green workforce and neighborhood capacity. The opportunity is to connect food recovery, kitchens, transportation, workforce and purchasing around one practical test that reduces waste, improves food access and leaves more value locally.
THE OPENING
Can existing food, kitchen, transportation, workforce, environmental and community assets be connected around one practical food-access test that reduces waste, creates useful work and leaves more value locally?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Listen locally, map the food and delivery assets already present, identify leakage, and test one bounded food-recovery or nutritious-meal connection using existing lawful capacity first.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Useful food access, less waste, paid work where justified, stronger local relationships, operating knowledge and locally retained productive assets or enterprise capacity.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
LIBERAL, Kansas
Advanced-energy manufacturing to local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Liberal has attracted new advanced-energy manufacturing and already has business-development, technical-education, workforce, housing, transportation and local-finance systems. The opportunity is to connect actual manufacturer purchasing to local firms and workers before supplier relationships become fixed elsewhere.
THE OPENING
Before supplier relationships become fixed elsewhere, where does incoming manufacturer demand stop translating into durable local business and worker capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Ask one willing manufacturer or industrial buyer to identify a limited set of recurring purchases and requirements, then map existing local capability and remove only the verified barrier to a customer-backed test.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Repeat customers, productive equipment, operating history, documented worker capability, stronger local firms and additional locally rooted enterprise.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
WICHITA, Kansas
Capital spending to durable local productive capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Wichita already has unusually large public and institutional spending plus procurement access, finance, apprenticeship, technical education and shared productive infrastructure. The opportunity is to test what happens after first access: whether firms and workers progress into repeat contracts, productive assets, operating knowledge and greater economic agency.
THE OPENING
Where does Wichita's path from first procurement or customer access to repeat contracts, productive assets and durable worker and firm capacity still break - if it breaks at all?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Select one live spending stream and a small set of firms at different stages - considered, bid, won, subcontracted and repeat - then trace the path through payment, equipment, capability and subsequent work.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Operating history, repeat customers, equipment, credentials, contracts, reserves, ownership or revenue capacity, and transferable know-how that continues producing value.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
MARYLAND
BALTIMORE, Maryland
Vacant property to local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Baltimore is already committing major public, philanthropic and private resources to return vacant properties to productive use, while local hiring, small-business, finance, workforce and homeownership systems are already in place. The opportunity is to follow actual properties and determine where redevelopment spending stops becoming durable resident, business and ownership capacity.
THE OPENING
As Baltimore returns vacant properties to productive use, where does redevelopment spending stop translating into durable resident, local-business and ownership capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Select 20-25 properties or units already inside an active redevelopment pipeline, map every required step and payer, separate property-capital problems from operating constraints, and use existing Baltimore machinery first.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed and occupied property, stronger local firms, paid progression, productive assets, clearer payment and procurement pathways, and ownership or occupancy that remains locally beneficial.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Maryland
Homeownership preservation
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Prince George's County already finances home repair, accessibility, energy improvements and homeownership and has strengthened local procurement preferences. The opportunity is to connect these systems into a practical homeowner-preservation pathway while recurring project spending expands capable local firms.
THE OPENING
Can Prince George's County connect repair, accessibility and energy resources into one practical homeowner-preservation pathway while expanding capable local firms?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Choose 20-25 owner-occupied homes, map every existing payer and program, identify where households or contractors stall, use existing money first and quantify only the residual gap.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Safer homes, lower burdens where measurable, preserved ownership, stronger local businesses and clearer County operating processes.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
NEW YORK
BUFFALO, New York
Property preservation and productive capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Buffalo is prioritizing stabilization before demolition, moving infill projects, seeking rehabilitation contractors and using land-bank and State tools to return property to use. The opportunity is to determine whether preservation and homeownership work lets capable residents, contractors and smaller developers build lasting productive value as properties are restored.
THE OPENING
Can Buffalo use preservation, rehabilitation, infill and homeownership work already underway to build lasting contractor and small-developer capacity while more property remains useful and locally beneficial?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Follow a selected preservation or infill pipeline and identify the precise business-side barrier - licensing, insurance, working capital, equipment, staffing, administration or operating history - that prevents otherwise capable firms from progressing.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Preserved and occupied property, stronger contractors and developers, equipment, customer history, repeat work and productive value that remains after subsidy or project finance ends.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
SYRACUSE / CENTRAL NEW YORK, New York
Growth to participation to retained capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Micron and regional growth are creating long-duration demand while Central New York expands housing, childcare, transportation, workforce and small-business infrastructure. The opportunity is to connect residents and locally rooted firms to real recurring demand from the capabilities they already possess rather than routing everyone through generic preparation.
THE OPENING
How can Central New York connect long-duration Micron and regional growth demand to residents and locally rooted firms from the capabilities they already possess - and leave more productive capacity afterward?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Identify one real recurring demand category, determine what local people or firms can already do, isolate the specific barrier to participation, use existing institutions to remove only that barrier and measure what remains.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Repeat customers, operating history, equipment, staff capacity, skills, stronger care and housing infrastructure, and productive assets or ownership that persist beyond the initial growth cycle.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
OHIO
TOLEDO, Ohio
Healthy homes to local productive capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Toledo already has funded lead and Healthy Homes work, repair and weatherization systems, recurring lead-safe compliance demand, workforce training, licensed contractors and business-finance tools. The opportunity is to connect those pieces around actual homes so safer and more efficient housing also builds durable worker and business capacity.
THE OPENING
Can Toledo connect lead-safety, repair, weatherization, training and contractor systems around actual homes so healthier housing also produces durable local worker and business capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Choose a bounded set of real homes or units and trace lead, repair, weatherization, contractor qualification, payment and completion pathways to identify the binding constraint before adding a new program.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Safer homes, lower burden where measurable, credentials, operating history, stronger local contractors and a continuing local market for healthy-housing work.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio
Repair to weatherization and local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Youngstown has extensive older housing plus City, nonprofit, County and community-action repair, lead, Healthy Homes, weatherization and rehabilitation systems. The opportunity is to connect those systems when prerequisite repairs stop a home from reaching weatherization or health-and-safety improvements.
THE OPENING
When prerequisite repairs stop a Youngstown home from reaching weatherization or Healthy Homes work, can the systems already operating in the city connect around that household while building durable local contractor capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Use actual deferred or repair-needing homes to determine whether eligibility, property condition, contractor requirements, capital, payment timing or another factor is the real break in the pathway.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Safe occupied homes, completed energy and health work, stronger contractors, paid progression, operating knowledge and local capacity that makes the next project easier.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
OKLAHOMA
TULSA, Oklahoma
Resident priorities to local productive capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Tulsa already has an active resident-led economic forum and Assembly through FREE, a participatory-budgeting experiment, small-business and lending infrastructure, procurement pathways, public capital and Greenwood-focused institutions. The opportunity is not to create another organization; it is to connect a locally selected priority to real funded demand, paid work and durable productive value.
THE OPENING
When Tulsa residents identify an economic priority, where does the path from democratic choice to funded work, productive capability and durable local value break - if it breaks at all?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Let local participants choose one priority and one real transaction, then trace the path from democratic choice through demand, eligibility, capital, work, assets and ownership - stopping if the transaction is not viable.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Operating knowledge, customer relationships, credentials, tools, equipment, reserves, contracts, ownership interests, revenue rights and greater local economic agency.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
MUSKOGEE, Oklahoma
Industrial and digital growth to local capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Muskogee is receiving hyperscale data-center development, expansion of high-density computing and reinvestment by established manufacturers while local training, procurement, business-support and industrial infrastructure already exist. The opportunity is to identify which recurring functions can become durable Muskogee business, worker and community capacity.
THE OPENING
As Muskogee absorbs major industrial and digital investment, which recurring productive functions can local workers and firms perform, progressively internalize and ultimately own - and what prevents that progression?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Select one willing buyer or project, identify a limited set of real recurring goods or services and their requirements, map local capability, and attempt one customer-backed progression test where the evidence supports it.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Repeat industrial customers, technical capability, tools and equipment, local supplier capacity, operating knowledge, ownership or recurring revenue, and Tribal Knowledge that can be taught forward.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
TENNESSEE
Memphis, Tennessee
Green housing repair to weatherization
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Memphis already has repair, weatherization, utility efficiency, contractor training and housing systems, and it has documented that repair conditions can block homes from efficiency work. The opportunity is to identify the current bottleneck so existing housing spending moves more homes through the full pathway while building stronger local operating capacity.
THE OPENING
What currently prevents more Memphis homes, residents and qualified local contractors from moving through the full repair-to-weatherization pathway?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Trace a bounded set of current repair and weatherization cases from intake to completion, identify the exact point of delay or deferral, and determine which existing institution can carry the missing function if one is verified.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed safer homes, reduced burden where measurable, paid supervised experience, stronger contractor operating history and better use of capital already touching housing and energy.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee
Affordable housing capacity to production
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Nashville already has housing plans, training, technical assistance, project demand and multiple financing tools, including newer mechanisms aimed at emerging developers and contractors. The opportunity is to determine whether those pieces now form a functioning progression from preparation and capital to first and repeat housing production.
THE OPENING
Are Nashville's expanding housing tools converting preparation, technical assistance and capital into first and repeat projects for qualified emerging developers, contractors, firms and workers - and where does that conversion still break?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Map the projects likely to move in the next 6-18 months, identify the firms and workers attempting to enter them, and locate the actual handoff that still prevents a qualified participant from reaching a paid scope or repeat project.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed or preserved affordable housing, real project history, stronger developers and contractors, paid progression, productive assets and capability for the next project.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
TEXAS
SAN ANTONIO, Texas
Unlocking weatherization through home repair
WHAT IS HAPPENING
San Antonio already knows a major failure point: CPS Energy says roughly 30% of homes seeking Casa Verde weatherization are disqualified because repairs must happen first. The City, CPS Energy and local contractors already operate much of the repair and weatherization system; the opportunity is to make it continuous.
THE OPENING
Can San Antonio turn repair-blocked Casa Verde homes into one continuous repair-to-weatherization pipeline while the recurring work expands locally owned contractor capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Select 25-50 repair-blocked Casa Verde households, classify each repair and lawful funding source, complete the repair, return the home to weatherization and track contractor participation through the full cycle.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
Completed weatherization, safer homes, lower energy burden where measurable, contractor operating history, certifications, equipment and repeat capacity.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
FORT WORTH / TARRANT COUNTY, Texas
Home repair backlog to local contractor capacity
WHAT IS HAPPENING
Fort Worth already has long waits for critical repair and weatherization, annual utility funding constraints, neighborhood investment, small-business procurement policy and training capacity. The opportunity is to convert visible household demand into a predictable pipeline of paid work that expands delivery capacity without creating another stand-alone program.
THE OPENING
Can Fort Worth and Tarrant County turn visible repair and weatherization backlog into a predictable work pipeline that clears more household projects and expands qualified local contractor capacity?
WHAT CAN HAPPEN NOW
Build a de-identified backlog in a selected geography, classify work by trade and reason for delay, match existing public and utility resources first, and sequence projects where useful so qualified local contractors can plan against real demand.
WHAT SHOULD REMAIN
More completed repairs, faster household relief, contractor operating history, tools and staff capacity, paid local work and stronger neighborhood productive capacity.
DOWNLOAD PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY BRIEF PDF
Source note: the public brief contains the source record, verification date, unresolved questions and limitations.
KNOW ONE OF THESE PLACES?
If you live there, work there, run a business there, administer a program, study the issue, or see something we have misunderstood, please tell us. Corrections and additions are part of the work. Contact: connect@sevenyearsofchange.org