According to analyses of Bay Area comparative economic advantages, the increasing rate of poverty is identified as one of the top five challenges to the region's long-term economic prosperity. Impoverished communities in many instances lack the amenities and services that yield a high quality of life, making them undesirable places for people to live and work. Yet, both the places and the people living there are important if the region is to sustain economic prosperity.
Although significant amounts of capital flow in and through the Bay Area, inadequate amounts are engaged in these priority neighborhoods, often on a deal by deal basis without a coherent strategy. A region-wide vision for economic prosperity and smart growth in the Bay Area is needed to improve the conditions in the urban core and inner ring suburban (where many impoverished neighborhoods exist). The Bay Area Family of funds brings forth this broad-based perspective, leveraging the expertise from a number of other organizations and resources.
