Neighborhood Leaders and Residents

Neighborhoods are typically composed of four main infrastructure institutions 1) residents, 2) schools, 3) businesses, and 4) churches. This declaration is not inferring that other members and institutions within or outside of neighborhoods are not

important contributors to neighborhood empowerment, but it is important to acknowledge that these four main institutions have been the pillars of neighborhoods and are institutions that residents have gravitated to in order to meet their safety, health, education, and employment needs. 

You will notice that government is not included in this list. Government is also an institution that is consequential to the process of empowerment, but its presence is not typically located directly within neighborhoods, even though it may fund some of the initiatives that take place within neighborhoods.   

Amongst these four institutions, residents stand out as the most influential in terms of neighborhood empowerment. Neighborhood leaders and residents have the power to determine their community's level of social and economic development. They can significantly impact their neighborhood's rates of crime, levels of health and education, and the number of businesses and jobs in their community.

The tabs (links) under Neighborhoods are designed to help you find resources to further your work of empowering your community. These tabs include: