Cross-Sector Collaboration in Mixed-Income Initiatives: Exploring Organizational Partnerships and Policy Implementation in the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI)

Background & Purpose: Mixed-income housing and community development initiatives have emerged as promising poverty alleviation strategies for addressing complex people, housing, and neighborhood concerns within distressed public housing. Mixed-income initiatives require extensive cross-sector partnerships to address complex problems that are beyond the scope of agencies working in isolation. Yet, little is known about developing cross-sector partnerships within the current federal mixed-income strategy, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). These knowledge gaps were addressed by exploring cross-sector partnerships within one CNI implementation site in a Midwestern city in the United States. The following research questions guided the study: 1) what barriers do staff members at partner agencies identify as challenging the effective implementation of mixed-income initiatives? and 2) what practices facilitate effective collaboration across partner organizations?

Methods: This study utilized in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with staff members of CNI implementation partner organizations (n=21). A list of all CNI partner organizations and staff member contact information was created in consultation with the CNI lead grantee, which guided study recruitment. One staff member from each partner organization was invited to participate in a one-hour audio-recorded interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and multicycle coding methods were utilized to identify common barriers to and facilitators of cross-sector collaboration and policy implementation. Data analysis occurred in Atlas.ti.

Results: A total of 21 staff members participated in qualitative interviews. Staff members represented executive and program management positions. Staff had experience within each CNI strategy area (e.g., people, housing, neighborhood). Staff members worked within the public (n=3), private (n=7), and nonprofit (n=11) sectors. Analysis of qualitative interview data indicated the presence of multiple external collaboration constraints, initial collaboration conditions, and internal collaboration processes that challenged collaborative efforts. External constraints included the local political environment and historic inter-organizational tension among partners. Challenges in the external environment created initial collaboration conditions characterized by resource constraints, agency competition, and organizational capacity issues. Initial collaboration conditions resulted in the establishment of internal processes and procedures that limited transparency and accountability, created ambiguity over partner roles and responsibilities, and impeded the development of a shared vision across agencies. Collaboration challenges were magnified by limited coordination and communication across strategy areas. Together, collaboration challenges exacerbated pre-existing implementation challenges associated with the complex project structure and financing and shifting state-wide affordable housing policy priorities. Yet, partner agencies shared a strong commitment to assist marginalized families and hoped that CNI efforts could be realigned to amplify partner strengths and achieve project goals and objectives.

Conclusions & Implications: Findings suggest a need for organizational capacity building to develop, manage, and sustain the collaborative partnerships required to implement mixed-income initiatives. Intentional efforts to strengthen coordination and communication processes and build partner trust have the potential to bring siloed efforts into greater alignment to better serve marginalized families. A greater emphasis on building genuine partnerships with community residents and grassroots community-based organizations throughout the implementation process is also necessary to advance social and racial equity through mixed-income housing policy.