ICMA has collected its greatest ideas and practical strategies on the topic of equity and social inclusion to share with you before the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference arrives in September. This year, a portion of the educational sessions will focus on equity and social inclusion.

Now more than ever, local governments need to focus on the ways they can make investments in education, language acquisition, job training, and other services to combat unemployment, homelessness, and poverty, and also work to facilitate integration and inclusion of diverse groups into society. It will be incumbent on local governments to assure that staff and service providers are well-trained in recognizing the value of differences. The ICMA "must reads" listed here address various ways to contribute to building successful, thriving communities.  

How Local Governments Can Build an Effective Homelessness System

How can local government leaders help residents quickly exit homelessness and stay housed? Find out in this article written by Cynthia Nagendra, director, The Alliance Center for Capacity Building, National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Key Findings on Housing Affordability

Local governments increasingly cite high housing costs as a barrier to economic development. This re­search snapshot highlights four key findings on housing affordability impacting local governments across the country.

7 Ways City Leaders Can Address Racial Inequities

Local leaders are in a unique position to be trailblazers in building and strengthening relationships between police and the people they serve.

6 Ways to Help Identify Gender and Minority Wage Gap Issues

Former ICMA President Lee Feldman reminds us that eliminating wage gaps is essential to attracting and cultivating a diverse and talented workforce.

Take Steps to Bring Gender Balance to Your Local Government

Infographic reveals the scale of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.

How Nashville Is Training a New Generation of Local Leaders from Its Immigrant Communities

Nashville has a program—the first of its kind in the country—that takes the long view on building connections, trust, and leadership among new Americans.

United Front: Women Connect with the Local Government Profession

Hear how these managers are earning the respect of their peers and breaking down barriers they contend with in today's local government profession.

Q&A: Evanston, Illinois, Turns to Town Hall Meetings to Build Equity and Equality

Evanston set about doing intentional, focused, and reliable work around the issues of equity and empowerment, and it committed to doing so in full conversation with the community.

How One City Went “All In” to Fight the Opioid Epidemic

In 2014, the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, saw nine deaths from opioid overdoses in a six-day period. Here’s how the city took an all-hands-on-deck and all-of-the-above approach to saving lives.

The Confidence Gap. Is It Holding Women Back?

Advice for women leaders: Don't take yourself out of the running for the top job because you think you're not ready.

For more insight on equity and social inclusion, attend the 2018 ICMA Annual Conference in Baltimore, September 23-26, 2018.

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