Taking Community Outreach to Next Level in Housing and Community Development

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Each year the County of San Diego Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) encourages residents to participate in community meetings and provide input for development of the annual funding plan for federal entitlement programs, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Historically, HCD would inform the public about upcoming meetings; however, participation in these meetings was minimal. Recognizing the integral role resident participation plays in HCD’s annual funding plan process, HCD developed a way to increase community involvement using technology and innovative thinking to give residents the ability to participate whenever and however they choose. The department developed a new online presentation to enhance community engagement and increase the number of people reached. The online presentation is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. HCD’s new online solution goes beyond mere compliance with HUD requirements. The new model demonstrates a significant improvement in HCD’s outreach efforts and better fulfills its obligations to encourage community participation. By making the presentation available 24/7 from virtually anywhere, HCD has increased participation from 16 to 234 annually.