Racial Equity in Neighborhoods (REN) Collaborative Launches

June 2026

The REN Collaborative, led by Prof. Jackelyn Hwang and the Changing Cities Research Lab with support from the Stanford Institute for Advancing Just Societies (IAJS), launched in June. It was highlighted by IAJS.

REN takes aim at the lasting effects of racial segregation on Bay Area neighborhoods, bringing researchers, policymakers, and community leaders together early in the research process. Its Action Board of 15 senior leaders from industry, civil society, and local government in East Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Oakland met in June to set priorities, choosing two themes: investing in communities without displacing residents, and shifting who owns property and holds decision-making power in neighborhoods. Over five years, the group will develop and test pilot interventions in the three cities, chosen in part for their different sizes, and evaluate what works. The goal is for those lessons to inform housing and community development policy at the state and national levels.