Cross-sector partnerships in the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI): An exploratory case study of collaboration network structure and process in Memphis, Tennessee

ABSTRACT

Mixed-income initiatives represent promising anti-poverty strategies that assist families living in public housing in the United States. However, little is known about the extensive cross-sector partnerships required for implementation. We address these knowledge gaps by exploring partnerships within the South City Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) in Memphis, Tennessee. The following research questions guide the study: (1) what is the structure of inter-organizational relationships within the South City CNI partner network? and (2) what collaboration processes emerge within the network structure regarding communication, collaboration, and trust? Utilizing an exploratory case study design that leveraged social network analysis (SNA) and in-depth interviews, we found that the South City CNI was relatively dense and moderately centralized. A core group of partners was central for coordinating information and resources, but roles and positionality changed across each network. The presence of a high-capacity lead organization and multiple bridging organizations aided implementation. We conclude by discussing implications for practice, policy, and research.

KEYWORDS:

• Affordable housing
• community development
• collaboration

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr. Hank Webber for their feedback on the initial versions of this manuscript. Thank you to the anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments that strengthened the paper. A special thank you is extended to the community partners who made this work possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.

Notes on contributors

Andrew Foell

Andrew Foell is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work. His research focuses on affordable housing policy and the design, implementation, and evaluation of housing and community development initiatives that impact marginalized communities.

Patrick J. Fowler

Patrick J. Fowler is an associate professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on homelessness prevention, child maltreatment, cross system collaboration, and big data applications to improve service delivery systems.

Jason Q. Purnell

Jason Q. Purnell is president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation and associate professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on how socioeconomic and sociocultural factors influence health behaviors and health outcomes and on mobilizing community action to address the social determinants of health.

Von Nebbitt

Von Nebbitt is an associate professor at the School of Social Work at Morgan State University. His research focuses on community violence, health equity, and socioecological risk and resilience among youth and families living in public housing.

Douglas A. Luke

Douglas A. Luke is the Irving Louis Horowitz Professor in Social Policy at the Brown School of Social Work and director of the Center for Public Health Systems Science at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on health policy, organizational systems, and the utilization of systems science methods, including social network analysis, to address public health problems.