In 1995, a commercial real estate magnate named Tom Cousins saw a neighborhood that was running low on hope after enduring years of neglect, discrimination and obstacles.
Our Roots
This community, known as East Lake, Atlanta, had heartbreakingly low school test scores, rampant crime, and high unemployment rates.
Tom and his partners at East Lake came up with a three-pronged approach to work with the community to overcome its challenges. They introduced high-quality housing options that integrated various income levels, developed a cradle-through-career pipeline to ensure residents were provided high-quality options at every step along their educational pathway and introduced community wellness programs to build healthy outcomes for East Lake.
Tom wanted to do something about this. So he joined forces with resident leaders, community stakeholders, and the Atlanta Housing Authority to invest in a holistic vision. Together, they focused on helping the WHOLE of the community rather than on any one part.
Well, Tom and his team were onto something, because the results were amazing! A new charter school now ranks as one of the top performing schools in Atlanta, crime rates went down by 97% and employment increased dramatically. Twenty years later, East Lake continues to evolve and thrive as a community for all.
Tom told his two buddies, Warren Buffett and hedge-fund manager Julian Robertson, about the efforts in East Lake and they were intrigued by the possibilities. They wondered if this three-pronged approach could work in other communities where a little help (like creating fair policies) and a little hope (like dreaming of good job opportunities) were needed to give families a new chance.
In 2009, Tom, Warren, and Julian founded Purpose Built Communities, a non-profit aimed at spreading this holistic approach to bring about community success in other U.S. neighborhoods. To learn more about the Purpose Built model, visit: https://purposebuiltcommunities.org