Client Story

Montclair State University (Montclair) hired Transform Consulting Group (TCG) for assistance in implementing Paterson One Square Mile (OSM). 

OSM – a place-based, hyper-local collective impact model – focuses on investing in human capital and improving well-being in a neighborhood in Paterson, NJ. This community has 60% of the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino, while 25% identify as Black and 22% identify as White. About 21% of residents under 65 are without healthcare and about 25% of residents are in poverty.

Montclair understands that One Square Mile–its first effort of this kind–must be undertaken with care to build authentic partnerships with Paterson community members and advance meaningful outcomes. Montclair wants to be a true partner and facilitate a process that encourages the community to come together more, not compete as much, and work together for the common good. Utilizing strategically organized community engagement efforts focused on a bounded area within the city of Paterson, this community-led collective impact initiative aims to improve equitable outcomes in health, education, and economic opportunity for the residents of Paterson.

Montclair and TCG formed a Paterson OSM Community Advisory Committee to guide the initiative. The Advisory Committee is a diverse group of representatives from education, social, and human service organizations, businesses, and the government. TCG is using a collective impact framework to guide this planning process for Paterson OSM.

Our 4-step approach includes: 

1. Getting the Partners in the Room 
2. Help People Understand the Landscape
3. Co-Create Solutions
4. Redesign the System

With guidance from the Advisory Committee, Montclair and TCG collected feedback from over 500 community members. First, we asked, “What is it like to live in Paterson”? Community members provided information on health, education, jobs, housing, and their connection to the community. We learned residents love Paterson, especially the diversity it offers! Their top concerns were housing, safety, economic prosperity, and health & mental health. 

From there, the committee identified housing as a focus area. TCG looked at public data about housing in Paterson, created an asset map of organizations that are already addressing housing there, and researched aspirational organizations and communities to find promising practices. The committee used the information gathered to create strategies around five goals: 

• Goal 1: Expand Housing Affordability
• Goal 2: Increase Supply and Stability
• Goal 3: Improve Housing Quality 
• Goal 4: Create Housing and Safe Neighborhoods
• Goal 5: Build Assets and Wealth

The community came together again to prioritize the strategies. With all of the information collected, TCG created a strategic action plan, Housing in Paterson One Square Mile: A Foundation for the Future, and a companion dashboard. 

Read more here.

Transform Consulting Group provided backbone support for Montclair State University as they launched the One Square Mile project in Paterson, NJ which included facilitating meetings, updating the team on progress, and gathering feedback from the team to inform the project.