Harnessing Data to
Strengthen our Communities

SEAP has a number of different resources on demographics (data like age and race) and economic indicators (median income, health insurance coverage rates, and similar data), and visualizations to better understand American Rescue Plan spending at the local level. Some or all of this data is available for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Demographics and Economic Indicators can be found in our Tableau visualization.

• Details about the data and dashboard visualization is also available here.

ARP Community Needs Survey – Launched in November 2021, the SEAP surveyed nearly 4,000 food insecure households in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana through the Propel application. SEAP’s findings revealed challenges for both individual residents and whole communities. Our team also gathered feedback on how respondents would like their local leaders to prioritize ARP funds in their communities. This information is available on our dashboards or you can view the full report.

ARP Spending Tracker – As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) provides unprecedented direct assistance to every community in the US, totaling $170 billion. The ARP Local Funds Spending Tracker collects real-time data tracking how local leaders are planning for and spending SLFRF funds.

Data will be updated periodically as sources are updated. Demographics are updated annually, while other indicators vary.

If you’re following American Rescue Plan (ARP) engagement and spending, SEAP has data for you!

Our ARP Community Survey identifies challenges Southerners are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. In addition, the survey seeks to provide more insight into where residents want local leaders to prioritize ARP spending in their communities. Local activists and organizers can also use the data to bring the community’s voice to the table.

As part of the ARP, the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) provides unprecedented direct assistance to every community in the US, totaling $170 billion. The ARP Local Funds Spending Tracker collects real-time data tracking how local leaders are planning for and spending SLFRF funds.

Email SEAP’s Data Director – info@theseap.org

The Tableau Foundation continues to deliver on their commitment to support organizations that are working to do good. Now they have created a streamlined advocacy enablement tool for foundation grantees, small and medium sized non-profits, organizations, and individuals engaged in community and systems advocacy. This tool was produced as a response to a series of meaningful listening sessions that identified the challenges to finding, accessing, and using data.

If you’ve had challenges with locating or incorporating data into your storytelling, this tool will be a big help for you and your team. Have you ever wanted guidance on analyzing data? Need help activating data-driven advocacy? Want great visualizations that will impact and persuade your various audiences? It is now possible and free of charge. You can get started today.

Access it here.

The Prosperity Now Scorecard is a comprehensive resource featuring data on family financial health and policy recommendations to help put all U.S. households on a path to prosperity. The Scorecard equips advocates, policymakers and practitioners with national, state and local data to jump-start a conversation about solutions and policies that put households on stronger financial footing across five issue areas: Financial Assets & Income; Businesses & Jobs; Homeownership & Housing; Health Care and Education.

https://scorecard.prosperitynow.org

Southeastern Affordable Housing Tracker

The availability of stable and affordable housing in quality neighborhoods can provide households the opportunity for economic mobility and resilience and be a competitive advantage for communities seeking to attract and retain employers. However, low- and moderate-income renters are limited in the rents they are able to afford and therefore, the housing choices they have. This tool provides estimates of the location and share of renter households that pay unaffordable rent across the Southeast. It can also be used to understand market-level gaps in available rental housing stock at various income levels and geographies.

Access the tracker here.

While poverty and economic insecurity are too high across the country, some parts of the nation fare better than others. Use the interactive map to learn more about the economic health of your state and congressional district across a variety of indicators.

https://talkpoverty.org/poverty/

Learn how the federal government has responded to the pandemic. PRAC shows data on where pandemic program funding money was spent.  The committee of 21 Inspectors General, along with our other law enforcement partners, uses the data you’ll find on our website along with other data to detect and combat fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of any pandemic-related programs and funding.

https://www.pandemicoversight.gov