Equity and Empowerment

Equity and Empowerment
We are a community dedicated to equity and inclusion, demonstrated by our efforts to provide opportunities and community resources to all Fayetteville residents. We strive to improve civil and human rights, encourage civic engagement, offer equitable access to health and human services, alleviate and prevent poverty, and offer environmental justice in every part of our city.

Equity and Empowerment 2019 Report Card

Equity and Empowerment Report Card 2019

Current Projects and Programs

Fayetteville Equity Profile: a Community Assessment and Recommendation for an Equitable Fayetteville
The 2018 Fayetteville Equity Profile
The Fayetteville Equity Profile is a comprehensive data analysis of demographic, economic, educational, health, transportation, and housing equity indicators with measurable goals to improve equitable actions for the City of Fayetteville’s future. As the city undergoes current and future initiatives such as its City Plan 2040 during the year of 2018, this document and its data serves as a supplementary resource to inform and guide Fayetteville and our community leaders toward an equitable and sustainable future for Fayetteville and its residents. This document also serves as an inspiration for future equity research opportunities, such as equity in gender, sexual orientation, religious participation, and mobility access throughout Fayetteville. Lastly, the Steering Committee for this project included Peter Nierengarten (Director of Sustainability and Resilience at the City of Fayetteville), Tenisha Gist (Director of the Yvonne Richardson Community Center), and Erin Killeen (Technical Specialist at the Sustainability Consortium).
Click here for a 2-page summary.
Star Community Rating seal with three stars
Girl in facepaint painting a boy's face, while another boy in tiger facepaint looks on

STAR Communities/LEED for Cities and Communities

The STAR Communities Rating System (STAR) was developed as a framework and certification program for local sustainability, built by and for local governments and the communities they serve. The Rating System assesses economic, environmental, and social performance measures to help both local governments and the broader community set priorities and implement appropriate improvements. In 2018 Star Communities was fully integrated into the US Green Building Council's LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities programs. Fayetteville is one of some 110 cities nationwide that has achieved LEED for Cities Certification.


The YRCC provides a place for structure recreation, socialization, and extracurricular learning for citizens of Fayetteville. The YRCC offers a range of programs for all ages including after-school programs, kids gardening club, adult pickle-ball, holiday events, and so much more! The YRCC serves as a hub for a host of City and Community organizations which come together to improve the quality of life for all Fayetteville residents. 
Adults at a Senior Center raising arms for a fun group photo

The City of Fayetteville began providing financial support for the Council on Aging, Incorporated in 1972 for recreation services to senior citizens at Hillcrest Towers and the Fayetteville Senior Center. The Senior Center provides recreational programs, holiday events, social space, and a welcoming environment for Fayetteville's senior residents. 

Community Resources

Rendering of Willow Bend with view from front porch of a home

Willow Bend Housing Development ​

Willow Bend is an attainable housing infill project located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that is envisioned as a neighborhood that will focus on sense of place and the human experience. This focus will facilitate the creation of a place that can be loved by its inhabitants for generations to come, contributing to all aspects of sustainability through prolonged existence. The City has provided infrastructure funding for the development, whose primary developer is Partners for Better Housing. 
7 Hills homeless center logo

7 Hills Homeless Center

The 7 Hills Homeless Center develops programs to meet  the changing and unique characteristics of the homeless and impoverished in Northwest Arkansas. With a Day Center, Veteran Services, Supportive Housing, and much more, 7 Hills works to remove the stigmatization of homelessness and meet every client 'where they are' with a spirit of compassion in order to provide sustainable routes forward for the impoverished in our community.