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What is an opportunity area?

BRHP seeks to remove the barriers for families who have historically been excluded from some of the region’s most resource-rich neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have quality schools, low-poverty rates, employment opportunities, and many other factors that make them well situated for any family. There are opportunity areas throughout the jurisdictions in our region, including Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties.

How does BRHP determine which neighborhoods are opportunity areas?

BRHP uses 21 different data points, in three categories, to determine whether each of the region’s 670 census tracts are opportunity. The three categories and 21 variables are (bold to indicate double weighting of variable):

Educational Opportunity

  • Share with High School Degree
  • Share Proficient English
  • Share Proficient Math
  • Racial Disparity in Share Proficient in English
  • Racial Disparity in Share Proficient in Math
  • Racial Disparity in Rate of Suspension

Community Strength

  • Single Parent Share of Households
  • Poverty Rate
  • Median Household Income
  • Owner Occupancy Rate
  • Home Vacancy Rate
  • Median Value of Owner Occupied Homes
  • Change in Rental Share of Units
  • Voucher-Assisted Share of Rental Units
  • Rate of Change of Voucher-Assisted Units
  • Years in Tract as Share of Years in BRHP Program
  • Racial Disparity in Homeownership

Economic Opportunity

  • Unemployment Rate
  • Mean Commute Time
  • Change in Income Inequality

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