Removing Barriers, Connecting Support

The Coalition for Equity and Opportunity (CEO) brings community organizations and residents together to address the interconnected barriers that make it difficult for adults living in low-income housing in Kansas City to find work, increase their earnings, and build financial stability.

Led by Phoenix Family, the coalition focuses on four areas: childcare, transportation, digital access, and workforce opportunity. Its approach recognizes that progress in one area often depends on support in another. A training opportunity may require a reliable computer. A new job may depend on affordable childcare and transportation. An increase in earnings may also put essential public benefits at risk.

CEO connects partners’ expertise to help residents navigate these challenges and pursue their goals with more coordinated support.

A Coalition Shaped by Resident Experience

Residents with lived experience are active partners in the coalition, helping identify barriers, shape solutions, and guide the work alongside service providers. Their perspectives keep the initiative grounded in the practical decisions families face.

By combining resident knowledge with organizational expertise, CEO seeks to strengthen connections among services, reduce the burden of navigating multiple agencies, and identify changes that can make pathways to economic mobility more accessible.

KC Digital Drive’s Role

KC Digital Drive is a coalition member providing digital expertise through a dedicated Digital Resource Coordinator. The coordinator will work directly with residents in Phoenix Family-supported housing communities and alongside coalition partners to address the technology needs connected to employment, education, services, and everyday life.

This support includes:

• Digital access: Help finding devices, affordable internet, and technical support.

• Digital skills: One-on-one guidance and accessible workshops that build confidence using online tools and workplace technology.

• Service navigation: Assistance with online applications, enrollment, and other tasks required to access opportunities and services.

• Connected resources: Referrals and follow-up with KCDD’s Digital Life Exchange, training providers, and community partners.

Through regular on-site support and trusted relationships, KCDD will help residents address immediate technology challenges while building skills they can use over time. The coordinator will also bring resident feedback into the coalition’s work, helping partners understand where digital barriers persist and how services can respond.

Partners

Phoenix Family serves as the coalition’s lead organization. Partners include KC Digital Drive, Show Me KC Schools, MERS Goodwill, and additional organizations and resident engagement partners, with support from the Kauffman Foundation.