Winston-Salem group launches campaign calling for community benefits agreements in city

The Coalition 4 Accountability and Transparency is launching a campaign to promote the importance and need for community benefits agreements in Winston-Salem.

Around a dozen residents and members of the advocacy group gathered outside city hall Monday calling for officials to consider creating a community benefits agreements ordinance that they say would promote equitable development. Community benefits agreements, or CBAs, are contracts between developers and neighborhood groups that spell out how a project serves the surrounding area.

Coalition member Eunice Campbell says these are necessary to ensure that the most vulnerable citizens aren't left behind as the city grows.

"Without CBAs, we risk seeing development that displaces long-term residents, drives up cost of living and erodes the fabric of our communities," Campbell says.

She says CBAs could push developers to negotiate with residents and include specifications like local hiring or the inclusion of affordable housing.

Coalition members plan to next speak with city council members about the need for CBAs.