Civic Hacking for Affordable Housing

Join volunteers at Code with the Carolinas as we help the National Zoning Atlas (NZA) team include North Carolina and South Carolina in their nationwide zoning atlas. "The National Zoning Atlas aims to depict key aspects of zoning codes in an online, user-friendly map." The Atlas aims to provide data for better solutions in transportation, environmental, and especially affordable housing policy.

Affordable housing proponents have long recognized zoning policies as barriers to affordable housing. To improve zoning policies, we first need to better understand the current state of zoning across the United States. Code with the Carolinas is helping this cause by joining the National Zoning Atlas to gather zoning data for North and South Carolina.

This is a multi-dimensional project grounded in data science with an end-goal of contributing to a nationally influential dataset. Our current work session activities focus on internet search and integrating data from multiple sources. The project as a whole has occasional opportunities for U/X and outreach and opportunities to learn about machine learning and natural language processing through the work of the NZA team. Volunteering on this project will provide excellent exposure to the foundations of civic data science, with a focus on GIS data.

Even if you're new to this project and/or civic tech volunteering, you're welcome to join the meeting. Visitors are always welcome and no technical skills are needed. You can learn more about the project on our Slack Workspace in the #project-zoning-atlas channel.

Meetings start with brief introductions. New volunteers are offered a personal orientation, often in a breakout room, while experienced volunteers get right to work. By the end of the session, both groups of volunteers are working together. We also contribute to the project through asynchronous work and informal work sessions.

Meetings are on the Jitsi platform and the link is provided before each meeting. If you will be joining on mobile, install the Jitsi app in advance https://jitsi.org/downloads/ .

Learn more at codewiththecarolinas.org or reach out to [email protected]

All activities of Code with the Carolinas, a project of Social Good Fund, follow our Code of Conduct and are subject to this Volunteer Waiver of Liability.