METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS COALITION

PUBLIC POLICY - PUBLIC POLICY PROJECTS INCLUDE THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE TASK FORCE (THE "HEALTHCARE TASK FORCE") AND THE FEDERAL AND STATE PLATFORM. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.IN 2023, MAC ESTABLISHED THE HEALTHCARE TASK FORCE TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC TRENDS, TECHNOLOGY, SERVICE MODELS, AND THE PANDEMIC ON HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES AND TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND EQUITY, INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS, ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS, AND STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM.THIS BUILDS ON MAC'S 2023-2024 POLICY PLATFORM, WHICH INCLUDES THREE POLICIES RELATING TO THE ISSUE OF HEALTHCARE EQUITY. THESE ARE:- SUPPORTING A ROBUST PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM WITH RESOURCES TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE- SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT ADDRESS HEALTHCARE EQUITY AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS- PROMOTING GREATER INVESTMENT, FISCAL CERTAINTY, COORDINATION, AND EXPANSION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND TELEHEALTH ACCESS WHILE ENCOURAGING UNIFORM STANDARDS ACROSS STATESIN 2025, THE MAC BOARD WILL CONSIDER APPROVAL OF STRATEGIES AND ADDITIONAL POLICIES RELATED TO CREATING A STRONGER, EQUITABLE, AND ROBUST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL. A MAC POLICY PLATFORM TASK FORCE WAS APPOINTED TO CREATE MAC'S 2025-2026 FEDERAL AND STATE PLATFORM. THIS WILL BUILD ON THE 2023-2024 PLATFORM THAT PROMOTES EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND SHARED PROSPERITY BY FOCUSING ON PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ENVIRONMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. IN ADDITION, IT WILL RECOGNIZE POLICIES RELATED TO SEMCOG PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE HEALTHY CLIMATE PLAN, THE JUSTICE 40 TASK FORCE, AND VISION 2050, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN WHICH WILL BE FINALIZED IN JUNE 2025. MAC WILL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE 2023-2024 PLATFORM THROUGH ACTIVITIES THAT MAY INCLUDE CONVENING ISSUE ADVISORY TEAMS, CREATING OPINION PAPERS, CO-SPONSORING "PULSE OF THE REGION" CITIZEN SURVEYS, SPONSORING ISSUES FORUMS, AND UTILIZING MEDIA RELEASES, GUEST COMMENTARIES, AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO SHARE CONSENSUS POSITIONS. MAC WILL PUBLISH INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THIS WORK IN ITS ONLINE NEWSLETTER, ON ITS WEBSITE, AND ON ITS FACEBOOK PAGE.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - IMPLEMENTING SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN'S 2021 COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ("CEDS") AND BASELINE RESEARCH FOR THE 2025 CEDS, MAC AND SEMCOG COORDINATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN'S REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, INCREASING SHARED PROSPERITY FOR A RESILIENT ECONOMY, BASED ON THE THREE PILLARS OF TALENT, PLACE, AND BUSINESS. SINCE APPROVAL IN 2021, THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SIX STRATEGIES, 22 POLICIES, AND 99 ACTIONS BY SEMCOG, MAC, AND OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAKEHOLDERS. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.IN 2023, SEMCOG WAS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ("EDD") FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. EDD'S ARE FOCUSED ON DRIVING A REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS THAT ENGAGES THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NON-PROFIT SECTORS TO ESTABLISH A STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT. EDD'S PREPARE AND MAINTAIN A REGION'S CEDS, ASSIST WITH IMPLEMENTATION, AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. AS A RESULT OF THIS DESIGNATION, MAC WILL PARTNER WITH SEMCOG IN EXPANDING ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS. THIS WILL INCLUDE PREPARING FOR A SEMCOG/MAC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE IN 2025.MAC IS ALSO SUPPORTING THE FOLLOWING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES:- CONTINUING "IMPLEMENTATION OF BROADBAND IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN: EXPANSION, ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY", A REGIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR BROADBAND APPROVED BY SEMCOG AND MAC IN 2022, WHICH FOCUSES ON INCREASING AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BY CONNECTING WITH INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS, ON POLICIES AND PRIORITIES, DEVELOPING RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES, AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP IMPROVE EXPANSION OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE INTERNET, AS WELL AS ADDRESSING DIGITAL LITERACY AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE- CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE MOBILITY INDUSTRY BY COLLABORATING WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES TO HELP CREATE THE NECESSARY WORKFORCE, TO EDUCATE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR FLEETS, AND TO SUPPORT REGIONAL INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE DETROIT REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL EPICENTER OF MOBILITY INITIATIVE, WORKING WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF FUTURE MOBILITY, MICHAUTO, AND POLICY MAKERS TO ALIGN EFFORTSMAC WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND EQUITY IN EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THIS INCLUDES PROMOTING SUPPORT SERVICES TO HELP STUDENTS AND WORKERS OVERCOME BARRIERS, PREPARING THE WORKFORCE FOR THE CHANGING NATURE OF JOBS, AND SUPPORTING THE GOVERNOR'S 60/30 INITIATIVE, RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING WORKERS FOR HIGH-GROWTH OCCUPATIONS, INCREASING AWARENESS AND ACCESS TO TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND PROMOTING INNOVATIVE HIRING PRACTICES. MAC WILL ALSO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIES IDENTIFIED BY THE HEALTHCARE TASK FORCE RELATED TO ADDRESSING CHALLENGES IN ATTRACTING, TRAINING, RECRUITING, AND RETAINING THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE THROUGH A CAREER PATHWAYS CAMPAIGN, ARTICLES, AND OTHER EFFORTS. THIS WILL HELP STABILIZE AND STRENGTHEN THE HEALTHCARE ECOSYSTEM AND INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS.