Blue Oval Good Neighbors Are Prepared to Negotiate An Agreement With Ford To Address Local Hiring, Affordable Housing, Land & Environmental Protections
Blue Oval Good Neighbors, a coalition of local residents and allied organizations from the communities surrounding Blue Oval City, released the following statement in response to Ford’s “Good Neighbor Plan”:
“While Ford will make billions of dollars from Blue Oval City, the predominantly Black communities of the region will face detrimental impacts through skyrocketing housing costs, strains on infrastructure, and long-term impacts on the environment without concrete and binding commitments. The people who have lived here for generations will face—and already are facing—life-changing consequences.
Ford is hearing our calls loud and clear, as several investments named in the ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ refer directly to solutions published by Blue Oval Good Neighbors in November 2024, including references to rent assistance and environmental monitoring. Though we await more details on these investments, we are encouraged to see that our campaign has brought these issues to the forefront of the conversation on the impacts of Blue Oval City.
But Ford’s ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ does not substantively address our concerns, let alone give residents a meaningful seat at the table to shape solutions. Furthermore, in the outlined plan, there is no way for community members to hold Ford accountable Blue Oval Good Neighbors Are Prepared to Negotiate An Agreement With Ford To Address Local Hiring, Affordable
Housing, Land & Environmental Protections Blue Oval Good Neighbors, a coalition of local residents and allied organizations from the communities surrounding Blue Oval City, released the following statement in response to Ford’s “Good Neighbor Plan”:
“While Ford will make billions of dollars from Blue Oval City, the predominantly Black communities of the region will face detrimental impacts through skyrocketing housing costs, strains on infrastructure, and long-term impacts on the environment without concrete and binding commitments. The people who have lived here for generations will face—and already are facing—life-changing consequences.
Ford is hearing our calls loud and clear, as several investments named in the ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ refer directly to solutions published by Blue Oval Good Neighbors in November 2024, including references to rent assistance and environmental monitoring. Though we await more details on these investments, we are encouraged to see that our campaign has brought these issues to the forefront of the conversation on the impacts of Blue Oval City.
But Ford’s ‘Good Neighbor Plan’ does not substantively address our concerns, let alone give residents a meaningful seat at the table to shape solutions. Furthermore, in the outlined plan, there is no way for community members to hold Ford accountable to its commitments as would be the case with a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement.
We call on Ford come to the table to negotiate a legally binding agreement with commitments including:
* Local hiring commitments and workforce development programs that center formerly incarcerated workers and other historically disadvantaged groups
* Ensuring access to quality, affordable housing and protections from housing shock for the long-term
* Repairing harm to Black farmers and investing in public land ownership* Protecting our air, land, and water and ensuring worker and community health and safety
* Investing in Black-led community organizations and facilities in the region and preserving the history of our agricultural communities
Ford’s ‘Equitable Growth Advisory Council’ which is responsible for this plan lacks grassroots representation and transparency. Most community members do not know how to engage with the Council, and they meet behind closed doors. On this Council, Ford is prioritizing West Tennessee politicians who have reinforced the racial and economic divide in the region over the hundreds of local residents who are ready to set our own terms for the future of our communities.
We remain ready to negotiate a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement with Ford and will not rest until we are at the table.”
