Innovative Research Insights (IRI) partners with local governments, foundations, school systems, collective impact networks, and community-based organizations across North Carolina and beyond. Our work spans housing policy and needs assessment, program evaluation, collective impact measurement, community-led planning, and applied data systems. Below is a selection of current engagements and recently completed projects.

Current Engagements

Forsyth County Humane Housing Network — Research & Planning Partner

IRI serves as the research and planning partner to the Forsyth County Humane Housing Network (FCHHN), a countywide collaborative working to ensure that all of Forsyth County has access to stable, affordable, and humane housing in the face of a deficit of more than 25,000 units. Deliverables to date include From Urgency to Thriving, a comprehensive analysis of housing needs in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County; a meta-analysis and annotated bibliography synthesizing a decade of local housing studies (2014–2025); the network’s Action Planning Framework and 2026 Work Plan; and policy analyses including an assessment of what the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act means for Forsyth County. Read more in our two-part series on the current housing landscape.

Twin City Housing Collective — Organizational Development & Strategic Planning

Through 2026, IRI is providing comprehensive consulting and technical assistance to Twin City Housing Capital, d/b/a Twin City Housing Collective, a Winston-Salem nonprofit created to close the funding gap for workforce housing development in Forsyth County. IRI’s scope includes nonprofit development, board governance and recruitment, strategic planning, grant development, and planning for the organization’s transition to full-time staff, in coordination with the Humane Housing Network’s governance working group.

shift_ed | ARCI Mobility Project 2040 — Evaluation Partner

IRI is the evaluation and measurement partner for Aligning Resources for Collective Impact (ARCI), the Mobility Project 2040 — a Guilford County collective impact initiative led by shift_ed with the goal that students entering kindergarten in 2026 graduate prepared for college, career, and life. IRI compiled the initiative’s baseline data, data sources, and evaluative measures aligned to the ARCI Five-Year Strategic Plan, and is establishing Phase 2 baselines across academic readiness, chronic absenteeism, work-based learning, credential attainment, and family empowerment. IRI also supported shift_ed’s Aligning Resources for Collective Impact convening.

Guilford County Register of Deeds — Community Data Atlas & Neighborhood Vitality Index

Under a multi-year engagement with the Guilford County Register of Deeds Office, IRI is developing the Community Data Atlas (the Guilford County Neighborhood Vitality Index), a block-group-level data system for measuring neighborhood conditions across Greensboro and High Point. IRI’s work includes the index methodology, a literature review of neighborhood indicator systems, a demographic and socioeconomic framing study of concentrated disadvantage and the geography of opportunity, compilation and geocoding of source data, computation of the standardized index, and support for migration of the Atlas into the County’s GIS environment. The current phase runs through June 2027.

HELD — Guaranteed Income Program Evaluation

IRI serves as the evaluation partner to HELD, a Greensboro nonprofit that provides direct, no-strings-attached financial assistance to people in need, including a guaranteed income program supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. IRI designed and maintains the program’s client tracking and outcomes measurement system, producing the 2025 pilot client tracking report and ongoing tracking updates through 2026.

D-UP | Washington Street District, High Point — Community-Led Planning

IRI authored the 2025 Washington Street District Needs Assessment for D-UP Inc., the neighborhood backbone organization for High Point’s historic Washington Street corridor, and facilitated the Phase One partner-alignment process that followed. IRI now serves as facilitator for Phase Two, From Assets to Action: Washington Street Community-Led Planning and Shared Action, funded through a Foundation for a Healthy High Point small grant. Findings from the needs assessment are featured by the Foundation in Restoring Hope: A Neighborhood-Driven Case for Revitalization in 27260.

The Prosperity Agenda — Family-Centered Coaching Research & Evaluation

IRI provides research design and evaluation services to The Prosperity Agenda (TPA), the national administrator of Family-Centered Coaching. Deliverables in this multi-year portfolio include the evaluation of the Leaders in Family-Centered Coaching (LIFF) program; a benefit cliffs coaching toolkit and screening analysis supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation; an evaluation and review of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster (CLIFF) tools; focus groups with case managers and program participants; a white paper on the emergence and evolution of the Family-Centered Coaching model; and development of a Social Capital Index instrument for measuring family-centered prosperity.

Recently Completed Projects

Franklin County Housing Assessment (2025)

In partnership with the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies, IRI prepared a housing assessment plan and county housing profile for Franklin County, North Carolina, analyzing demographic change, housing supply and affordability, and policy options for a fast-growing county on the edge of the Triangle. Key findings are summarized in our post Franklin County’s Housing Crossroads.

State of Food Access in Guilford County (2025)

For the Guilford County Division of Social Services, IRI conducted a countywide food access study combining sociodemographic analysis, food environment mapping, and a large resident survey. The final report, State of Food Access in Guilford County, documents patterns of food insecurity across the county and provides recommendations for improving food access among vulnerable households. The report is published on Guilford County’s Food Resources Data page, alongside the County’s Grocery Gap Dashboard and related food security resources.

NC DPI After-School Robotics Grant Evaluation (2024)

IRI evaluated the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Educational and Competitive After-School Robotics Grant Program as implemented at Guilford County Schools. The mixed-methods evaluation, Re-engage with Robotics!, examined program implementation and outcomes for student engagement, belonging, and STEM readiness. Lessons from the evaluation are discussed in our post on equity, belonging, and STEM readiness.

Minority Developer Capacity Building Program Evaluation

On behalf of the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies, IRI prepared the final evaluation of the Minority Developer Capacity Building Program, part of the Guilford County Homeownership Pipeline Project. The evaluation assessed the program’s effectiveness in building the capacity of minority developers to expand the county’s affordable homeownership pipeline.

Summer STEM & Enrichment Camp Evaluation (2025)

IRI evaluated the Summer STEM & Enrichment Camp operated by the Adventist Community Restoration Center in partnership with the Success Hope Center, documenting program implementation, youth outcomes, and opportunities for program growth.

Selected Past Projects

Peacehaven Community Farm

IRI provided consulting services to Peacehaven Community Farm to enhance and expand its initiatives for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The project researched funding models for inclusive communities in rural and farm settings, identified potential funding sources, and developed materials for grant and award applications to support additional homes and a community center.

High Point Racial Equity Scorecard

Dr. Sills worked with YWCA High Point to create a “State of Race” scorecard to accurately share data and facilitate conversations about race in the High Point community. Community advocates and stakeholders chose topics, including income and wealth, education, public safety, health, civic engagement, digital equity, transportation, and food access, to explore historical policies that systematically devalued Black communities. Report available here.

Housing Needs Assessment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

With ARPA funding appropriated by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, the Piedmont Triad Regional Council commissioned this comprehensive assessment of housing needs for individuals with IDD in Forsyth County, prepared by Dr. Sills. Utilizing stakeholder interviews, surveys, and socio-demographic data, it identifies challenges in independent living, accessibility, and support services and evaluates key initiatives like the Transitions to Community Living Initiative and Medicaid Waivers. Report available here.

Strengthening Equity & Community Growth Assessment

The Piedmont Triad Regional Council partnered with Dr. Sills to conduct a Regional Equity Assessment of all 12 counties within the Piedmont Triad, measuring diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and identifying trends. The report contains qualitative and quantitative research findings and recommendations addressing social, economic, and structural conditions across the region. Report available here and website here.

HealthySteps Needs Assessment

Conducted in response to a Request for Proposals from the Children’s Home Society, this assessment evaluated the HealthySteps program in High Point, NC using meta-analysis, secondary data, interviews, focus groups, and surveys of more than 200 parents. Recommendations focus on enhancing parent education and integrating developmental specialists into pediatric practices to address the social determinants of health. Report available here.

Assessment of Social Drivers of Health in High Point

The Foundation for a Healthy High Point, in collaboration with Dr. Sills, released a study highlighting health and economic disparities in the Greater High Point area, drawing on community surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The findings guide the Foundation’s community investments. Report available here, executive summary, and website here.

One High Point Commission Reparations Report

Dr. Sills, while serving as Senior Vice President of the Research Policy and Impact Center at the National Institute for Minority Economic Development, was a consultant to the One High Point Commission, sharing findings from nearly a decade of research on health, education, housing, and economic opportunity in the city and county. Executive Summary available here.

East Baton Rouge Parish Market Segmentation Study

Responding to housing needs identified by Build Baton Rouge and other local organizations, this 12-month study examined the area’s housing challenges through extensive data compilation, analysis, and mapping, culminating in a parcel-level housing inventory of selected neighborhoods using remote assessment methods and ArcGIS. Report available here.

NC Statewide Legal Needs Assessment

Dr. Sills and his team at UNC Greensboro conducted a statewide legal needs assessment, the first in twenty years in North Carolina, under the sponsorship of the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission and the Equal Justice Alliance. The assessment identifies gaps between the civil legal needs of low-income communities and available legal resources. Report available here and presentation website here.

Resilience High Point Needs Assessment

Commissioned to provide a baseline as Resilience High Point began its community revitalization process, this study included a review of socio-demographic and economic data, key informant interviews, resident surveys, and focus groups. The final report was made public and presented at City Council. Executive Summary available here.

Hinton Rural Quality of Life Study

Over nine months, the Hinton Center, the Center for Housing and Community Studies (led by Dr. Sills), and community partners examined quality of life in Clay, Cherokee, and Towns counties through eleven focus groups, 573 surveys, and 26 interviews, helping establish an inter-agency collaborative and Community Action Plan for the three counties. Report available here.