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North America Regional Hub: Community Cohesion Roundtable 

Publication Date:

30/07/2026

Content Type:

Event Reports

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Community Engagementcommunity resilienceInclusive CitiesNorth America Regional HubSocial CohesionYouth Engagement

— 7 minutes reading time

This report provides a summary of discussions during the roundtable and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Strong Cities Network Management Unit, Strong Cities members, event sponsors or participants.

Summary

Like many cities across the country, Alexandria is feeling the effects of global and national crises as well as rising incivility, polarisation and distrust in institutions. These challenges are placing pressure on communities across the city and weakening cohesion within and between them. Effectively navigating them requires a whole-of-city approach that leverages the strengths and addresses the vulnerabilities across the city.

On 30 July 2026, Strong Cities, together with Mayor Gaskins, organised a Community Cohesion Roundtable at the Virginia Theological Seminary, which sought to build a better understanding of the cohesion challenges facing communities, including those exacerbated by or otherwise connected to federal policies and to identify how best to address them by strengthening connections and civic engagement across the city. More than 40 participants attended, including civic, faith and youth leaders, as well as representatives from local government, community-based and grassroots organisations, the chamber of commerce, philanthropic institutions and community foundations.

Key Takeaways

• Fear and uncertainty are driving disengagement among immigrant and refugee communities. 
  Federal immigration policies, concerns about deportation and fears of information-sharing with federal authorities are discouraging residents from accessing services, seeking healthcare, exercising their rights as tenants, attending public events and interacting with government institutions. These concerns are contributing to isolation and weakening community trust.
• Social cohesion is being strained by economic pressures, segregation and limited opportunities for meaningful interaction between communities. 
  Rising housing costs, displacement, competition for limited resources and economic inequality are creating tensions between groups. Participants noted that Alexandria offers too few opportunities for residents of different races, socioeconomic backgrounds, faiths, neighbourhoods and communities to engage with one another and build understanding
• Mental health, particularly among young people and immigrant families, is a growing concern. 
  Participants described the cumulative effects of war-related trauma, migration, family pressures, bullying, technology use, economic stress and cultural stigma surrounding mental health. Youth leaders, service providers and community organisations reported growing needs among young people, refugee communities and families who often lack access to trusted and culturally responsive support.  
• Trust between communities and government remains a challenge. 
  Residents expressed concerns about language access, communication gaps, transparency around law enforcement, burdensome administrative processes and the need to repeatedly share traumatic experiences to obtain assistance. Participants emphasised that rebuilding trust will require greater transparency, trusted messengers, community-centred engagement and service systems that treat residents with dignity.   
• Alexandria has strong assets that can be leveraged to strengthen connection and resilience. 
  Despite the challenges, participants pointed to a robust ecosystem of faith communities, non-profit and grassroots organisations, businesses, community foundations, city commissions and advisory bodies, civic associations, schools and volunteer networks. There was broad support for expanding storytelling, mutual aid, youth programmes, volunteering, cultural events, community festivals and other opportunities that bring people together across differences and foster a stronger shared sense of belonging. More broadly, rather than creating new institutions and initiatives, efforts to strengthen social cohesion should focus on connecting these existing assets through a shared vision of belonging, trust and mutual support. 

Strengths and Assets

Discussions highlighted a range of Alexandria’s strengths and assets in building a cohesive and connected city where all residents feel a sense of belonging. Participants noted that the city benefits from a rich network of faith communities, grassroots organisations and non-profit organisations, businesses, civic associations and philanthropic institutions that are deeply invested in supporting residents and strengthening community life.  

Participants pointed to strong traditions of volunteering, mutual aid, cultural events, youth programming and cross-sector collaboration, as well as local government efforts to convene diverse stakeholders and improve access to services. Many emphasised that Alexandria’s diversity is itself a major asset, with residents from different backgrounds bringing resilience, entrepreneurial energy and a shared commitment to the city. Recognising the growing importance of building connections across cultural, religious and other perceived divides, participants discussed ways to discussed meaningful ways to overcome these barriers and establish a shared sense of responsibility towards one another.  

Trusted community leaders, educators, healthcare providers and community-based organisations continue to serve as important bridges between residents and institutions, creating opportunities to build understanding, foster belonging and strengthen social cohesion. While trust gaps and divisions remain, participants expressed optimism that Alexandria has the people, partnerships and civic infrastructure needed to bring communities together and develop inclusive solutions to common challenges.

Cohesion Challenges 

Alexandria was described as a community facing overlapping pressures that are weakening trust, connection and a shared sense of belonging. Discussions explored how global conflicts, federal policies affecting immigrant and refugee communities, economic insecurity, language barriers and challenges in local service delivery are manifesting in daily life. As a result, many residents feel fearful, isolated or unsure whether local institutions can meet their needs. Several participants representing community-based organisations anticipated increased demand for food and healthcare assistance among immigrant and refugee communities due to cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in 2025. 

Discussions also highlighted how fear among immigrant and refugee communities is reducing engagement with services, schools, health care, housing support and local government, particularly where residents are concerned about immigration enforcement, information-sharing, or contact with law enforcement.  

Economic stress, displacement, rising housing costs and competition for limited resources are straining relationships between communities; families are carrying trauma,s that might otherwise be natural allies. Participants also noted the persistence of anti-Black racism, which drives wedges between community members and weakens their sense of belonging.  

More broadly, some participants described Alexandria as socially and economically segmented, with limited opportunities for people across racial, socioeconomic, religious, immigration status and neighbourhood lines to interact meaningfully.  

Families are carrying trauma, fearing for loved ones abroad and confronting political repression, doxxing, deportation concerns and a sense of erasure in schools, workplaces, faith spaces and civic life.  

Gaps in trust between communities and government remain a central challenge, compounded by confusing communications, limited language access, concerns about data collection and the burden of repeatedly recounting traumatic experiences to access support.  

Young people and families are experiencing growing mental health pressures linked to migration, trauma, technology, bullying, family stress, cultural expectations and a lack of trusted spaces in which they can develop a sense of belonging.  

Participants also pointed to misinformation, scams and uneven digital literacy as emerging threats that can deepen fear and spread confusion through social media and messaging platforms. Some communities are turning inward and against other communities, particularly immigrant communities. They have accepted the rhetoric, often fuelled by misinformation, that immigrants are the problem.  

Recommendations for Strengthening Social Cohesion 

1. Invest in youth belonging, mental health and third places: Be more proactive in engaging young people across all parts of the city, rather than waiting for them to seek out opportunities. Alongside creating more opportunities for civic engagement, including by making full use of the Mayoral Youth Forum, efforts should be made to expand youth-centred programmes that provide safe and welcoming spaces outside school and home where young people can build relationships, access support and develop leadership skills.   

2. Mobilise faith communities as bridges across difference: Faith institutions are among Alexandria’s most trusted and enduring civic assets. Places of worship have successfully brought communities together across the city in the past and could play a greater role in bridging divides that have emerged – particularly since 7 October 2023 – and fostering shared responsibility. The Mayoral Interfaith Council could play a leading role in catalysing interfaith service projects, community dialogues, neighbourhood volunteering initiatives and cultural exchanges that bring together residents who might not otherwise interact.  

3. Strengthen trust through community-led engagement and service delivery: Move from doing things for communities to doing things with communities by working through trusted messengers, grassroots organisations, community health workers and resident leaders. The city should seek to improve transparency around government actions, reduce barriers to accessing services and streamline intake processes so residents do not have to recount traumatic experiences repeatedly. Building trust will require sustained engagement, not one-off events.  

4. Create more shared civic spaces and activities that generate joy: Expand community-building activities that bring together residents who rarely interact, such as multicultural festivals, neighbourhood service projects, volunteer days, youth-led events, arts and cultural programmes and community celebrations.   

5. Improve communication by meeting residents where they are: Local government should partner with trusted community leaders, schools, faith organisations and community groups to deliver clear, multilingual information through the channels residents use, including WhatsApp, social media, community associations and short-form video. This will help ensure that city information, including information about federal policies or global events, reaches the communities that need it most. 

Next Steps

Strong Cities will work with Mayor Gaskins and other interested roundtable participants to identify opportunities to facilitate the implementation of these recommendations and, more broadly, continue supporting efforts to strengthen social cohesion across Alexandria. 

Contact Information 

For more information on this event or Strong Cities work more broadly, please contact our team at [email protected].

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