U.S. office portfolio company EQ Office announced the launch of EQ Impact, its new social responsibility program. The company stated that the new initiatives are aimed at regenerating urban spaces, preserving local culture, and driving humanity into the workplace.

Lisa Picard, CEO and President of EQ Office, said:

“As an owner and operator of buildings that are part of our cities across the country, at EQ Office we really want to humanize work and our workplaces – and this is not just the physical spaces, but largely the neighborhoods that surround us. We want to give back in meaningful ways that truly shape and support our local communities through actions that enliven culture, foster community and increase our environmental initiatives, in the spirit to cultivate great talent. This is an evolving effort for me and all our people at EQ, as we want this to commence our reporting of progress each year.”

The company announced that it is partnering with opportunity youth skillset program provider YouthBuild USA, on expanding job skills training, offering hands-on mentoring, and providing internships to young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school nor employed who want a career in real estate or construction-related fields.

YouthBuild USA President and CEO John Valverde, said:

“Our young people are strong and resilient. We’re grateful for EQ’s financial commitment and ongoing employee mentoring engagement. It’s a tremendous support for us and our programs as we partner with opportunity youth to earn the knowledge, training, and opportunities that lead to long-term professional and personal success.”

Other initiatives included in EQ Impact include investing resources in local culture and creating effective workspaces, making quantifiable changes to the way it invests in and manages its properties in order to advance sustainability-based management and lower operating costs, and formalizing new operating and management processes with a continued focus on listening to diverse voices and inclusive customer engagement. EQ also said that it has integrated ESG into its acquisition process, invested in tracking technology that will continue to strengthen the operations and safety of portfolio properties, and implemented reporting systems that sustain ethical management and loss reduction.

Picard added:

“Nurturing talent and growing skills are at the core of our ESG initiatives. Our goal is to give back to our customers, partners and communities – value that comes from job creation and training, supporting local businesses, investing in art, driving tourism – essentially all of the ingredients that help EQ’s communities thrive.”