Community centres, legal help desks and food banks give vulnerable residents a helping hand — and it pays. A community centre costs around €86,785 per year and delivers €168,364 in benefits: nearly twice the outlay. Public provisions such as food banks return €1.15 to €1.20 per euro.
Per model neighbourhood the task adds up to around €200,000 in societal value against €120,000 in costs. Self-reliance, participation and social cohesion grow; policing costs fall, and stronger attachment demonstrably means less litter. Source: Transform Zuid-Holland.