Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 719 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

An Architecture Firm's Push to Build Net-Zero Apartments—on a Budget

Russell Gold

February 05, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apartments at Front Flats, a new residential building in Philadelphia, is powered by 492 solar panels that are wrapped around the building. The point: to demonstrate that developers can design buildings that are energy-efficient and be built at an affordable cost. It’s not clear yet if the building is “net zero” in terms of producing as much energy as it consumes, but residents are paying only $40 a month for utilities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How a Water Bill Can Help Cities Help Their Most Vulnerable Residents

Cinnamon Janzer

January 28, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A pilot program may be able to alleviate the utility debts incurred by struggling customers who were affected by the pandemic-induced economic slowdown. A pre-pandemic program used missed utility payments as an opportunity to provide people with “financial empowerment services like individualized repayment plans and financial counseling.” The program not only cut down on municipal costs but also benefited residents in all five cities. Participants were less likely to experience water shutoffs and paid significantly fewer late fees.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The country rejecting throwaway culture

Peter Yeung

January 28, 2021 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Paris hosts a dozen "repair cafes," which are free, monthly events where residents can fix household objects and electronics with the help and advice of volunteers. The events usually have about 25 attendees who seek to limit the vast amounts of household waste, particularly E-waste, by repairing broken electronics and appliances. France's National Assembly also introduced an index of "repairability" ratings for appliances such as washing machines, lawnmowers, televisions and smartphones, in hopes of increasing the percentage of electronics that are repaired rather than discarded.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Facing eviction, residents struggle to find help

Dan Polletta

January 26, 2021 |

The Land |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Slavic Village, Ohio

The Slavic Village Development, a non-profit community development agency, is helping to connect residents who are facing eviction during the coronavirus pandemic with financial assistance. The organization provides funds to those who don't qualify for CARES act funds and works to eliminate other barriers for low-income residents – such as paperwork requirements and housing inspection.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Almost a year after opening, Compass House provides direction amid safe surroundings

Roberta Baker

January 25, 2021 |

The Laconia Daily Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Laconia, New Hampshire

Compass House provides safety and support for women, many of them newly released from incarceration, who struggle with substance misuse issues or mental illness. The transitional housing program is the first of its kind in a state that is sorely lacking in such services. Peer support and professional counseling and treatment can last a year or more. The women in the program, who are at high risk of homelessness without a refuge like Compass House, pay 30% of their income for rent, with the rest of the costs covered by a state agency.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A Florida Study Showed How to Save Energy at Home. Why Aren't More Cities and States Following Suit?

Chad Small

January 21, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

A pilot energy retrofit project in Florida has shown that these upgrades for homeowners ultimately saves them money and energy, and can be made accessible to people from all types of socioeconomic backgrounds. This private-public partnership retrofitted 56 single-family homes, some with “shallow” retrofits like LED lightbulbs and smart plugs and some with “phased deep” retrofits like energy-efficient windows and air conditioners. The program showed that all participants saved energy and could be scaled to other states.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Criminalizing Mental Illness, Part 2

Andrew Stelzer Sarah Shourd

January 14, 2021 |

KALW |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles County's Office of Diversion and Reentry has moved about 6,000 people out of jails and into programs providing mental health care, drug treatment, housing, and job training at a cost that is about one-fifth that of incarcerating people with mental illness. Like Eugene, Oregon's CAHOOTS program, ODR provides an alternative to the default model in the U.S. of incarcerating people with such health problems. L.A. County is now shifting as much as $500 million from policing to supportive services because programs like ODR and CAHOOTS fall far short of the actual need.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Helping Summit County's 90,000 older adults stay safe in their homes

H.L. Comeriato

January 14, 2021 |

The Devil Strip |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Akron, Ohio

Senior citizens are getting the home renovations they need to make their homes accessible and safe. These renovations allow them to remain safe and comfortable in their homes, where they have made a lifetime of memories.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A Tiny Public Housing Authority Offered Residents the Vaccine. Could Others Follow Suit?

Jared Brey

January 12, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Central Falls, Rhode Island

A small public housing authority in Rhode Island took the initiative to develop a methodology to administer the COVID-19 vaccine once the city began to offer the vaccine publicly. While a significant number of the residents had signed up to receive the vaccine, this number increased after the mayor and mayor-elect were publicly vaccinated at the site.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Jobs, Houses and Cows: China's Costly Drive to Erase Extreme Poverty

Keith Bradsher

December 31, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China

The Chinese government is providing money, livestock, and better homes to successfully help break the cycle of poverty. $700 billion in loans and grants have gone toward the rural poverty alleviation program in addition to investments in infrastructure and job creation. The program is intended for those experiencing extreme poverty in the countryside. Critics predict that the program is unsustainably expensive but the short-term results are promising.

Read More
Go to Original Story