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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.

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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.

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Are 'villages' the future of elder care?

Deanna Dewberry

December 21, 2020 |

WHEC-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Since 2002, aging neighbors in Boston have been creating networks, known as villages, of supportive services that allow them to remain in their homes rather than leave to live in a senior center or nursing home. Now, there are 350 villages throughout the U.S., including one in Buffalo, NY known as Canopy. Staffed with volunteers, the program has not always been the most financially viable, but it has grown to serve senior citizens in seven zip codes.

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Momentum for ADUs as Caregiving Needs Grow

Sarah Taddeo Tyronda James

December 17, 2020 |

Minority Reporter |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Jose, California

In parts of California and New York, caregivers are constructing a small, free-standing building on their residential property to better care for loved ones. These structures, known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), have proved to be a popular option, but the costs to implement the small dwelling are not always accessible to all who are interested. To offset the cost, however, a company in San Jose offers prefabricated modular ADUs.

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Connecticut's Halfhearted Battle: Response To Lead Poisoning Epidemic Lacks Urgency

Jenifer Frank

November 23, 2020 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Cities throughout Connecticut have long struggled to enact a successful response to the statewide lead-poisoning problem, but the city of Bridgeport stands out as a model for how to get results by taking proactive action. Unlike other cities where investigations aren't triggered unless a child tests positive for lead poisoning, officials in Bridgeport focus on regularly conducting building inspections and utilizing Connecticut’s Uniform Relocation Assistance Act.

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Shipping containers in Los Angeles becoming homes for the homeless

Paul Vercammen,

October 18, 2020 |

CNN |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Recycled shipping containers ae providing affordable housing options to families and veterans experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Wraparound services on site help tenants with everything they need to stay housed, such as how to pay rent, access healthcare and find transportation. Container housing has been used in several cities across the country due to the convenience and low construction costs.

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Jumpstart trains developers to fight gentrification in Philly neighborhoods

Courtney Duchene

September 29, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jumpstart Germantown and five spinoff programs trained about 1,000 people in the art of locally controlled neighborhood rehabilitation. The Jumpstart programs target particular neighborhoods, mainly mid-range housing stock with vacant and deteriorating conditions, and lend money to newly minted developers to fix and resell the properties. Housing rehabs maintain the character of neighborhoods, rather than gentrifying them or making wholesale redevelopment changes. Beyond the community improvement benefits, the program helps diversify the real estate business and provides employment opportunities.

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How a Charlotte Nonprofit Links Landlords With People Experiencing Homelessness

Jared Brey

September 15, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

A real estate developer has teamed up with homelessness service organizations to house working families. The Lotus Campaign gives landlords $1,000 a year to rent a unit to a family that is at risk of homelessness or is already experiencing it. Rent is paid by the organization and any damages to the unit are covered. Landlords taking part in the program waive security deposits, credit checks, records of employment, and provide a 30-day window before seeking evictions. The pilot program intends to demonstrate that the private housing sector can alleviate homelessness if given the chance and the incentive.

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Homeownership for Black families in Milwaukee is worse now than 50 years ago. Could a regional approach to affordable housing help?

James E. Causey

August 07, 2020 |

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Minnesota

The Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity provides a comprehensive approach to providing affordable housing in seven counties across Minneapolis and St.Paul. The large area it serves allows families to move into either urban or suburban neighborhoods near schools of their choosing and with greater flexibility to take public transportation, jobs, and extracurricular activities into consideration. Milwaukee's uncoordinated efforts to improve housing for low-income families could benefit from a similar approach.

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0%-interest loan program puts economic power in hands of Detroit homeowners

Kate Roff

August 04, 2020 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Homeowners in Detroit can now access home improvement capital to fix up their historic homes, many of which date back to the early 1900s. The aid is in the form of a zero-interest loan which is paid back over 10 years. The program helps homeowners fix their homes, making them safer while removing blight from the community.

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