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Can Community Investment Trusts Help Slow Down Gentrification?

Brendan Seibel

April 15, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

In East Portland, Oregon, a new Community Investment Trust is working to ensure that low-income residents have the opportunity to build equity by investing in their real estate. The program is limited to four zip codes with a maximum contribution of $100 to ensure that the investments stay open only to the members of the community it's intended to serve. More than 95% of investors have kept their money in the trust, but the model might be difficult to scale nationally without effective partnerships.

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‘My Girls Are Getting a Future Here'

Vidhi Doshi

March 26, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, New Delhi

In India, the construction industry is the second largest employer. Without the ability to pay for child care, mothers are often forced to bring young children to construction sites. Mobile Crèches has started to set up child care facilities on-site, providing relief to parents and a safe education for students.

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Pittsburgh's ‘living building' focuses on eco-friendly construction

Karen Hao

March 20, 2019 |

Quartz |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Creating sustainable buildings requires rethinking many of the norms in construction and city planning. The Center for Sustainable Landscapes, part of the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification. To achieve this, CSL advocated for changes to Pittsburgh’s laws on the use of public water utilities. CSL also had to seek out construction materials that avoided the use of harmful chemicals-a task easier said than done.

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What if the future of housing means accepting that a home isn't permanent?

Rosie Spinks

February 27, 2019 |

Quartz |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Modified shipping containers can offer a solution for housing shortages. In London, QED Properties and ISO Spaces partnered together to create The Hope Gardens, a temporary housing arrangement for Londoners facing homelessness. The units provide space for those awaiting permanent housing. The modular homes are easily constructed and help to keep people off of the streets.

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Where Glaciers Melt Away, Switzerland Sees Opportunity

Henry Fountain Ben C. Solomon

February 14, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Photojournalism |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Switzerland, Gadmen

Melting glaciers threaten the Swiss Alps, especially the hydropower it provides. The idea of building a dam as a back-up way to generate power is catching on. The permitting process just began, but construction will need to be fast before further dramatic melting occurs.

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Taxing empty apartments could ease the housing crisis

Adele Peters

February 12, 2019 |

FastCompany |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

Cities with large numbers of empty apartments look to Vancouver's apartment tax, which taxes owners for unused apartment space. After the tax was put in place, the number of unoccupied apartments in Vancouver went down, and the city raised $38 million in tax revenue - most of which will go to affordable housing programs.

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How Poop-Eating Worms Could Help Save Thousands Of Lives Each Year

Oliver Balch

January 16, 2019 |

The Huffington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Nairobi

The Bill Gates Foundation is currently funding a number of organizations that seek to solve the rate of open defecation by creating low-cost toilets that utilize the feces within them. One organization, called Sanergy, operates in 11 neighborhoods across Nairobi and uses a systems-based approach that takes into account financing and maintenance of the toilet as well as selling the waste as fertilizer. Another, called Tiger Toilets in India, uses a septic tank toilet that places worms within the drainage layer who then consume the feces and produce fertilizer to be used or sold.

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These startups are trying to reduce the massive carbon footprint of concrete

Adele Peters

January 14, 2019 |

FastCompany |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

A handful of sustainability-oriented startups are working with concrete companies around the world to reduce their carbon footprint. The concrete & cement industry is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions; however, with technologies that capture CO2 within solid concrete, some companies have been able to decrease their emissions, while improving efficiency in the process.

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Her clothes are keeping female construction workers, firefighters and paramedics safe

Parija Kavilanz

January 09, 2019 |

CNN |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Founded on addressing the lack of properly fitted workwear for women in the labor industry, SeeHerWork sells designed and tested products like gloves, safety vests, and backpacks specifically for women. In doing so, the company hopes to provide women with the safety, equipment, and confidence they need to do their jobs and stay safe.

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Has New York Found the Secret to Linking Retiring Farmers and Eager Upstarts?

Lisa Held

January 08, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Connecting new farmers to community partners facilitates the process of buying and selling land. In addition to linking buyers and sellers, the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network (HVFN) enrolls local organizations such as GrowNYC’s FARMroots program, the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Corporation, as well as micro lenders to make the sale of the land possible. The network increases the resources available to farmers in New York.

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