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 425 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Questions Remain About New Affordable Homeownership Program Run by an Atlanta For-Profit

Adina Solomon

March 24, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

Renters in Atlanta’s DeKalb County were given the opportunity to buy their homes at below-market values. Instead of selling homes to the highest bidders, a development company that bought the 72 homes sought to prevent displacement, create affordable housing, and help keep longtime residents in the neighborhood - especially those who make 60 to 100 percent of the area median income. Despite the good intentions, the solution did not take into account financial challenges such as bad credit, which hinders the ability to purchase a home or the expenses of owning a home, which can lead to debt.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Guaranteed Income in Jackson Designed By Black Moms for Black Moms, Showing Results for Black Moms

Oscar Perry Abello

March 23, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Mississippi

Beneficiaries of a guaranteed income program in Mississippi have received monthly cash payments that they are free to spend however they need to. Known as Magnolia Mothers, the program has allowed mothers to pay off debt, invest in business, avoid predatory loans, and consider educational opportunities that can help increase their income and quality of life.

Read More
Go to Original Story
This ‘Hygiene Hub' Is Run By People Experiencing Homelessness

Emily Nonko

March 16, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

People experiencing homelessness can now access hot showers and bathrooms at the Hygiene Hub. Staff at the Portland initiative include both unhoused paid workers and housed volunteers, all with extensive staff training to help create a safe space so everyone who needs services at the Hygiene Hub feels welcomed.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Jersey City Middle Schoolers Stopped a Flood

Phil Roberts

March 12, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

In a science class in a local New Jersey school, students came up with a green solution to a storm water management and flooding problem in their parking lot when it rained. With help from the Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program out of Rutgers University and funding from city agencies, they were able to build planters and install concrete to absorb the runoff. The project galvanized the community, encouraging the school to expand their STEM curriculum.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Seattle Is Using Psychology to Help People Avoid City Fines and Fees

Cinnamon Janzer

March 10, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

By redesigning the notices it mails to people who owe the city money for pet licenses or traffic and parking fines, Seattle's Innovation and Performance project greatly improved payment rates. The effort, based on behavioral economics concepts making payment seem easier and more in tune with social norms, has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars more into city coffers while sparing residents the hassles and greater costs of not paying fees and fines when they're due.

Read More
Go to Original Story
This Ride-Hailing Platform Wants to be Better for Everyone, Starting with Drivers

Oscar Perry Abello

March 09, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

An equitable alternative to Uber and Lyft is giving drivers ownership of a ride-hailing platform with many perks that aren’t available to workers in the gig economy. The Drivers Cooperative is providing drivers with lower interest vehicle loans, better insurance rates, and a pilot program to test their own ride-hailing app.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Using Tech, California Counties Have Cleared 140,000 Marijuana-Related Convictions

Cinnamon Janzer

March 05, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

After California legalized marijuana, it offered people a way to erase their marijuana-related criminal records. But few tried, in part because the process was difficult. Code for America's Clear My Record initiative automated the process by creating lists of cases eligible for expungement and notifying counties that they could easily take the next step. As a result, 140,000 convictions have been reduced or dismissed, relieving those people of the burden of a criminal record when applying for a job. CFA is working to expand the program nationwide.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How NYC Is Stopping Textile Waste With Low-Tech Donation Bins

Hannah Chinn

February 24, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

RefashionNYC provides bins for commercial and residential buildings with more than 10 units, though the Department of Sanitation, to recycle clothes and textiles. When full, the contents are sorted by Housing Works, who either sells donations in their thrift shops, sends them to other nonprofit second-hand stores, or exports them to overseas markets. Clothing that is too damaged to be donated is sold to companies that reprocess them as rags or seat padding. 1,300 bins have been installed and over 12,200 tons of clothing and textiles have been diverted from landfills.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Vermont's Energy Efficiency Utility Is Helping Businesses Sweat the Small Stuff

Chad Small

February 23, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bennington, Vermont

To make their restaurant more energy efficient and to cut its carbon footprint, The Publyk House utilized the services of Efficiency Vermont, a publicly funded energy efficiency utility. As part of their Deep Energy Retrofit program, the utility helped install insulation, LED lighting, and high-efficiency appliances at the restaurant, allowing them to save 50 percent on energy in two years. Since the start of the program, 10 businesses have been able to cut their energy consumption in half.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Newark Water Coalition Is Bringing the City Clean Water Without Plastic Waste

Emily Nonko

February 18, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

Since it was reported that Newark’s lead levels in the city’s drinking water were higher than federal standards, the Newark Water Coalition installed a Water Box. This is a portable filtration system that removes contaminants to provide 10 gallons of clean water each minute. The organization worked with another nonprofit that implemented a Water Box in Flint, Michigan, to secure funding to install three others in the city.

Read More
Go to Original Story