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Atlanta's Trying to Support, Not Punish, Its Teenage Water Vendors

Adina Solomon

September 15, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

Teens selling water on the sweltering streets of Atlanta are typically dealt with by police officers who often crack down on "unpermitted sales of water by youth." In a new approach, city officials convened a council to offer alternatives to police action and suggested ways to promote and develop the entrepreneurial spirit in teens through a variety of programs. The council looked to a similar program in Baltimore that re-engaged windshield-washing teens in school and re-directed others to full-time jobs.

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How a Charlotte Nonprofit Links Landlords With People Experiencing Homelessness

Jared Brey

September 15, 2020 |

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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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Investors Want to Align Their Dollars with Racial Justice Demands

Oscar Perry Abello

September 08, 2020 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Investors are using their clout to call for racial justice through the investment consulting firm Activest. The firm is attracting millions of dollars from companies that want to make fiscal justice investments. In a bid to use investments to fuel the grassroots criminal justice movement, Activest is alerting municipal bond investors when the city of Chicago uses those bonds for police brutality settlements. Activest has lined up $100 million from investors who want to make fiscal justice investments through municipal bonds which would then allow them to have a say over how it is, or is not, spent.

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How Philadelphia Has Tried to Address Water Debt

Emily Nonko

September 01, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

An income-based payment structure has alleviated water debt in Philadelphia. Decreasing federal aid to municipal water utilities in conjunction with rising costs associated with climate change has increased the cost of water, making it unaffordable for many. Philadelphia created an income-based program, which caps water bills at three percent of income. The Tiered Assistance Program, or TAP, also provides debt elimination for those who make their minimum payments. Advocates have successfully pushed for similar reforms in Baltimore.

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‘Digital Detroit' Works to Bridge Digital Divide for Small and Micro Businesses

Kristi Eaton

August 25, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

The city of Detroit is offering business services to entrepreneurs who want to bring their business online in the aftermath of the pandemic. Digital Detroit is the name of the program offering content creation and website development completely free of charge for a variety of businesses. Over 100 businesses were selected for the five-week program, helping the entrepreneurs to move their services online, creating, and launching websites as well as establishing social media presence, all of which has gone a long way in increasing sales and profits.

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How to Design a Street for Hands-Off Play

Elissaveta M. Brandon

August 25, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Harlem, New York

PLAY NYC, a nonprofit in New York, is reviving a historic pop-up playground concept, which started over two decades ago, in order to increase children's access to playgrounds and physical activity. The concept is simple—take over a street, build, and design an interactive playground, and follow social distancing guidelines, but every street and community comes with its own set of challenges. Most of the play streets offer "no -touch obstacle course, exercise activities, and learning experiences" across low-income neighborhoods in New York.

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This Chicago Nonprofit Supports Incarcerated Youth and Local Businesses During the Pandemic

Nicolette White

August 21, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Liberation Library, a Chicago-based nonprofit, provides books for incarcerated youth. The nonprofit fills the youths' book requests and has also partnered with five Chicago-based bookstores, where shoppers can purchase gift cards on behalf of the nonprofit. Since the onset of the pandemic, it has sent more than 1,100 books, more than double its usual number, along with card games, snacks and art supplies.

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Virtual Bronx Internships Put Youth First

Emily Nonko

August 20, 2020 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

The Thinkubator, a Bronx-based nonprofit, launched "Thinkubator Solves" a virtual internship program that pairs Bronx high school students with local businesses. The paid one-month summer internship allows students to collaborate with employers who are struggling to cope with pandemic-related challenges. Students were grouped into teams who worked with organizations like Legal Aid and Advocates for Children of New York, Bronx Public Schools and a local restaurant.

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How Europe's Greenest Capital Is Saving City Trees

Edward Belleville

August 03, 2020 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Berlin

Cities around the world are using apps and interactive platforms to encourage resident volunteers to care for their urban forests. For example, in Berlin, Gieß den Kiez (Water the Neighborhood) is an app that allows users to watch their local trees and water them in times of need. When the app launched, there were 1,000 unique users and over 7,000 individual tree waterings in the first six weeks. However, the cost of planting and maintaining trees can be expensive and where the trees are located in cities and who benefits from them is not always equitable.

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Why We Should Lower the Voting Age to 16

James A. Anderson

July 20, 2020 |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Research shows that voting at a young age leads to lifelong civic engagement and several cities and countries have lowered their voting ages. In the handful of democracies that allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, they also show that they turnout in large numbers. Austria was the first EU country to allow 16-year-olds to vote and in 2014 their turnout was 64%, compared to 56% for voters 18-20. Takoma Park, Maryland allows 16-year-olds to vote, and in 2015 45% of them turned out compared to 21% overall. The national movement is slow, and not gaining a lot of traction, but changes can happen at the local level.

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