In Detroit, volunteers go door to door to talk with their neighbors who have properties at risk of foreclosure. The initiative has contributed to a 90 percent decrease in foreclosures in the city since 2015.

In California, concerns due to ever-increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness is prompting state and city leaders to emulate strategies from New York and Chicago. Many of those strategies, like call centers, emphasize preventing homelessness in the first place by focusing on vulnerable individuals and families and linking them to emergency aid to help them avoid evictions.

Hurricane Maria left many properties and people in Puerto Rico completely devastated. One family decided to do what they could to begin the reconstruction process on their own by forming Solar Libre Puerto Rico - a volunteer organizing that brings emergency solar to the region.

A nonprofit in Berlin tests the success of the Universal Basic Income structure, which is founded on the idea that a monthly stipend awarded to all individuals can create an invigorated labor force and allow people to do what they love. The organization called Mein Grundeinkommen (My Basic Income), has found that recipients of the monthly cash stipend have become less anxious and more curious and willing to reimagine their dream job.

After the legacy of acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines in Appalachian Ohio, there are several initiatives working to clean up the rivers and streams. Change-agents from universities, local organizations, and the government joined together in the 1990s to use both active and passive methods of neutralizing the pH level of the streams. Since then, they've brought the pH acidity down from 4.5 to 7 and grown the number of fish species from 4 to 37, and efforts are still ongoing and optimistic.

Reducing inequality in the financial sector requires creating connections to underserved communities of color. In Boston, Berkshire Bank has begun an initiative to reach those who are “underbanked.” The bank’s new Reevex Labs facilities use coworking and event spaces to facilitate connections between communities and financial institutions. At Reevex locations, community members can connect to organizations like The Runway Project, which facilitates low-interest loans to entrepreneurs of color.

Bringing labor organizing practices to the art world strengthens the fight for equitable pay. Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) provides certification to arts organizations that agree to minimum pay standards. Artists and organizations can use payment calculators on the W.A.G.E website and track fee requests. W.A.G.E also acts as a negotiator for artist services, sending fee requests to other institutions.

Giving domestic workers a seat at the table elevates their voices and provides them with access to protections enshrined in labor laws. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the passage of the Philadelphia Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights extends worker protections to those previously left out of traditional labor laws. The new law, passed with the combined effort of the Pennsylvania Domestic Worker Alliance (PDWA), Philadelphia’s City Council, and the support of Philadelphia AFL-CIO, grants domestic workers access to employer-funded benefits and paid time off.

New York City has pioneered one of the nation's first programs to provide free legal services to low-income tenants under threat of eviction. Recent studies have indicated that evictions declined more in cities that had implemented right to counsel, and more cities are looking to follow New York's example as they work to prevent housing instability and homelessness.

In North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County, they’ve allocated funding for tenants to have access to free legal aid, provided by Legal Aid of North Carolina, in their eviction cases. With eviction often being the start of a downward spiral, having legal representation can help people prevent or delay their evictions. Beyond funding some legal aid, the courthouse also provides residents with information about evictions and their specialty eviction court.