“Un solo empleo debería ser suficiente”. Cómo los trabajos de bajos salarios de Charlotte hacen que la vivienda sea inaccesible

Dallas has emerged as a national model for addressing homelessness with its systematic approach combining strict enforcement of anti-camping laws with comprehensive support services and permanent housing placement. The city works with over 150 partners, including police, shelters, and housing providers through its Continuum of Care program to patrol downtown, direct people to shelters, and transition them to permanent housing with wraparound services. They’ve moved more than 270 people off the streets and declared an end to downtown homelessness in May 2025.

Worker cooperatives like the bookstore/cafe Red Emma's partnered with other organizations to create Seed Commons, a national financing network that provides loans without requiring individual collateral. Seed Commons has distributed over $100 million in loans supporting 15,000 workers nationwide. In the Baltimore region specifically, the network has invested $25 million, created 250 ownership-track jobs, and supported 23 cooperatives.

Seattle’s democracy vouchers program provides residents with four $25 vouchers to donate to local political candidates of their choice, with the goal of making it easier for citizens to participate in local elections while also leveling the playing field for a wider range of candidates. Research on the program found that it has helped increase the number of unique donors and made local elections more competitive.

The Hong Kong Feed-in Tariff (FiT) Scheme is an ongoing government program that incentivizes rooftop solar adoption by allowing individuals and organizations to sell solar-generated electricity back to utility companies at rates higher than what customers pay for regular electricity.

Recicla Ricaurte por la Paz es una asociación comunitaria liderada por mujeres que desde 2017 ha desarrollado un sistema integral de recolección, clasificación y comercialización de residuos plásticos y cartón, creciendo de procesar 800 kilogramos cada tres meses a 7-8 toneladas mensuales, evitando así que estos materiales contaminen el río Güiza y lleguen al océano Pacífico, mientras genera ingresos económicos para sus integrantes en un territorio afectado por el conflicto armado y la falta de oportunidades laborales.

In response to recurring glacial flooding outbursts, Juneau has implemented an early warning dashboard, $8 million temporary flood barriers, and ongoing scientific research. The solutions are too new to demonstrate measurable flood damage reduction, but increased community participation in preparedness activities is one promising impact.

In 2016, Chile implemented warning labels on food packaging to alert consumers when a product was high in sugar, salt, saturated fat or artificial sweeteners as a way to warn and deter them from purchasing unhealthy foods. After implementing these labels, locals bought less unhealthy products, and manufacturers began using less unhealthy ingredients, inspiring other countries, like South Africa, to implement similar practices.

The AmeriCorps program places students and recent graduates in community service positions across the country, helping to fill local needs for everything from tutoring to wildlife management while also allowing participants to build valuable professional and academic skills. But recent federal cuts to the program's funding have put its future in jeopardy, with some participants being forced to leave their positions early.

South Africa's implementation of 6MMD (six multi-month dispensing) allows stable HIV patients to collect their antiretroviral medications only twice a year instead of monthly. The program aims to reduce clinic congestion and improve patient retention and consistent medication use.

To help shore up learning gaps in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, two Indiana middle schools doubled students’ instructional time in English and math, dedicating two class periods to each subject each day. The state also made it easier for schools to test students throughout the year instead of just once at the end of the year, providing checkpoints for educators to measure their progress and tailor instruction accordingly.