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New development pairs public housing, library with aim of fostering community

Elvia Malagon

January 28, 2018 |

Chicago Tribune |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

In Chicago, three new projects are mixing affordable housing and a library in the same building. It is hoped that this will foster a sense of community as well as create job opportunities and programming for residents.

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We can draw school zones to make classrooms less segregated. This is how well your district does.

Alvin Chang

January 08, 2018 |

Vox |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

In many American districts, school segregation has returned to pre- Brown v. Board of Education levels. When determining attendance zones, most boards have gerrymandered districts to reinforce existing residential segregation. Alvin Chang asks, "But what if we used these school attendance zones to send kids to schools that aren't as homogenous as their neighborhoods?" In this story, Chang introduces new data and tells the story of a few places that have tried to defy the dominant trend of using schools as a tool for further segregation even as their actions sometimes lead to "white flight."

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How the Cuyahoga County Land Bank revitalizes homes

Ron Regan

December 27, 2017 |

WEWS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

At the worst point in the 2008 housing crisis, up to 30,000 houses in Cuyahoga County were vacant. The Cuyahoga County Land Bank aims to fix this problem by acquiring houses, eliminating blight, and transforming the houses into more useful spaces. Already, the Land Bank has turned old, empty properties into a Children’s Museum and an Amazon Fulfillment Center, and it has decreased the number of empty homes to about 7,000.

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Nuxalk people roll up their sleeves to construct a solution

Emilee Gilpin

December 19, 2017 |

National Observer |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Bella Colla, British Columbia

In the the Nuxalk Nation, the deep seated effects of colonialism were felt, literally. The Nation had a housing crisis, that was exacerbated by outside contractors and architects who built subar housing. In 2015, community leaders created an apprenticeship program that matched “Nuxalk apprentices with advanced skilled workers, members of the Nuxalk Nation are building their own homes with their own resources, just as their ancestors once did.”

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Strict landlord oversight in Minnesota offers Baltimore a model

Doug Donovan

December 17, 2017 |

The Baltimore Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis uses a stringent licensing system, which grades rental properties and leverages harsh punishments for landlords who rent out "subpar" properties, to improve living conditions for tenants. The approach has been recommended to Baltimore, which has historically been more lenient, but the strategy has also been accused of reducing affordable housing options and leaving tenants with few options if their landlord's license is revoked.

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New, $1 billion program will bring rooftop solar to California renters

Katy Murphy

December 16, 2017 |

San Jose Mercury News |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Sacramento, California

Renewable energy has largely been associate with wealthier consumers, but that is changing with a new initiative that will install solar panels for apartment buildings with low-income residents. The hope is that the money saved from the solar energy panels will benefit the low income residents, while also being beneficial in fighting climate change.

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With few resources, block clubs find ways to stabilize and rejuvenate communities across Detroit

Aaron Mondry

December 11, 2017 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Block clubs act as a more approachable way for residents of a certain area to come together, “and they’re also one of the most essential.” In several neighborhood of Detroit, block clubs have made impactful local changes. From handling safety issues without necessarily involving the police to caring for vacant properties to advocating for brighter street lights, these block clubs are making their communities better.

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Build, flood, rebuild: flood insurance's expensive cycle

David Hunn Ryan Maye Handy James Osborne

December 09, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

What was originally conceived of to help protect homes from flooding has instead trapped homeowners in an endless cycle of filing claims and rebuilding their homes. The National Flood Insurance Program was supposed to discourage development in flooding zones and ease the costs after disasters. With lobbying money and power from developers, realtors associations, and others with vested interests, any opportunity to redesign the system through Congress have haven’t gone far.

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Day care and mud guards: How health officials are building a firewall against deadly burns

Joanne Silberner

November 30, 2017 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

After studying where and how severe burns were happening to people in developing countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, it became clear what was needed for effective prevention. Inexpensive day care got children out of the home during the day when supervision could be lax, and mud walls around ground cooking fires provided additional household safety.

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Tahoe's Hot Commodities: Unraveling Decades of Development to Protect the Future

Amy Westervelt

November 28, 2017 |

Mountain Independent |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tahoe City, California

Lake Tahoe has been revered by planners as an area whose poor development was successfully halted with the creation of the Tahoe Regional Planning Association (TRPA). Now the TRPA has brought together a development rights working group to update how the land is used in order to confront a housing shortage and rules that are not in line with how the lake is used.

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