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Helping Tenants and Landlords Resolve Issues — Before Going to Court

Jared Brey

May 19, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The city of Philadelphia piloted a mediation program that showed how landlord-tenant disputes could be resolved short of an eviction lawsuit. Though the program only lasted two months and heard just a handful of cases, it demonstrated that landlords will participate voluntarily in a system that can equalize a power imbalance and resolve disputes in ways that prove less damaging to both parties. Demand for the mediation program could ramp up if an expected wave of evictions hits because of the pandemic's effects on the economy.

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Are Tiny Homes the Solution to the Housing Crisis?

Clark Fouraker

February 27, 2020 |

NBCLX |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

Across the country, the use of tiny homes allows millenials with massive debt and other vulnerable populations to become homeowners without enormous mortgage payments. IN the North Texas suburb of Lake Dallas, the country's first tiny home neighborhood allows residents to pay fair mortgage payments while having a place of their own.

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Marin ‘Safe Harbor' program creates model for marinas

Libby Leyden

February 12, 2020 |

Half Moon Bay Review |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Half Moon Bay, California

California coastal towns address homelessness by supporting individuals who live on their boats - and those who want to move back to land. While many counties destroy or condemn boats that have been anchored long-term, areas like Half Moon Bay and Marin county work with individuals who want to find stable housing.

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Beyond the picket fence: How one city is creating more affordable housing

Mark Trumbull

February 03, 2020 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

In Minneapolis, a long-term affordable housing plan takes a comprehensive approach by addressing climate change, zoning, and equity as inherent in the modern housing crisis. By reducing single-family housing, cutting building costs with green technology, and asking neighbors to be a part of the decision-making process, the city is chiseling away at its affordable housing crisis.

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Seattle program makes homes affordable in a pricey market. Is it a model for Charlotte?

Lauren Lindstrom

December 10, 2019 |

The Charlotte Observer |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The Homestead Community Land Trust offers affordable home ownership in Seattle and the rest of King County, Washington, ensuring that there is always permanently affordable homes available. This opens up homeowner opportunities for those who have historically been excluded and serves as a stem in the tide of gentrification. This article includes personal testimony from people who live in the housing, and already the program has reduced buyers' costs by 30%.

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Charlotte could allow townhomes, duplexes, triplexes in traditional single-family neighborhoods

Nate Morabito

November 08, 2019 |

WCNC-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina looks to other major cities - like Grand Rapids, Michigan - for examples of success in multi-home zoning changes. To address the lack of affordable housing in Charlotte, some city officials are proposing legislation that would allow single-home plots to house additional structures, making room for more people on the same acreage of land.

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How solar ‘skin' helped an Indiana homeowner win a fight for rooftop panels

Kari Lydersen

October 15, 2019 |

Energy News Network |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

After the homeowners association denied his request to install solar panels on his roof due to their aesthetic, Indianapolis-resident Joey Myles used SolarSkin to disguise the panels to look like asphalt shingles. The company Sistine Solar makes these films that coat solar panels in various images that can be used to blend in with roofs or other forms of artwork. The panels with skins only generate about 85 percent of energy as those without skins, but they can withstand extreme weather.

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Finding Home: When Eviction Looms, Landlords Have Lawyers. Now More Tenants Do, Too.

Mary Newsom

September 30, 2019 |

WFAE |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

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.

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Everybody Needs a Home

David Byrne

September 25, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The Housing First model proposes finding homes for the unhoused without requiring employment, stability, or sobriety in order to qualify. Getting people off the street first and then helping them stay there through various services has been shown to be a successful approach to alleviating homelessness. Proponents of the model argue that having housing provides a foundation that allows people to remain sober, take medications, work, and function - all of which is more difficult to do consistently when sleeping on the streets or in a shelter.

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How to Build a New Park So Its Neighbors Benefit

Laura Bliss

September 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Several projects across the U.S. are emerging as models for how parks and green spaces can be developed in low-income neighborhoods without spurring the displacement of current residents ("greening without gentrification"). Some successful tools include community land trusts, local construction and operations workforces, and affordable housing preservation provisions.

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