Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 579 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

What a Public Bank Can Do for Real People

Oscar Perry Abello

February 19, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, North Dakota

Public banking has allowed the state of North Dakota to flourish economically in a way that private banking there would not have enabled. From hospitals, to childcare centers, business development programs, and student loans, the state-owned Bank of North Dakota has subsidized local resources that give residents a better quality of life and access to more opportunities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Poor credit is a barrier to affordable housing. Lending circles are a tool for those in poverty

Nicole Hayden

February 14, 2020 |

Desert Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Coachella Valley, California

Lift to Rise, a Coachella Valley nonprofit that pushes for housing and poverty policy change, launched a local lending circle program aimed at serving minority residents break the cycle of poverty. Partnered with San Francisco-based Mission Asset Fund, the lending circle helps those with poor credit or no credit at all to build up a spending history, have access to loans, create a savings account, improve their score, and more. Since 2008, Mission Asset Fund has partnered with more than 50 organizations across the U.S. to provide lending circles to more than 9,000 clients.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Meet Pakistan's Barefoot Entrepreneurs

Adeel Ahmed

February 13, 2020 |

Pioneers Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Sindh

Pakistan's poorest citizens, who previously panhandled for their basic needs, were launched onto an entrepreneurial path by the Heritage Foundation Pakistan. Eight impoverished communities have been trained in the craft of glazed tile work and terracotta art to lift the participants out of poverty. The program also created a market of interdependence, so the villages can purchase goods from one another, freeing them from relying on cities for their livelihood.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Fines and Fees Reform Became a Priority for Cities Across the Country

Emma Coleman

February 06, 2020 |

Route Fifty |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Durham, North Carolina

From North Carolina to California, states and cities are taking a new approach to fines and fees – people are having their charges dismissed, warrants for minor offenses cleared, and many municipalities are actually saving money by spending less on collections. With a system that was built because it provided cities and states with revenue, there has been a realization that it disproportionately targets communities of color and often keeps people stuck in cycles of debt. With this national awakening, resources and networks are being created so other places can implement the same change.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Advocates eye community land trusts to increase access to homeownership

Martin Moylan

February 04, 2020 |

MPR News |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Minnesota

A nonprofit community land trust has helped increase the supply of affordable housing in Minnesota by buying the land beneath houses to subsidize homeownership. By owning the land and covering construction and repair expenses, the trust is able to keep the price of homes down even as values rise, keeping low and moderate-income households in their homes until they sell to the next family seeking affordable homeownership. The only drawback is that homeowners get just a small portion of any value gains in the home.

Read More
Go to Original Story
This Bank Hired a Community Organizer and Here's What Happened Next

Oscar Perry Abello

January 28, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

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.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Honeycomb Credit expands to Philly to help small business owners get crowdsourced loans

Jessica Press

January 14, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in Pittsburgh, Honeycomb Credit expands to Philadelphia as a way to offer small businesses help with microfinance challenges. The company hosts a platform that allows businesses to create fundraising profiles; community members can watch a video about the business and decide to invest and receive monthly payouts from their contribution.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Microlending Sparks Hope and Renewal in Rochester, N.Y.

David Kidd

January 07, 2020 |

Governing |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

In 2016, the city of Rochester, NY partnered with Kiva—a crowd-funded microlender—to serve aspiring or established small-business owners. Their partnership offers interest-free loans, and already 20 of the loans have been fully repaid. This article looks at six different case studies of residents who have benefitted from the program.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Baltimore crime crisis: How about trying something that worked before?

Dan Rodricks

January 01, 2020 |

The Baltimore Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

When Baltimore put the necessary resources behind a “call-in” program that intervenes with people likely to commit gun violence, from 2006 to 2012, homicides dropped by 30% and shootings by 40%. The program, which no longer is used in the city consistently enough or with sufficient resources, summons people on probation or parole for gun crimes. A panel of law enforcement, social workers, and community members pairs the threat of federal prosecution and imprisonment with social services to help people build a new life. This approach has been shown in many cities to be effective at reducing violence.

Read More
Go to Original Story
'Fixing this takes more than arrest': Riverside County forgives warrants, fines to help homeless

Nicole Hayden

December 27, 2019 |

Desert Sun |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Indio, California

In Indio, California, the Community Outreach Resource Program (CORP) partners law enforcement with social supportive services as a way of holistically working with people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, or drug abuse. The collaboration partners select officers, mental health professionals, transition and homeless shelters, detox centers, affordable housing, caseworkers, amongst other services, to make sure that those enrolling in the program have the highest probability of sustained success.

Read More
Go to Original Story