Naperville family's creative home solution for son with autism

In a pilot program in a Canadian city, the working poor were given monthly cash supplements to their income. The recipients did not stop working and were able to access opportunities to make a better living long term.

The living conditions in refugee camps in the Middle East are very poor. Architects are piloting the Re:Build construction system that utilizes materials in the natural environment to construct homes, schools, and clinics. The system engages refugees in the process of building so that they can take ownership of their success and develop skills to integrate in returning to their home country.

A startling 70% of blind persons in the United States are unemployed. The Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind is helping shift the understanding of what types of jobs are available to this population with a revolutionary factory built specifically for its blind employees. Each machine is retrofitted to be used safely and easily, empowering individuals to become more independent. This video takes you inside the factory to meet some of the workers.

In Michigan, private design firm Civilla successfully pitched a human-centered redesign of the state's unwieldy and redundant public benefits form. By highlighting and emphasizing the experience that applicants had with the old firm, Civilla convinced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to make a change, and the new form is now 22% more likely to be completed.

For the growing number of adults with autism or other neurodivergencies, the First Place apartment complex is purposely designed to provide services and independent living, and to combat long waits for other supportive housing. The complex is one of the first of its kind and has a variety of funding sources, but at a monthly rent of $3300, it's not affordable for all families.

A Colorado bike builder creates adapted cycles for athletes who otherwise rely on wheelchairs for mobility. The cycles allow adventurous people with disabilities to ride trails and access difficult terrain.

A unique issue in Japan is that of the “Hikikomori” – men who have totally withdrawn from society, often as a response to bullying, depression, or trauma. The NGO, New Start, offers a “rental sister” program, which provide the Hikikomori with an older female mentor to interact with and guide them toward more independent lives. Along the way, the hope is that they’ll build trusting relationships and practice social engagement.

As colleges and universities across the United States have shifted to online classes and shut down their campuses, not every student simply has the ability to move home. To help support these students, many of whom are low-income or international, the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project began working with local communities to find housing for displaced students, as well as to provide other support like money or supplies.

Ubytovny pro sociálně slabé občany jsou předražené a nenabízí životní stabilitu. Alternativu přináší projekt Housing First, který se po úspěšném pilotním spuštění v Brně začal šířit Českem. Pomáhá lidem v nouzi najít stabilní bydlení a s ním i cestu zpět do aktivního života. V rámci celé republiky se má projekt rozšířit do 16 měst a pomoct stovkám lidí. Dosavadní výsledky projektu ukazují, že stabilní bydlení rodinám pomáhá řešit i další problémy. Přesto projekt stále čelí výzvám. Jednou z nich je například sousedské soužití, ohledně kterého se objevují stížnosti.

Impact Justice’s Homecoming Project helps formerly incarcerated individuals secure housing by pairing them with homeowners renting out a spare bedroom or studio space in their homes. Impact Justice pays the homeowner for six months, providing the formerly incarcerated participant with enough time to rebuild and acclimate to life outside of prison without the burden of paying rent. The Homecoming Project is meant to be an alternative to transitional housing that can sabotage the formerly incarcerated person’s independence.