Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Need Food Stamps? Ask A Librarian

    Libraries have expanded their roles to be community centers where people can connect with social services and other local agencies for needs from homelessness to food insecurity to mental illness. Libraries are one of the few places where people receive access to resources at no charge and are meeting this need by hiring social workers and other specialized staff.

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  • This Woman Was a Pavement Dweller, Today She Runs a Sanitary Pad Manufacturing Unit

    In the slums of India, living on the street as a "pavement dweller" is a daily struggle for survival - and being a woman on the street is even more terrifying. Organizations like Mahila Milan and the Myna Mahila Foundation are working to help lift women up out of homelessness through the empowerment of employment and breaking crippling cultural taboos.

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  • IDB Aims to Catalyze Energy Efficiency in Latin America

    Barriers, such as lack of standardization and information dispersion, are preventing market development for global financing of energy-efficient projects. The Inter-American Development Bank's Energy Savings Insurance Team has developed a scheme that could increase investments resulting in greater energy efficiency; through implementations such as standardized contracts, market auditors, and an engagement framework.

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  • Artificial Intelligence and Decarbonization

    As electric utilities expand to include evolving forms of energy such as varied renewables, the already complex puzzle of storage and distribution (effectively addressing surges and lulls in demand) has grown more difficult. Artificial intelligence in the form of super speed algorithms that can detect usage patterns and allocate the right types of energy at the right times is a straightforward solution that can reduce costs and emissions simultaneously, while encouraging consumer behavior change to maximize efficiency.

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  • This Online Lender Uses Data Analytics To Serve Borrowers Who Lack Credit Scores

    Historically, banks have been largely hesitant to give small loans to individuals, particularly those with little or no credit history, which includes many immigrants and minorities. But an institution called Oportun is willing to bet on the underserved while still staying profitable as a business - they provide increased access to loans by leveraging a solid screening process, online resources, and credit score support for their customers.

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  • The Tiny-House Village That Started a Movement

    The economic growth along the West coast has been huge, but the population increase has also increased housing costs, pushing thousands onto the streets. In response, the non-profit Panza has developed a novel approach to sheltering the homeless. With an affordable land lease from the county, and financial support from the state and local community organizations, Panza has created a "tiny-house village" that has offered space, safety and support for individuals to overcome their financial hardships and find jobs and housing on their own.

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  • Rethinking Homeless Shelters From the Ground Up

    The homeless population in NYC stands at the highest number since the Great Depression. The Bowery Residents Committee has suggested changes to how shelters emerge, run and are funded. With a focus on results-based funding, the BRC advocates for the prioritization of impact on the people served. It rewards locations that demonstrate a high ratio of people moving in to those returning; "building to the function" of helping people re-enter society; and eliminating private landlords.

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  • How Vienna Conquered Its Own Filth

    With the staggering amounts of garbage produced by modern lifestyles, waste disposal is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge for communities around the world. Vienna has tackled the trouble of trash with an innovative system, channeling the heat from incineration to warm homes and provide hot water, recovering reusable items from the waste stream and selling them in a special shop, and proactively educating the populace about how to reduce waste.

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  • Taking On Recidivism: Larry Platt speaks with Attorney General Josh Shapiro

    Pennsylvania's attorney general may sound more like a defense attorney as he lays out plans to focus more resources on helping people returning from incarceration integrate into society. But Josh Shapiro insists his approach is pragmatic and he helped launch a statewide re-entry council that coordinates efforts among 21 local coalitions and also brings in services providers and state agencies. The effort is using a comprehensive approach to address crime, including addiction treatment, housing and education.

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  • Tiny houses on the rise in Maine to solve cost and environment problems

    In an economy where even employed individuals are unable to find affordable housing, a few initiatives - such as Habitat for Humanity in Maine - are creatively responding to this challenge. Tiny homes offer a dignified, affordable, and accessible solution to housing for individuals and families that would otherwise not be able to find affordable housing.

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