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

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  • Meet Pakistan's Barefoot Entrepreneurs

    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.

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  • How Fines and Fees Reform Became a Priority for Cities Across the Country

    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.

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  • Advocates eye community land trusts to increase access to homeownership

    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.

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  • This Bank Hired a Community Organizer and Here's What Happened Next

    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.

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  • Honeycomb Credit expands to Philly to help small business owners get crowdsourced loans

    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.

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  • Microlending Sparks Hope and Renewal in Rochester, N.Y.

    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.

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  • Baltimore crime crisis: How about trying something that worked before?

    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.

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  • 'Fixing this takes more than arrest': Riverside County forgives warrants, fines to help homeless

    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.

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  • Are 'ableist' economies depriving themselves of the purple pound?

    Although Indonesia is making efforts to improve disability rights, progress is slow. In the meantime, a group called Economic Empowerment for Entrepreneurs with Disability (EEED) was formed in partnership with the British Council’s DICE (Developing Inclusive Creative Economies) program. Participants in the program learn entrepreneurial skills by creating their own social enterprise, supplemented by lessons in things like marketing and management. This helps those in Indonesia with disabilities become socioeconomically independent and able to envision a develop a meaningful vision of the future.

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

    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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