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Variety of programs help create path to home ownership for Ypsi area residents

Sarah Rigg

July 17, 2019 |

Concentrate |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ypsilanti, Michigan

In Ypsilanti, Michigan, aspiring homeowners in the quickly gentrifying town are taking advantage of some lesser known programs to help people save up for down-payments and build credit. Those programs and other financial services and classes are helping people own homes in towns across the region.

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This DC apartment building provides low-income families with solar power and a resilience center

Natasha Riddle

June 27, 2019 |

Greater Greater Washington |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Solar energy allows for housing that is both affordable and resilient to climate change and other emergencies. In Washington D.C., Jubilee Housing, non-profit that creates affordable housing, partnered with New Partners Community Solar Corp. to create a building with a solar array that reduces utility costs, and a Resiliency Center, a multi-use space that serves as an aid distribution point during emergencies. The building is part of Washington D.C.’s commitment to remaining on the list of 100 Resilient Cities.

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This ‘Innovative' Housing Program Serves Just 3 Households

Sophie Quinton

April 17, 2019 |

Stateline |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

While a partnership between the city of Denver and surrounding businesses sparked an affordable housing program, the city still wants to push the program to a much larger scale. The program rent-controls specific apartments for folks spending more than 30% of their income on rent, though only a small number of individuals have been served thus far.

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Energy Equity: Bringing Solar Power to Low-Income Communities

Maria Gallucci

April 04, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

Dozens of states across the US are adopting programs that offer solar power for low-income communities in order to cut down on their utility costs and provide renewable energy that they previously would not have had access to. Some of these programs also incorporate other social goals into their programs, such as offering job training or developing sites of backup energy should there an outage. Solar development is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the US, and analysts predict that the nation will be able to hold over 2,000 megawatts of solar capacity this year alone.

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Schools help teachers with a new kind of homework: finding a place to live

Story Hinckley

March 05, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Thoreau, New Mexico

In Thoreau, New Mexico, many of the district's teachers live in the "teacherage," a neighborhood of modest, affordable homes set aside for the town's educators. Thoreau's model, which offers rent subsidization and a built-in community, is just one example of strategies rural and urban areas are using to combat teacher shortages and low teacher salaries.

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New York Has a Public Housing Problem. Does London Have an Answer?

Michael Kimmelman

March 01, 2019 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London, England

It takes political will to create mixed-income housing and manage the social impacts of gentrification. In contrast to New York, the London borough of Hackney has taken steps to fix its housing crisis by putting the interests of residents ahead of the interests of developers. Several housing developments slated for development in the East London neighborhood now blend subsidized and market-rate units.

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With no upfront costs, this innovative financing tool makes energy efficiency affordable to all

Nate Berg

February 26, 2019 |

Ensia |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Aulander, North Carolina

North Carolina’s Roanoke Electric Cooperative is helping members bring down energy costs. Because the energy costs in this area is due to a lack of energy efficiency, the cooperative offers tariffed on-billing to help homes offset expenses like insulation and new heat pumps. The tariffed on-billing uses federal loans to pay for said expenses, and then the customer pays the tariff charge in their bill – which ends up being lower because of the energy efficient upgrades.

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Keeping Affordability in Focus As Columbus Revitalization Picks up Steam

Jared Brey

February 19, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio aims to make housing more affordable by enacting he Central Ohio Community Land Trust; the community land trust uses ideas from other national affordable financing models to ensure low-income Columbus residents can afford safe, clean housing. The land trust keeps housing affordable in neighborhoods where rents are steadily rising in an effort to create equitable mixed-income communities.

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Cities across Colorado saw how gentrification impacted Denver. They're trying to avoid the same pitfalls.

Kevin Simpson

February 06, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fort Collins, Colorado

As gentrification drives involuntary displacement in Denver, Colorado, the city planners elsewhere in Colorado aim to avoid the same fate by instituting policy safeguards. Fort Collins has put in extra protection for mobile home parks, one of the only viable housing options for low-income residents, and another city program controls utility costs.

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'Shared equity' model for U.S. housing boosts home ownership for poorer families

Gregory Scruggs

January 21, 2019 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Durham, North Carolina

A community land trust in North Carolina uses a "shared equity" model to help minority and low income people obtain access to affordable housing. The trust owns the land underneath the house, therefore holding onto the majority of the wealth of the property and allowing homes to be sold below market value.

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