A new program helps formerly haredi Orthodox New Yorkers find stable housing

For years, policymakers have debated different approaches to helping the poor , but new data offers resounding evidence for a strategy that works: an approach known as a “Graduation” program. This method offers participants a “productive asset” to generate income with training on how to use it, as well as the resources (such as healthcare, food, loans, and coaching) to maintain the asset while building a pathway out of poverty.

Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol), a government-backed Bangladeshi energy and infrastructure group, is helping bring solar power to homes in rural Bangladesh that once relied on dangerous kerosene or expensive diesel for electricity. The keys to Idcol’s expansion are financing plans that cater to lower-income people, as well as partnerships with 56 grass-roots organizations like the microfinance institution Grameen. Solar energy is reliable, clean, and more cost effective in the long run, and has become a lifeline for low-income Bangladeshis living beyond access of the main grid.

An Oakland nonprofit incubator, The Runway Project, addresses racial and economic injustices in entrepreneurship by offering flexible loans for people of color and low-income individuals looking to start a business. Borrowers benefit from flexible loan terms and qualifications, both of which are usually barriers to entry for people of color in the business world.

A collaborative funding organization called the Runway Project gives loans to primarily Black entrepreneurs in the Oakland area. The initiative aims to address racial disparities in startup capital by reducing the financial risk of starting a business. The program also includes personalized support as a "wrap around" approach to the lending process.

A group of young, single mothers is supporting each other through a savings group that provides loans to its members. Participants can take out loans to buy livestock, invest in business ventures, or learn new skills. The informal loan network is a form of mutual aid and is a means of improving their financial situation.

Grants for women living in refugee camps have helped recipients start businesses and learn new skills, allowing them to improve their quality of life. Additionally, the women created an informal cooperative and take turns investing a percentage of proceeds from each successful business into another member’s business.

During the pandemic, indigenous communities received massive federal funding through the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, and the Relief and Economic Security Act for a number of needs, like infrastructure and tribal housing improvements. Many indigenous entities received smaller funds too. But COVID exacerbated several long-pending and neglected issues, local officials and tribal members say, and the funding does not sufficiently address them in the longterm.

As climate change increases flooding in the area, residents of Vermont’s Tri-Park Cooperative mobile home community can relocate to safer locations out of the flood zone without increasing their monthly expenses. The offer is part of a program created by the co-op and the local government that will cover the costs of the new homes and buyouts.

Several community organizations and municipalities like the Office of Transgender Initiatives (OTI) have come together to decrease homelessness rates among the transgender population. OTI formed a Trans Advisory Committee which focused on budget and policy advocacy based on input from the transgender community to address homelessness and partnered with efforts like the Transgender District. All in all, these combined efforts have decreased transgender homelessness by 15% since 2019.

Commitment to Kashmir (CtoK) incubates small cohorts of young craftspeople, providing financial resources, technology support, and mentorship to support the growth of their craft enterprises. Since its founding in 2010, CtoK has helped 37 people establish businesses within and despite the myriad challenges that exist in a conflict zone.