Who Can Breathe in Lane County?

Though homelessness is an entrenched and complex problem, small solutions can make a difference in the daily life of homeless individuals. Lockers for overnight cell phone storage in a homeless shelter in Chicago are significant: people can wake up with a sense of security, knowing their phones will be available to help find jobs or stay in touch with loved ones. This is part of the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative, which as since funded 755 storage unites at homeless shelters across Chicago.

In California’s wildfire-prone Sierras, forest managers are turning to an ancient, if not quite intuitive, tool: more fire. In 2019, the Forest Service will manage 250,000 acres with controlled burns and “mechanical thinning,” using equipment to take out small trees. Though such plans face some hurdles, states across the country are adopting them, reducing wildfire severity while often benefiting ecosystems.

Atlanta has seen a decline in rates of people experiencing homelessness from 2008-2018, a trend that is particularly meaningful as other cities contend with stubbornly high numbers. Part of the solution? A new source of more flexible and consistent funding allowing non-profits to provide the assistance needed and help get people into permanent supportive housing.

A tiny home and RV community outside of Austin, Texas does more than house the homeless; it provides community and economic independence. With backing from local business, nonprofits, and religious institutions, Community First Village houses over 200 people and provides residents with ways to find jobs in the community as well as access to healthcare information and services. With homelessness on the rise in Austin, Texas, one community has a solution that includes housing, employment and above all a sense of social connection.

A coalition of local groups in the Cowichan region focused on the welfare of vulnerable populations during COVID-19 opened five tenting sites that have provided people experiencing homelessness with safety, meals, and access to service. The temporary solution, pending the opening of 100 units of housing to open in 2021, has uncertain financing after its initial $392,000 phase. But, almost immediately, the well-managed sites have had a visible effect: many fewer people wandering the streets.

The state of Vermont has been able to keep COVID-19 cases to a minimal, at least in part by focusing on offering preventive protections for the most at-risk and vulnerable – such as the unhoused. The state's response has included "state-supported housing for the homeless, hazard pay, meal deliveries, and free, pop-up testing in at-risk communities," all of which prioritize high-risk populations rather than those who can easily self-isolate at home.

The Golden Girls shelter has been providing meals, medical aid, and other support services for women with children who are experiencing homelessness. Since the Golden Girls living space opened, the program has served a total of 50 women ranging in age from the early 50s to late 70s. While at the shelter, staff members help them complete paperwork so they can receive Social Security payments, pensions, or alimony, and apply for affordable housing. They’re also provided medical care, counseling, and assistance finding jobs.

Fortify Life takes a holistic approach to addressing homelessness and also provides emergency and long-term stays in a renovated motel for people experiencing homelessness. Long-term guests participate in a micropayment program that teaches them how to budget and become financially self-sufficient. Since 2021, Fortify Life has helped 179 families with emergency or transitional housing.

After a clean air zone was created in London, where vehicles have to pay a daily fee to enter unless they meet strict pollution standards, more young students in the area began walking and biking to school.

A locally-owned wood lot in Oakridge, Oregon, collects piles of debris from the surrounding forest that could become fuel for wildfires and turns it into firewood for the community. Alongside wildfire mitigation, the business reduces the air pollution residents create when their only option is to burn wet wood for heat.