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Undocumented Workers Who Power New York's Economy Finally Get Pandemic Aid

Amy Yee

September 23, 2021 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Thousands of undocumented immigrants who lost their jobs during the pandemic can now receive aid through New York's Excluded Workers Fund. The $2.1 billion fund is the largest of its kind and the result of 18 months of lobbying, protests, and campaigning by community groups. Approved applicants can qualify for $15,600 or $3,200, depending on their ability to prove New York residence, previous employment, and lost income. Applications and fund information is made available in 13 languages and partnerships with grassroots organizations has been critical to reaching people who are eligible to apply.

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The hotel for homeless people

Simon Maybin

September 14, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom

To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Everyone In initiative offers housing to people experiencing homelessness. In the first few months of the program, the government paid for hotel rooms – which were empty due to the pandemic – for about 15,000 people. Additional services provided include helping people with substance abuse issues, accessing welfare benefits, and finding permanent housing. Some hotel residents expressed a renewed sense of purpose from having stable housing. A new set of workers, like hotel staff, addressing homelessness for the first time also led to innovation.

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Opioid Crisis: Northern cities working toward supervised consumption sites

Frank Rupnik

August 31, 2021 |

Sudbury.com |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

Oasis is a supervised drug consumption site in Ottawa that reduces the risk of death from accidental overdose and reduces the spread of infectious diseases. In 2020, operating at reduced capacity because of COVID-19, the site had 18,500 visits with no fatalities reported. The site has five booths and distributes clean needles. After registering anonymously, users can spend up to 30 minutes in a booth with medical staff on site. They also have the option of moving to a post-injection space afterwards, which allows the staff more opportunities to connect with users and connect them to other services.

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Affordable housing expansion happening on Indy's west side

Stephanie Wade

June 09, 2021 |

WRTV-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

With 2,300 people on a wait list for affordable housing, the city of Indianapolis pumped $3 million into a vouchers program for 2021 that has already housed 672 people. Some of the vouchers are set aside for military veterans and their families experiencing homelessness. The city contracted with a national affordable-housing developer and property manager. The housing market has priced many people out of affordable, safe options. A new 61-unit development is under construction, with more homes dedicated to reducing the numbers of unhoused veterans.

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The 40-Year-Old System: How an upgrade could help the VEC solve payment problems

Caroline Coleburn

June 01, 2021 |

WTVR-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, South Carolina

If Virginia taxpayers who lost their jobs in the pandemic want to understand why their unemployment insurance payments lagged for months and why they couldn't get the Virginia Employment Commission on the phone, they could look to South Carolina. In 2017 that state took advantage of a grant to upgrade its computer systems. It was able to process payments much more quickly, needed many fewer call-center staff, and could help South Carolinians take advantage of enhanced pandemic benefits much sooner. Virginia has struggled to upgrade is decades-old systems, which were overwhelmed with calls and claims.

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Both lost jobs. She got paid. He waits. Where they live may be the reason why.

Shannon Lilly

June 01, 2021 |

WTVR-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, South Carolina

Four years before the pandemic caused unemployment compensation claims to spike, South Carolina took advantage of a federal grant to modernize its claims processing systems. That upgrade saved thousands of hours of time once claims rose sharply, which meant that people making legitimate claims got paid relatively quickly. That stands in contrast with the Virginia Employment Commission's huge backlog, which must be run through a decades-old system. The state was finally upgrading its systems when the pandemic put that work on hold, leaving some laid-off people in financial limbo for several months.

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College Accounts at Birth: State Efforts Raise New Hopes

Patricia Cohen

April 27, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma

SEED for Oklahoma Kids is a statewide effort to help newer generations climb the educational ladder and build assets. Parents are offered $1,000 in their newborn's name and set aside in a college savings account, destined to be used for pursuing college or trade school education. The concept of the program is not unique to Oklahoma. Other states like Nebraska, Illinois, Maine, Pennsylvania, and more have implemented similar programs. "Automatic enrollment in a saving program, with the ability to opt out, turns out to have a much higher participation rate than relying on individuals to take the initiative."

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Vaccination navigation: United Way's 2-1-1 has helped thousands get appointments

Conor Morris

April 15, 2021 |

FreshWater Cleveland |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

A phone line is helping Cuyahoga County residents schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments. By dialing 2-1-1 on a phone, residents will be connected to a trained navigator to help them register for a vaccination or answer other questions. Despite limited hours the vaccine registration is open, since it launched in late January 2021, the phone line has connected more than 52,000 calls to appointments.

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How satellite images are helping one country hand out cash

Richard Kenny Hannah Gelbart

March 24, 2021 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Togo

"Poverty maps" that combine satellite imagery and survey data enabled the Togolese government to target emergency pandemic charitable aid to the people in greatest need. Togo officials relied on the expertise of University of California-Berkeley researchers whose system interprets aerial images showing such factors as the density and condition of housing. Initially, 35,000 people received $13-$15 per month for five months to make up for the loss of jobs and small-business income during pandemic shutdowns. Applications were sought from targeted areas through advertising, and money was sent via mobile phones.

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Using satellite photos to help distribute cash

Hannah Gelbart

March 16, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Togo

Togo distributed money to people in need, including informal sector workers, by identifying them using machine learning. Algorithms search satellite photos for clues of poverty, using measures like building density, and individuals within those areas are found using mobile phone data as a proxy of their wealth. Media campaigns also encourage people to apply for assistance. Once eligibility is confirmed, the first of five monthly payments is instantly sent to their phone and can be collected at local pick-up points. People without mobile phones can use an inexpensive SIM card in a borrowed phone.

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