Stories
Thomas Kania is the grandson of Polish immigrants, people who he says came to the United States for opportunity. Now Kania, a real estate investor, says it’s their experience that has motivated him to help others looking for a bit of opportunity of their own — newly arrived Afghan refugees. “It’s basically the American spirit,”…
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Down a hill from an office park in White River Junction is a campsite tucked away in the woods. It’s beneath a highway corridor, on land owned by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. There’s a small green cabin next to a covered cooking area. Inside is a bed on a raised platform, neatly made. Battery-powered…
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Dione Dwyer lives in Bridgeport, Conn.’s largest public housing complex, P.T. Barnum Apartments. She remembers moving in 19 years ago and just being thankful for something to call her own. At the time, she was a single mother to two young daughters and had no stable income. She had been living with her father, a…
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It’s no secret that affordable housing can be hard to come by in Maine. Home prices are up nearly 30% compared to this time last year, according to the Maine Association of Realtors. Meanwhile, skyrocketing demand for rental units has overwhelmed an already limited housing stock. The severe lack of affordable housing poses a particular…
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When the pandemic first hit, Dezyre Lewis found herself unemployed and unable to pay the rent for her Dorchester apartment. “It’s just been a really uncomfortable situation,” Lewis said. “If I’m not making any money to pay my landlord, my landlord isn’t making any money to pay her mortgage.” Lewis applied for rental assistance through…
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Gov. Phil Scott says an executive order he signed Tuesday will allow Vermont to continue drawing down federal aid even after the state of emergency lifts, but advocates for low-income Vermonters say they remain concerned about the loss of housing and food aid for vulnerable residents. On Monday the governor lifted all remaining COVID-related public…
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In the past year, student activists have been hard at work to make change in their communities. Among them: 16-year-old Minelle Sarfo-Adu. On a Tuesday in late May, Minelle and I sat at a picnic table by the South Burlington condo she lives in with her mom. When Minelle was in 8th grade, she moved…
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Vermont’s housing market, which was tight before the pandemic, has gotten even worse. The number of homes available in Vermont dropped by almost 70% over the past year, according to the Vermont Association of Realtors. The trend has jump-started conversations about supporting more middle-income housing across Vermont. State officials have spent a lot of time…
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Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the state reopens, domestic violence prevention advocates say the need for support services remains high. Every day, Neyda DeJesus answers calls from domestic violence survivors seeking…
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