Curbing Commercial Energy Use Through Equitable Legislation Design
New Orleans is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving building energy efficiency. It has successfully reduced energy use in its City buildings and launched the Downtown Energy Challenge. Despite restrictions on regulating natural gas use in private buildings, the City aims to lead by example and encourage others... Read more
Affordable Housing, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Resilience
The Durham Housing Authority recognizes the ongoing challenge of preserving affordable housing and aims to address it by incorporating climate resilience and sustainable design principles. By partnering with FUSE, they seek to assess funding opportunities, improve the health and energy efficiency of existing and new affordable housing, and develop a... Read more
Carbon Neutrality Through Retrofitting Housing
With the election of their new Mayor in 2021, Boston, MA committed to a radical rethinking of their systems to begin addressing these issues through Boston’s Green New Deal. Under this plan, almost 80% of Boston’s buildings will need to undergo deep energy retrofits and decarbonization in order to meet... Read more
Supporting an Inclusive Built-Environment by Removing Barriers to Services
San José is the tenth most populous city in the United States and the economic, cultural, and political center of Silicon Valley. While the region has experienced incredible economic growth, a lack of affordable housing threatens the long-term success of its residents, particularly San Jose’s Hispanic and low-income residents who... Read more
Energy, Equity, & Climate Agenda
In 2021, U.S. cities experienced twenty natural disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage each. Man-made disasters (e.g., terrorism, power outages, cyber-attacks) also inflict severe damage. The City of Atlanta is working to mitigate climate change and build residents’ resilience through a variety of pathways, with an emphasis... Read more
Addressing Residential Displacement Through Tenant Engagement
Between 2010 and 2016, over 500,000 Bay Area residents were at high risk for displacement. These displacements are disproportionately occurring in Latino, Asian, and Black neighborhoods that also experience more overcrowding and poverty than citywide averages. While displacement is a complex market-created phenomenon, San José is taking a leading role... Read more
Economic Sustainability Through Affordable Housing
Across America, the growing housing crisis is causing negative consequences for citizens, especially for low-middle income (LMI) families, resulting in a ripple effect on the economy. Kansas’s major metropolitan centers, such as Kansas City, are feeling the effects of these shortages; the already low supply of available, affordable housing continues... Read more
A Data-driven Approach to Addressing King County’s Housing Crisis
Like other prosperous American counties, greater King County currently finds itself in the position of possessing both enormous amounts of wealth and staggering levels of homelessness. King County has enjoyed robust economic growth over the past decade, with both Amazon and Microsoft establishing headquarters in the region. Despite these economic... Read more
Dismantling Barriers to Homeownership Through Innovative Programs and Policies
For many Americans, the dream of owning a home – often considered the best way to build wealth in this country – is increasingly out of reach and unaffordable. In Kansas City, for many residents, this is the reality. While over 50% of Kansas City residents own their homes, there... Read more
Advancing Racial Equity in LA County’s Homeless Services System
Los Angeles County is celebrated for its diverse mix of nationalities, cultures, identities, and languages. This cultural richness is stifled by stark racial and socioeconomic inequities that manifest in disparities in health, economic mobility, housing, and homelessness—particularly for communities of color. Black/African American people made up 40% of the total... Read more