March 16, 2023

As inflation and housing costs surge, more Americans, especially those with low incomes, are putting off medical care. A recent Gallup poll found 38 percent of Americans delayed medical care in 2022, up from 26 percent in 2021.  

Several mountain resort towns have experienced major housing shortages that affect their local workforce. Since 2020, five communities have partnered with Placemate, a company that offers financial incentives to homeowners to lease short-term rentals or empty homes to workers. Could this be a model for other towns experiencing similar housing and worker shortages?  

In Beaufort County, South Carolina, the effects of climate change—like strong storms, rising sea levels, and high temperatures and humidity—are hitting affordable housing residents hardest. They struggle to afford needed repairs or weatherization, leaving them vulnerable to future events.  

In the Twin Cities, a new energy model is connecting renters to the benefits of solar power. Developer Cooperative Energy Futures installed solar panels on five apartment buildings owned by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, an affordable housing nonprofit. The program combines various utility and city incentives to finance projects that cut renters’ utility bills by about a third.