Stories produced in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network, focused on responses to social problems, and offering insights and exploring limitations of these proposals.
The great experiment
Can resident-owned mobile home parks save manufactured housing communities? The Sans Souci Community is something of a manufactured housing success story, at least so far. In late June, the residents of the nearly-11-acre property off Highway 93 in unincorporated Boulder County purchased the mobile home park from its corporate owners for $3.3 million. Sans Souci…
When police put use-of-force decisions under a microscope
In Northern Colorado, uses of force by police get examined by a team of investigators from different agencies. It can bring more transparency and objectivity to the process. But just how much do these investigations hold police accountable and increase trust? Judy Domina, left, says she wouldn’t call the police again, even if she faces…
All hands on deck
What role can tech giants play in affordable housing? Over the last few years technology giants have announced major pledges to affordable housing efforts in the cities where they office. Starting in January 2019, companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google all pledged substantial resources to address the housing crisis—$750 million, $1 billion, and $1 billion…
Opening up
Learning to talk about suicide “The thing that I was really amazed by is that nobody ever asked me, ‘Why did you kill yourself?’” Dave tells me as we talk about his attempted suicide that left him dead for somewhere between 10 and 13 minutes in 1994. “Nobody really asked me.” So I ask him.…
From Foreigner to Family Member
It took Martin Akwa almost three months to make it to the US-Mexico border from his native Cameroon. As part of the English-speaking western minority in Cameroon, Akwa says he had been marginalized for a long time. In retribution for his protests against the French-majority government, he was assaulted and left for dead. His father…
Podcast: Unhoused
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, communities already struggling to provide services to the unhoused are seeking to end an enduring problem with new solutions: preventing evictions and exploring opportunities for safe lots, urban campgrounds and tiny homes in addition to the national Housing First strategy. Whether you live in Boulder or not, join host…
Empowering the survivor voting block
The passing of Supreme Court Justice and women’s equality champion Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, brought a surge of voter registration and requests for mail ballots across the country — a 118% increase over the previous weekend according to the national nonpartisan technology platform vote.org. But for survivors of domestic and sexual…
On the bricks
Efforts to increase commercial affordability in Boulder and beyond take time and planning After reaching capacity at the North Boulder location some time ago, BookCliff Vineyards owner Ulla Merz has searched for a new space elsewhere in Boulder County for years, with little success. “It’s very challenging in Boulder County to find affordable space for…
Cultivating communities of care
Mutual aid efforts grow in Boulder County and across the country In this world, there are winners and there are losers. It’s survival of the fittest, and only the strongest survive. By this point in our collective history, we’re all pretty familiar with these concepts of social Darwinism, pitting strong against weak, everyone competing for…
Can Co-Buying Help Solve The Affordability Crisis?
The growing co-buying trend is allowing some aspiring homeowners to escape the rental market and access the wealth generation of real estate investments. Sitting around a large conference table at an Elevated Title office in South Denver, Ellie Adelman and Jaser Alsharhan are ready to finalize their purchase of a house. It’s the first time…
Angela K. Evans 