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The infant mortality rate, or the death of an infant before its first birthday, continues to remain high among Black families. Efforts in Cincinnati and beyond have made some progress to lower it, including recognizing the importance of doulas and educating both healthcare providers and moms. How effective is this strategy and can more be done? 

Interview guests: Dr. Elizabeth Kelly, co-founder Cradle Cincinnati; Dr. James Greenberg, co-founder Cradle Cincinnati; Meredith Smith, executive director Cradle Cincinnati; Corinn Taylor, PhD, founder of The Empowerment Foundation; Sharon Hawkins, director, The Doula Initiative; Jill Miller, president & CEO bi3; Jeremiah Kirkland, senior vice president TriHealth; Kanako Kashima, director of community health Mercy Health; Marcus Romanello, chief medical officer The Christ Hospital; Evelyn Agbomi, clinical nurse manager UC Health; Brenda Logan, health integration manager UC Health; Sarah Huber, senior epidemiologist Hamilton County Public Health; mothers Jamira Holt, Agol Aloak, O’Landrea Joi Barnes and Adrienne Jacobson; Alaysia Ponder, Nurture Your Nature Doula Services.

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For people with criminal records, research shows stable housing reduces their likelihood of committing another crime. However, hundreds of state and federal laws create barriers for people who want to obtain affordable stable housing. Ohio and a handful of other states want to change that and are offering a kind of guarantee to landlords.

Interview guests: Ohio Justice & Policy Center Director of the Second Chance Project Lindsey Baruffa; Second Chance staff attorney Ashley Ward.

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As the number of unsheltered people ticks up, state and local agencies are scrambling to find enough beds. They’re also having to navigate changing federal policies which threaten funding. Creativity is key and, in some places, it helps to solve homelessness. This includes the use of data analytics to keep people in their homes and state laws requiring developers to build affordable housing. Brick by Brick convenes a roundtable to talk solutions.

Interview guests: Patrick Bailey, Assistant Director of Human Services, Planning and Development for Montgomery County; Kevin Finn, President and CEO of Strategies to End Homelessness; and Kathy Rowell, Ph.D., sociologist, teacher and the Del Mar Encore Fellow for the Dayton Foundation at the Fitz Center for Leadership in the Community at the University of Dayton.

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Modern day construction hasn’t solved the problem of toxic housing. On top of old school irritants like mold, lead and asbestos, some new homes and apartments could contain enough formaldehyde to cause significant lung damage over time. Efforts are underway to better educate the public about the dangers and help remove the toxins, including a large-scale effort to replace lead water pipes.  

Interview guests: Author and UCLA researcher Nick Shapiro; Managing Attorney Midwest Office Earthjustice Debbie Chizewer; Director of Hamilton County Environmental Health Jeremy Hessel; Lead Program Manager, Greater Cincinnati Water Works Kevin Kappers; Director Whole Home Innovation Center, People Working Cooperatively Aaron Grant; Senior Program Officer for LISC LaChé Roach; Repair Coordinator Habitat for Humanity Sylk Johnson; Medical Director, Pediatric Environmental Health and Lead Clinic Dr. Nicholas Newman. 

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Property taxes date back to at least the 1600s, making up an average 70 percent of local government revenue. They pay for schools, police, fire, infrastructure and more. But as property values increase so do property taxes, pricing some people out of their homes. States are scrambling to offer relief. But is it enough and are there alternatives?  

Interview Guests: Former Ohio lawmaker Bill Seitz; Associate Director of Tax Policy, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Adam Langley; Butler County Commissioner Don Dixon; Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith; Committee to Abolish Property Taxes Organizer Brian Massie; Hamilton City Schools Superintendent Andrea Blevins; urban sociologist and property tax researcher Junia Howell

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In a live recorded Brick by Brick event with our partners at the Dayton Metro Library and Dayton Daily News, key decision makers and community activists came together. They talked state of the neighborhoods, a new vision for the city, the role of renters, a rental registry to ensure livability, housing affordability, preservation and new developments.  

Panelists: Vice President of Housing for CountyCorp Adam Blake; Founder of the Dayton Tenant Union and community organizer with Advocates for Basic Equality Destiny Brown; architect and President of the Grafton Hill neighborhood Matt Sauer; Dayton Division Manager for Community Engagement, past President of the Huffman Historic District Mike Squire.

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COVID reminded scientific researcher and author M. Nils Peterson that multigenerational living does work and people used to do it more often. He sees it as a way to control urban sprawl and preserve the nature we so desperately need. One way is by building accessory dwelling units or backyard cottages. Peterson is working with his community to do just that.  

Interview guest: North Carolina State University researcher and author of “The Housing Bomb,” M. Nils Peterson. 

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Subsidized permanent housing is no longer a given for the chronically homeless. Instead, the government is directing more than $3 billion in funds to pay for transitional housing, addiction treatment and state outreach. Not everybody is on board, including Maria Foscarinis. She has ideas on how the Housing First model could be resurrected and details other programs she sees as effective.

Interview guest: Founder of the National Homelessness Law Center and author of “And Housing for All,” Maria Foscarinis.

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 Some foodbanks broke records during the government shutdown for the amount of food they handed out. SNAP benefits were suspended temporarily, and its requirements have changed. Although the need has eased slightly, food insecurity remains an issue. By the latest data, thirteen percent of U.S. households are unable to acquire enough food. Foodbanks and food rescue organizations provide a safety net for our neighbors. How are they doing it, and what kind of difference are they making? 

Interview guests: Executive Director Ohio Association of Foodbanks Joree Novotny, CEO Freestore Foodbank Kurt Reiber, Marketing and Advocacy Manager The Foodbank Inc. Amber Wright, CEO Last Mile Food Rescue Eileen Budo, and Meals on Wheels Southwest OH & Northern KY Chief Production Officer Michael Beck. 

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 Millions of people live in a medical desert, meaning they have inadequate access to healthcare, both in urban and rural settings. There are a variety of reasons why, including distance to a hospital, lack of broadband internet, lack of transportation, and a shortage of healthcare workers. Despite these challenges, there are solutions. Brick by Brick examines workforce training and school-health center partnerships.  

Interview guests: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, Chief Rural Correspondent KFF News Sarah Jane Tribble, Ohio Alliance for Population Heath Community Health Worker Lead Kerri Shaw, North Mason Fire Chief Beau Bakken, Retired Cincinnati Medical Director of School and Adolescent Health Dr. Marilyn Crumpton,  Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools Superintendent Tim Carlier and Director of Curriculum and instruction Jennifer Spaeth Mullis. 

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