When neighbors started coming to his Little Rock barbershop to borrow money, Arlo Washington went a step further and chartered Arkansas’ newest credit union.

In this episode of Next City, host Lucas Grindley discusses the importance of community support during times of financial distress. The story focuses on Arlo Washington, a barber who opened a credit union to service those in need of financial assistance in Arkansas. The episode also explores the drop in the number of credit unions in the last decade and how a ban on payday lending created an even bigger need.

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Can we combat the affordable housing crisis by building homes in our backyards? The movement to create “accessory dwelling units” comes in different shapes.

In this episode of Next City, we partner with ShelterForce and take a journey across the country to explore solutions from the Bay Area and Durham, North Carolina. One organization in the South includes them in its brand new housing developments — on land owned by the community.

This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

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An encampment of people experiencing homelessness was reimagined as a tiny home village that still provides housing 20 years later.


This episode is sponsored by:

• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.


• Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

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A Bay area church designed a program that it says isn’t charity; it’s countering systemic racism.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.


• Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

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Two former cellmates persuaded Atlanta’s leaders to legally protect formerly incarcerated residents from discrimination.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.


• Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

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U.S. cities are responding to the global #LandBack movement by returning land to the stewardship of Indigenous people — to whom it rightfully belongs.

This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

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Pilots of guaranteed income programs are launching in cities all over the United States. We talked with the researchers tracking the results and what they show.


This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

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Who says change can’t happen quickly? One group says they’ve figured out the playbook for fast-tracking bike lanes.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Next City Newsletter - Signing up for our newsletters is the best way to stay informed on the issues that matter. To subscribe now, head to nextcity.org/newsletter and enter your email address.
This episode is sponsored by:


• Next City App - Downloading the Next City App is a smart way to stay informed. Turn on notifications and it’s easy to ensure you never miss a story. To download the app now, search for Next City in the Android

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cities everywhere are proving paying a fare to ride the bus isn’t necessary, and getting rid of fares altogether makes them more useful.

This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

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This El Paso landscaping company is now owned by its employees. And while that’s not entirely unusual, the way the sale happened could be a model for the future.


This episode is part of the Solutions of the Year series. If you are in search of solutions that make cities more just and equitable, then get a copy of Next City’s Solutions of the Year special issue magazine. To get your copy now, head to nextcity.org/22solutions and make a donation of any size.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices