Nonprofit Plants 84 New Trees in Downtown Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes-Barre’s Diamond City Partnership has collaborated with the city’s Career and Technical Center to plant 84 new trees along downtown walkways.

With trees provided by the statewide nonprofit initiative TreePennsylvania, the DCP and Technical Center students hope to bring awareness to the importance of trees in urban areas.

Trees in cities provide a number of benefits, such as diverting rainfall, cooling urban temperatures, and providing natural beautification to sidewalks and street sides. 



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PHA Changes Allows New Housing Opportunities for Philadelphia Residents 

More landlords across the Greater Philadelphia Area are offering partnerships to housing voucher holders, as increasing housing vacancy and concern over secure housing comes to many cities.

Over the last several years, changes to the city’s property tax abatement program, as well as an influx of construction projects have shifted the renting landscape for landlords and renters alike.

WHYY discusses the HOW Group, housing voucher programs, and how new opportunities are emerging for renters in Philadelphia. 

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PA Receives $600,000 Grant to Develop Pilot Suicide-Prevention Program for Veterans 

Pennsylvania’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has received a $600,000 grant from the National Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a pilot Suicide Mortality Review program in Westmoreland and York Counties.

One of only ten states to be selected for this grant, Pennsylvania will utilize its own Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families (SMVF) program to implement statewide both clinical and community resources for mental health and suicide prevention for veterans. 

United States military veterans are 1.5 more likely to die by suicide than Americans who have no military service experience, with female veterans being 2.2 times more likely in terms of risk factor.                                                              

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Latino Workers Power Housing Sector, Remain Underrepresented in Leadership Roles

Latino workers are a driving force behind the housing industry, operating as skilled laborers and small business owners; however, remain underrepresented in leadership roles within real estate development.

The National Association of Hispanic Construction Alliance has recently formed to help increase growth opportunities for construction workers and housing entrepreneurs, as well as to address barriers to leadership access.

The Urban Institute discusses data on Latino participation in the housing industry, and how organizations are looking to bridge career and growth gaps. 

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Demographics of Internet and Home Broadband Usage in the United States

The internet is a vital foundation to how Americans connect, communicate, and function both professionally and personally.

However, the trends in internet data vary between demographics across the nation.

The Pew Center presents over 20 years of cumulative data to explore who uses the internet in the United States, and how those trends are changing. 

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The Urban-Rural Divide Over Highway Expansion and Emissions

New data suggests that rural states who prioritize repairing existing roads to creating new ones outperform urban states in terms of cutting emissions via federal funding.

The report, authored by the advocacy group Transportation for America, compares the carbon emissions of rural and urban states, especially regarding expanding highways.

Bloomberg explores the report findings, as well as compares the potential of highway repair versus highway expansion across the nation.            

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