Going Public as a B Corp, Investing in Better Data, Embracing Rapid Rehousing – Social Impact Across the U.S.

Online craft bazaar Etsy went public last week on the Nasdaq stock market, making it only the second for-profit company with a B Corporation certification to do so. A report by the New York Times states that the public offering is a kind of “experiment in corporate governance, a test of whether Wall Street will embrace a company that puts doing social and environmental good on the same pedestal with, if not ahead of, maximizing profits.”

The nation-wide push for more affordable housing has a new champion: Star Wars creator George Lucas plans to build a 224-unit affordable housing development in Marin County, California, reports Quartz. The development would be built on Lucas’s Grady Ranch, which is located in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is investing up to $42 million into to mid-sized cities to help them better leverage data and hard evidence in their policymaking, reports Washington Post’s Wonkblog. The initiative is based on the idea that very few cities use data in a serious way.

Pew Charitable Trust’s Stateline gives an overview of rapid rehousing, an approach to ending homelessness where housing is provided first and foremost and followed by other necessary services. The report cites a growing body of evidence that the strategy is working and provides examples of cities where it is being used.

What do you think about what’s happening in Social Impact Across the U.S.? How could Philly learn from other cities and states? Please leave a comment or email us news@generocity.org to help us bring the national and local conversations together.

Photo via Flickr user davidjdoe