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Top Reads, Week of 10/29

Check out our top three reads of the week. They cover the challenges and opportunities facing American communities right now. This week, we’re delving into gentrification in Atlanta, libraries hiring social workers, and a captivating series on Chicago’s criminal justice system.

Have something to add to our list? Let us know on Twitter at @LISC_HQ


Nowhere for people to go: who will survive the gentrification of Atlanta?
By Jamiles Lartey, The Guardian

“A neighborhood becoming safe enough to bike in at night is, on the face of it, a good thing – Cheers himself is an avid rider. It is what so often follows that kind of change that worries him. Like other, similar Atlanta neighborhoods before it, Pittsburgh, with its cheap home prices and attractive location, is attracting wealthier, younger and yes, whiter people, stoking concerns that longtime residents will be pushed out by higher rents, property taxes and, possibly, a cultural shift that says they are no longer welcome.” Continued [+]...

Libraries hire social workers to help homeless patrons
By Lisa Schencker, Los Angeles Times

“But now a growing number of libraries across the nation are facing the issue head-on, hiring social workers to help connect people with housing, healthcare and food. The Chicago Public Library has a social worker who splits time between two of its Uptown branches, paid for by local hospital system Amita Health. Amita plans to hire social workers for more Chicago library branches in coming months. Amita also pays for a social worker at the Evanston Public Library.” Continued [+]...


Southside
The Marshall Project and Amazon Original Stories

This week we have been captivated by Southside. Created in partnership by The Marshall Project and Amazon Original Stories, the series shares an in-depth look at criminal justice in Chicago. Every day this week, one new story is published. We can't wait to keep reading. Check it out [+]...

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The views and opinions expressed in the articles above are those of the authors and publications we are listing, and do not necessarily reflect LISC’s perspective.