Tacoma, WA
Municipality in Washington
United States
Tacoma, WA turns residential food waste into chicken feed through collaboration with Mill
City residents can register for monthly subscriptions with Mill's collection service. Subscribers receive specialized kitchen bins that shrink and dry food waste. The resulting grounds are sent to Mill using return boxes with free USPS shipping. Mill converts food grounds into chicken feed and shows each subscriber's impact on a dedicated mobile app. Savings from the reduced use of Tacoma's pay-as-you-throw payment model will offset some of each participant's subscription costs.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA places localized planning in resident hands with its Neighborhood Planning Program
The McKinley Hill and Proctor neighborhoods were selected for an 18-month planning pilot. Each neighborhood starts with a Plan-A-Thon where participants brainstorm and develop initial ideas. A Stakeholder Committee guides community engagement efforts including surveys and mapping exercises. Residents and local partners work on the implementation of art installations, lot cleanups, and health programs that address neighborhood-level challenges.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA responds to chronic economic struggles with guaranteed income pilot
Project partners like United Way of Pierce County will identify at least 100 households for the Growing Resilience in Tacoma (GRIT) pilot. Priority consideration is given to employed residents from underrepresented populations with limited incomes and assets. Eligible residents are selected at random for payments of $500 per month without any restrictions for one year. The program uses $600,000 in funds from Mayors for Guaranteed Income and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA expands capabilities of its Equity Index to better capture environmental inequality
The Equity Index portal translates measures of relative inequality by neighborhood into a color-coded map. Each neighborhood is graded from Very Low Equity to Very High Equity on 29 data points across five categories. A new Environmental Health section captures critical data on diesel emissions, lead risk from housing, and heavy traffic streets. City staffers and the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity collaborated on index upgrades.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA improves the health of homeless residents with Hygiene Station Pilot
Public health officials worked with a private lot owner on a one-month station pilot at South 8th and Yakima Street. Two additional locations will be operated by the city for an additional three months. Each station includes portable toilets, dumpsters, and mobile sinks for handwashing. On-site evaluations during daytime hours identify homeless residents in need of additional services. The pilot addresses health threats to the unhoused including the spread of COVID-19.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA guides homeless residents toward full-time employment with the HIRE Crew pilot
Project partner Valeo Vocation works with the city's parks department to train homeless residents for cleanup work. Paid internships with the Helping Individuals Reintegrate into Employment (HIRE) Crew offer $13.50 per hour. Successful participants advance into the nonprofit's Transitional Employment Pathway track for new careers. City officials pursued the pilot as a cost-effective means for keeping parks clean while helping unhoused residents.
Tacoma, WA
United States
Tacoma, WA engages homeless residents in keeping public spaces clean through Purple Bag Pilot
The city's Homeless Outreach Team distributed 5,000 purple trash bags during the six-month pilot. Each delivery included personal protective equipment and sharps boxes for recipients. Homeless residents can collect waste near their encampments and drop full bags at pickup locations. A local waste contractor collects the purple bags on a regular schedule. Tacoma may extend the pilot beyond April 2021 if homeless engagement and green space cleanliness goals are met.
Tacoma, WA
United States