Author Archive

Molly Bolan

Assistant Editor, Route Fifty

Molly Bolan
Molly Bolan is the assistant editor at Route Fifty. She previously covered education for The Keene Sentinel in her home state of New Hampshire.

Policy
Policy

More living local: How cutting red tape can encourage housing conversions

By streamlining zoning and broadening eligibility for adaptive reuse programs, Los Angeles and Kissimmee, Florida, encourage developers to convert business properties to desperately needed housing.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

To solve the affordable housing crisis, some communities are turning to hotels

The pandemic presented communities with a unique opportunity to convert hotels into residential spaces, creating everything from temporary transitional housing to long-term supportive homes. Is the model still sustainable?

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

Housing-first interventions, not policing, key to ending homelessness

New data shows that government assistance during the pandemic dramatically reduced homelessness. So why are cities and states increasingly turning to criminalization to address the issue?

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

‘Thready or not,’ public sector is jumping onto latest social media platform

One expert shares tips for navigating the still-evolving world of Threads. Plus, a roundup of state and local government introductory posts.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

States take up measures to confront youth homelessness

From couch surfing to living in the streets, it is easy to overlook young people experiencing homelessness. That’s changing.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

Abortion bans, anti-woke laws influencing students' higher education decisions

As students consider all the reasons to choose one college or another, state laws are a new factor for some to weigh.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

As Florida gets ready to 'live local,' California too wants to 'create more housing, faster’ – by getting small

It's different in California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to build 1,200 tiny homes and spend $1 billion on homelessness initiatives.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy
Policy

Biden Administration debuts new plan to boost affordable housing

Housing advocates have praised the president’s budget proposal, which would give housing programs a $1.1 billion bump. Florida is pursuing its own 'Live Local' Act.

  • By Molly Bolan

Politics

Number of women serving in Florida Legislature jumped this year

But nationwide, women are still short of equal representation in statehouses compared to men, a new report shows.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy

New index ranks Florida 29th among states for workers

Researchers looked at over two dozen types of policies in all 50 states as part of their analysis.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy

Florida in the middle of states with teacher pay gaps, report shows

Teachers nationwide earn much less than other college-educated professionals, says a new report. Florida comes in at 19.6%. 

  • By Molly Bolan
MagazineShow All
City & State Florida 02202023

Policy

Move over COVID: Monkeypox forces new public health test on state, local governments

Experts point to steps health departments and others can take to meet the challenges posed by the spreading disease.

  • By Molly Bolan

Policy

Moving on: Florida saw rise in people relocating to state during the pandemic

Overall state-to-state migration in the U.S. decreased after COVID hit. But new research shows states that saw notable upticks with inbound and outbound movers.

  • By Molly Bolan