Urban Institute: Race/Ethnicity/Gender

How Do the Top 100 Metro Areas Rank on Racial and Ethnic Equity?

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Urban Institute's MetroTrends research team has created an interactive report card on racial and ethnic equity in the nation's top 100 metropolitan areas. A brief commentary by Margery Austin Turner, the Institute's vice president for research, accompanies the map.

Opportunity Still Has Racial Hue

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms ) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Children are more likely to succeed if they have a stable home environment, adequate nutrition and the opportunity to get a good education. Unfortunately, nearly 50 years after the march on Washington, opportunity still has a racial dimension, argues Institute fellow Margaret Simms in this commentary for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Revitalizing Distressed Older Suburbs

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

While much has been written about the decline of central cities, very little research has examined the problem in their suburbs. This report focuses on the suburbs of older industrial cities and how best to address the challenges they face. Using census data, literature review, and four in-depth case studies, the authors provide a detailed portrait of the underlying forces shaping distressed suburbs. It highlights a range of best practices used in case study cities for fostering growth and reducing poverty. These lessons can be instructive both to local leaders working to turn their cities around and to the federal policy makers supporting them.

Children of Immigrants: Growing National and State Diversity

paffairs@urban.org ( Karina Fortuny, Ajay Chaudry ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Growth in the number of children in immigrant families during the 2000s offset the decline in children with native-born parents. Between 2000 and 2009, the minority share of U.S. children under age 18 increased from 38 to 44 percent, driven by growth in the number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian children and a decline in non-Hispanic white children. While the increase in minority children included children with foreign-and native-born parents, children of immigrants accounted for most of the growth. This brief highlights important trends in the changing demographics of the U.S. child population nationally and across states.

Children of Immigrants: The Changing Face of Metropolitan America

paffairs@urban.org ( Ajay Chaudry, Karina Fortuny ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

The majority (84 percent) of the 17 million children of immigrants in the United States live in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. Children of immigrants drove the growth in the child population under age 18 nationally and in the largest metros: if it was not for them, the child population in the top 100 metros overall and in many metros would have declined in the last decade. Driven by immigration and population momentum, the child minority share across the top 100 metros reached 51 percent in 2009 and many of the largest metros became "majority minority" metros.

Today's Children, Tomorrow's America: Six Experts Face the Facts

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

Urban Institute scholars from diverse disciplines tackle a simple-to-state, hard-to-answer question: How can solutions to our national and state budget crises fit the facts about children in the United States? In their responses, the contributors wrestle with recent and approaching economic and demographic challenges in different ways and bring very different experiences to bear.

Gender and Property Rights : A Critical Issue in Urban Economic Development

paffairs@urban.org ( Carol Rabenhorst, Anjali Bean ) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Gender equality in property rights is a critical human rights issue and a key driver of overall economic development. This paper explores three issues in international development which are not often considered together or in terms of how they relate to each other. These issues are: (1) The rights of women to participate in property use and ownership with full legal and societal protection; (2) the importance to economic development of property rights in urban areas; and (3) the role of women in economic development. The final section offers recommendations for more effective development programming and implementation through the integration of these issues.

Head Start and the Changing Demographics of Today's Young Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden ) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

The increasing diversity of America's young children has important implications for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This paper summarizes recent changes in the racial and ethnic composition of young children, particularly increases in Hispanic and Asian children, as well as shifts in where young children live, with some northeastern and Midwestern states losing children while southern and southwestern states are rapidly gaining. Based on these trends and recent Urban Institute research, the paper makes four recommendations about how local Head Start practitioners can best meet the needs of today's young children and their families.

Opportunity-Rich Schools and Sustainable Communities : Seven Steps to Align High-Quality Education with Innovations in City and Metropolitan Planning and Development

paffairs@urban.org ( Deborah McKoy, Jeffrey M. Vincent, Ariel H. Bierbaum ) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

Policies and strategies at all levels of government are increasingly associating educational outcomes with community planning and housing. Challenges remain for local officials and practitioners trying to align these policy areas, including persistent spatial inequity and rigid institutional silos. This report develops seven steps to link education and planning policy at the local level. The authors draw from a national scan of model activities, interviews with key experts and agency staff members, and the authors' experience working with local governing bodies. The report identifies practical solutions that encompass assessing the current educational environment, engaging the community, strategic planning and implementation of investment, and institutionalizing successful innovations.

Institutional Capacity-Building to Enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Research: The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)

paffairs@urban.org ( Beatriz Chu Clewell, Clemencia Cosentino de Cohen ) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief provides an overview of the evaluation of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) of the National Science Foundation (NSF), focusing on the main conclusions and recommendations arising from the evaluation.

Capacity Building to Diversify STEM: Realizing Potential among HBCUs

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report presents findings from the process and summative (quasi-experimental) evaluation of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) of the National Science Foundation (NSF). HBCU-UP seeks to enhance the quality of undergraduate education and research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at HBCUs as a means to broaden participation in the nations STEM workforce. Findings suggest that the HBCU-UP program yielded an intervention model characterized by a core set of capacity-building strategies associated with successful student educational and employment outcomes. HBCU-UP graduates (mostly African Americans) outperform a national comparison sample in graduate degree completion and are more likely to be employed in STEM than African American graduates nationally. The report includes recommendations for future funding and dissemination.

Institutions in National Science Foundation's HBCU-UP Program Are Leading Gateways to Science and Engineering Degrees

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

African American students at historically black colleges are twice as likely as African American students nationally to complete graduate degrees in science and engineering if their colleges received a capacity-building grant from the National Science Foundation, an evaluation of the HBCU-UP program found.

For Working Poor, Tax Season Brings Rush to Use Refund Anticipation Loans and Checks

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Nearly one in five tax filers getting a refund this tax season, many of whom number among the working poor, are expected to use a refund anticipation loan (RAL) or refund anticipation check (RAC), a new Urban Institute study estimates. A related study investigates how state regulations affect consumer use of payday loans, auto title loans, pawnbroker loans, RALs, and rent-to-own transactions.

Prohibitions, Price Caps, and Disclosures: A Look at State Policies and Alternative Financial Product Use

paffairs@urban.org ( Signe-Mary McKernan, Caroline Ratcliffe, Daniel Kuehn ) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Using new nationally representative data from the National Financial Capability State-by-State Survey, this paper examines the relationship between state-level alternative financial service (AFS) policies (prohibitions, price caps, disclosures) and consumer use of five AFS products: payday loans, auto title loans, pawn broker loans, RALs, and RTO transactions. The results suggest that more stringent price caps and prohibitions are associated with lower product use and do not support the hypothesis that prohibitions and price caps on one AFS product lead consumers to use other AFS products.

The Black-White Jobless Gap

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms, Marla McDaniel ) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

In this Philadelphia Inquirer commentary, two researchers from the Urban Institutes Low-Income Working Families project explain the black-white employment divide after high school and whats needed to close the gap.

Thumbs Off the Scale: Evidence-Based Studies of the Impacts of Immigration

paffairs@urban.org ( Juan Pedroza, Robert Santos, Molly M. Scott ) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EST

Immigration policy and reform debates test our ability to think about what's at stake when we open (and close) our doors to a diverse range of newcomers, and how ongoing immigration affects our future. As the debate on how immigrant workers and families continue to reshape the country gathers steam, the public is often misled about the challenges and opportunities stemming from policies about who can come to (and stay in) the US.

Researchers Lay Out Ways to Address Hardships Faced By Hispanic Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST

Hispanics in the United States increasingly fuel the nation's economic engine, especially as their labor-force participation grows and baby boomers retire.Yet, educational, political, residential, and cultural challenges facing Hispanic children are likely to hamper their future achievements, say contributors to Growing Up Hispanic: Health and Development of Children of Immigrants. The volume examines how neighborhood, family, school, and community affect these children's development and well-being.

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differentials in Employer-Sponsored Pensions : Before the ERISA Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Richard W. Johnson ) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

The best approaches to narrowing racial, ethnic, and gender differentials in retirement wealth are outside the current employer-sponsored pension system, Barbara Butrica and Richard Johnson told the U.S. Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council. These tactics include automatic IRAs for employees, efforts to raise wages earned by blacks and Hispanics, more federal funding for training and workforce development, better educational opportunities for future workers, and more financial education for workers and students. Protecting Social Security for low-income seniors is also crucial. Their testimony presents detailed information about differences in pension coverage and wealth.

The State of Society: Measuring Economic Success and Human Well-Being

paffairs@urban.org ( Erwin de Leon, Elizabeth T. Boris ) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST

This study provides an overview of a broad range of existing measures that go beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to offer a more complete and accurate picture of how a society and its economy are faring. Based on a review of the literature and an analysis of major arguments and rationales for moving beyond GDP as a measure of national well-being, this report identifies 14 categories of national well-being. It synthesizes hundreds of indicators found in 28 reports that present alternative indices and systems of well-being into 79 indicators organized under these categories.

Health Insurance in Nonstandard Jobs and Small Firms: Differences for Parents by Race and Ethnicity

paffairs@urban.org ( Lisa Clemans-Cope, Genevieve M. Kenney, Aaron Lucas ) — Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 EST

This brief provides new insights about health insurance coverage gaps among racial and ethnic minority groups, focusing on parents with employment in small firms or nonstandard employment. Compared with white parents, a disproportionate share of Latino and black parents have nonstandard employment, and Latino parents are more likely to have employment in small firms. These work arrangements increase the risk of being uninsured since they are less likely to come with an offer of health insurance compared to regular large firm employment. Few uninsured Latino parents could obtain coverage under existing Medicaid programs. Potential impacts of health reform are discussed.

Measuring Racial-Ethnic Diversity in the Baltimore-Washington Region's Nonprofit Sector

paffairs@urban.org ( Carol J. De Vita, Katie L. Roeger ) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The nonprofit sector in the Baltimore-Washington region is undergoing a profound, albeit quiet, revolution driven by demographic change. The people and communities that nonprofits serve increasingly reflect a multiracial and multi-ethnic world, and a new generation of leaders will soon emerge as baby boomer executives retire. This report examines whether the Baltimore-Washington regions nonprofit sector reflects the new demographic realities. The report, based on a representative sample of 501(c)(3) organizations, documents the extent to which the regions nonprofit boards, staff, and executive leadership are racially and ethnically diverse. It also analyzes diversity by the organizations size, type, and geographic location, and examines how the sector has been affected by the current economic downturn.

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia : 16th Annual Fact Book 2009

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The 16th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. It tracks the progression of child well-being over time, as well as differences in child well-being across wards and races/ethnicities. It is organized to reflect the six citywide goals for children and youth in DC: children are ready for school; children and youth succeed in school; children and youth are healthy and practice healthy behaviors; children and youth engage in meaningful activities; children and youth live in healthy, stable, and supportive families; and all youth make a successful transition to adulthood.

Balance Child and Family Protection with Immigration Enforcement Goals, Study Recommends

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

As Congress again tries to draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation, lawmakers should balance the protection of children and the integrity of their families with immigration law enforcement objectives, according to a new Urban Institute study. "Facing Our Future: Children in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement" takes a hard look at current immigration policies' impacts on children of unauthorized immigrants, a part of the immigration picture that has so far been left out of focus. The report chronicles the experiences of more than 100 children affected by six worksite raids or targeted arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Facing Our Future : Children in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

This report examines the consequences of parental arrest, detention, and deportation on 190 children in 85 families in six locations, providing in-depth details on parent-child separations, economic hardships, and children's well-being. The contentious immigration debates around the country mostly revolve around illegal immigration. Less visible have been the 5.5 million children with unauthorized parents, almost three-quarters of whom are U.S.-born citizens. Over several years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensified enforcement activities through large-scale worksite arrests, home arrests, and arrests by local law enforcement. The report provides recommendations for stakeholders to mitigate the harmful effects of immigration enforcement on children.

Jobs Programs Must be Targeted

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms ) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

America's 10% unemployment rate has overshadowed the plight of the chronically jobless and underemployed, but the jobs initiatives adopted or proposed so far won't do much any time soon to help those who are habitually at the end of the job queue, writes Margaret Simms in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel commentary. A strategy to ensure that jobs reach the communities in which African-Americans live should include programs that jump-start job expansion where employment losses are heaviest.

Measuring Racial-Ethnic Diversity in California's Nonprofit Sector

paffairs@urban.org ( Carol J. De Vita, Katie L. Roeger, Max Niedzwiecki ) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Decisionmakers in California and across the country are facing critical challenges related to diversity. But until now, there has not been a comprehensive picture of how California's nonprofit sector has responded to this demographic transition. This report, based on a representative sample of California's 501(c)(3) organizations, documents the extent to which California's nonprofit boards, staff, and executive leadership are racially and ethnically diverse. It analyzes diversity by an organization's size, type, funding patterns, and geographic location within the state, and examines how California nonprofits with diverse leadership have been affected by the current economic downturn. The report also presents three models for measuring diversity using different definitions of organizational diversity.

Latinos Are the Least Represented Group of Color in California's Nonprofit Sector

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Latinos, California's largest minority population, are the most underrepresented group of color in the state's nonprofit sector, according to the first systematic study of racial and ethnic diversity in California's nonprofits.

Foreclosures in the Nation's Capital 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This brief, a companion to the Housing in the Nation's Capital 2009 report, describes the impact of the foreclosure crisis on the Washington metropolitan region, examining the level and trends of foreclosures, outlining potential secondary effects for families and neighborhoods, and looking towards the future of the region's housing market. It concludes with policy implications in four areas: foreclosure prevention, neighborhood stabilization, recovery assistance for displaced households, and services for children in foreclosed homes.

Housing in the Nation's Capital 2009

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This is the seventh in a series of annual reports about housing in the Washington metropolitan region. It assembles and analyzes the most current data on housing conditions in the District of Columbia and the surrounding suburbs. This year's report focuses on the impact of the foreclosure crisis on the region, examining the level and trends of foreclosures, outlining potential secondary effects for families and neighborhoods, and looking towards the future of the region's housing market. It concludes with policy implications in four areas: foreclosure prevention, neighborhood stabilization, recovery assistance for displaced households, and services for children in foreclosed homes.

Rising Tide of Foreclosures and Mortage Delinquencies Will Add Turmoil to Metro DC Housing Market and Families' Lives : Pressures Mount for Prime Loans and Minorities

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The metropolitan Washington housing market, just beginning to stabilize at midyear, will have to deal soon with tens of thousands of additional foreclosed homes thrown onto the market, an Urban Institute study forecasts.

Estimating the Cost of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

paffairs@urban.org ( Timothy Waidmann ) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

This analysis estimates cost burdens of racial and ethnic disparities in a select set of preventable diseases including diabetes, hypertension and stroke. Excess rates of these diseases among African Americans and Latinos relative to whites will cost the health care system $23.9 billion dollars in 2009. Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion, and private insurers will spend an extra $5.1 billion. Over the next decade, the total cost is approximately $337 billion. Left unchecked, these annual costs will more than double by 2050 as the representation of Latinos and African Americans among the elderly increases.

Transitioning In and Out of Poverty

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Slightly more than half of the U.S. population experiences poverty at some time before age 65. Roughly half of those who get out of poverty will become poor again within five years. Who is more likely to enter poverty? How long are people poor? And what events are associated with falling into and climbing out of poverty? This fact sheet summarizes key findings from the poverty dynamics literature to describe how, why, and when people move in and out of poverty.

Promoting Neighborhood Diversity: Benefits, Barriers, and Strategies

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Lynette A. Rawlings ) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Despite substantial progress since passage of the Fair Housing Act four decades ago, neighborhoods remain highly segregated by race and ethnicity. This paper summarizes existing research evidence on both the costs of segregation and the potential benefits of neighborhood diversity. It uses decennial census data to show that a growing share of US neighborhoods are racially and ethnically diverse, but that low-income African Americans in particular remain highly concentrated in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Because the dynamics that sustain segregation today are complex, strategies for overcoming them must address not only discrimination, but information gaps, affordability constraints, prejudice, and fear.

Vulnerable Youth and the Transition to Adulthood

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

This series examines youth vulnerability and risk-taking behaviors on several outcomes for young adults, using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort. Notable results suggest youth follow one of four patterns in connecting to the labor market and school in the transition to adulthood: consistently-connected, later-connected, initially-connected, or never-connected. Second generation Latinos make a fairly smooth transition to young adulthood, but are less likely to engage in post-secondary schooling than whites. Youth from low-income families, distressed neighborhoods, and youth with poor mental health engage in relatively higher levels of adolescent risk behaviors and have relatively lower earnings and levels of connectedness in early adulthood.

Transition to Adulthood: African American Youth and Youth from Low-Income Working Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Marla McDaniel, Daniel Kuehn ) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

The fact sheets examine the transition to adulthood for two groups of youth using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort. Low-income African Americans are compared to low-income white youth, and youth from low-income "high-work" families are compared to low-income youth from moderate-work and nonworking (i.e., low-work) families. Low-income African American youth are vulnerable to lower employment and earnings despite comparable levels of high school education and lower risk-taking behaviors. Low-income youth from high-work families show stronger connections to school or work compared to youth from low-work families, but have comparable employment and earnings during the transition to adulthood.

New Research Explores the Sometimes Rough Road to Adulthood

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

Low-income African American youth engage in fewer risky behaviors than low-income white youth, a new Urban Institute analysis of federal data reveals. This research on young blacks is part of a collection of eight brief studies on vulnerable youth, risky behavior, and the transition to adulthood.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Low-Income Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms, Karina Fortuny, Everett Henderson ) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

Low-income status in the United States varies significantly by race and ethnicity. Of the more than 13.4 million families with children living on incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, 30 percent are Hispanic, 22 percent are black or African American, and 6 percent are other nonwhites. This fact sheet provides statistics on racial and ethnic differences in family structure, work effort, nativity or immigration status, earnings, and education.

Academic Perspectives on the Future of Public Housing : Before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin ) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

Many policy makers and scholars regard the HOPE VI Program as one of the nation's most successful urban redevelopment programs (c.f. Katz 2009; Cisneros 2009). But despite its very real accomplishments, the HOPE VI program's record in meeting the needs of the original residents who endured the worst consequences of the failures of public housing is mixed. With its proposed "Choice Neighborhoods" initiative, the Obama administration has the opportunity to build on the experiences of nearly two decades of experience with HOPE VI. Incorporating intensive case management and permanent supportive housing for the most vulnerable into Choice Neighborhoods and any other comprehensive redevelopment efforts is one way to ensure that these initiatives truly meet the needs of all public housing families.

A Report on the First Year of the San Mateo County Adult Coverage Initiative and Systems Redesign for Adult Medicine Clinic Care

paffairs@urban.org ( Embry M. Howell, Sarah Benatar, Dana Hughes ) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

This report presents early findings of an evaluation of San Mateo County's Health System Redesign and Adult Coverage Initiative (ACE), an effort to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and care coordination among uninsured and underserved adults in the county. Enrollment in the ACE program has exceeded expectations, yet sustained financing for the program has yet to be identified. We have observed reforms in scheduling, team-based care, and the implementation of electronic medical records. However, we found significant barriers to access for primary care and specialty appointments. This analysis is the first of several ongoing evaluation reports by the Urban Institute and UCSF.

10 Young Scholars Named to the Urban Institute's Summer Academy

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

Ten promising undergraduate researchers have been chosen for the 2009 Urban Institute Summer Academy for Public Policy Analysis and Research. The students, who are college juniors, will spend June and July attending policy seminars, honing their analytical skills, and writing policy briefs under the guidance of Institute mentors.

Residential Segregation and Low-Income Working Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner, Karina Fortuny ) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

Historically, residential segregation constrained where minorities could live, contributing to disparities in education, employment, and wealth. Researchers interested in the well-being and future prospects of low-income working families have not yet explored how their residential patterns may vary across racial and ethnic lines or considered the implications of these patterns. Therefore, this paper explores differences in neighborhood characteristics among white, black, and Hispanic low-income working families. The findings suggest that policies aimed at reducing the persistent disadvantages facing minority low-income working families need to address the ways the neighborhoods in which minorities live may be compounding these disadvantages.

Los Angeles Healthy Kids Improves Access to Care and Health Status : Brief No. 26

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Los Angeles Healthy Kids program provides health insurance to low income children in the county who have no other source of coverage (including undocumented children and children above the income limits for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families).These findings from a longitudinal survey of parents of young children in the program indicate that access to medical and dental care for enrolled children increased dramatically over time, use of the emergency room went down, and parents perceived improvements in the health status of their children. This analysis is one piece of a broader Urban Institute evaluation of the program.

Job Differences by Race and Ethnicity in the Low-Skill Job Market : Brief No. 4

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory Acs, Pamela J. Loprest ) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

This brief uses data from the 2007 Survey of Employers in the Low-Skill Labor Market to examine differences in the noncollege jobs held by workers of different races and ethnicities and the impact of these differences on wage rates.

A Guide to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data

paffairs@urban.org ( Kathryn L.S. Pettit, Audrey Droesch ) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) requires most lending institutions to report on home mortgage loan applications, including the application outcome, loan- and applicant-related information, and property location. Annual data collected through HMDA provide a unique set of files with information at the neighborhood level. This guide describes the HMDA original source data and the HMDA indicators available on DataPlace. The guide also illustrates how HMDA indicators can be used to shed light on such issues as neighborhood investment trends, changes in the racial and economic composition of home buyers, disparities in home loan access, and subprime lending.

Community Revitalization in the United States and the United Kingdom

paffairs@urban.org ( Harris Beider, Diane K. Levy, Susan J. Popkin ) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

The flow of ideas between the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) includes approaches to housing policy, as the public sectors in both countries have turned toward the private sector to help provide affordable housing and support redevelopment activities. The Urban Institute and the Institute for Community Cohesion developed an innovative program of work to compare approaches to community revitalization, community cohesion and sustainable neighborhoods in cities across both countries. Ultimately, the purpose of the project is to influence policy and practice agendas in the UK and US by highlighting effective strategies for revitalizing communities and building community cohesion. This report describes the project, discusses contextual differences between the two countries that affect subsidized housing, and highlights lessons drawn from the exchanges that took place during the spring and summer of 2008.

Tailoring Assistance : How Antipoverty Policy Can Address Diverse Needs within the Poverty Population

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms ) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Commentary to Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

It has been said that we are entering a new era of government policy. If so, it could be an opportune time to belatedly heed the call of Dr. Martin Luther King and revamp our policies toward the poor. Over the past decade we have moved from a set of policies that provided cash assistance (mostly inadequate) to people who were in need (by standards set by the government) to one in which those who can work are expected to do so. In the process, we have ignored the fact that the poor are not a homogenous group of people, all of whom can and will work if they have no other means of support. They are, in fact, quite diverse. Recognizing this diversity is a necessary prerequisite for developing effective antipoverty policies.

Read the full commentary on the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity web site.

Providing Maternity Care to the Underserved : A Comparative Case Study of Three Maternity Care Models Serving Women in Washington, D.C.

paffairs@urban.org ( Louise Palmer, Allison Cook, Brigette Courtot ) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

This comparative case study describes the organization, delivery, and content of care of three maternity care models serving low-income women at risk of poor birth outcomes in Wards 5, 6, and 7 in Washington D.C. The first model, a birth center, provides prenatal care, birth services, postpartum follow-up, and infant and child health care. The second is a safety net clinic, which provides a variety of primary health care services, as well as prenatal care services. A not-for-profit teaching and research hospital represents a third option in which prenatal and postnatal care is provided through an on-site obstetric clinic.

Experts Debate How to Remedy the Thorny Tangle of Race and Public Housing

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Urban Institute researchers and a dozen contributors explore how public housing reform policies could overcome the persistent disadvantages facing black communities and black families and whether ignoring these disadvantages may undermine the long-term vision for public housing's transformation. Authors recount the history of racial segregation in public housing, highlight the consequences, and debate remedies.

Subprime Mortgage Lending in the District of Columbia : A Study for the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

This report, commissioned by the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, examines the extent of subprime lending in the District of Columbia and the resulting impacts on residents and neighborhoods. The study found that subprime lending was concentrated in predominantly African-American, moderate-income neighborhoods, areas that are now experiencing a sharp rise in home foreclosures. The report recommends a number of actions to protect the city's homeowners and neighborhoods, including stronger monitoring of mortgage lenders, better outreach and education for home owners and home buyers, and creation of a loan fund to help persons refinance out of bad loans.

The Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration : Developing a New Model for Serving "Hard to House" Public Housing Families

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Chicago Family Case Management Demonstration is an innovative initiative designed to meet the challenges of serving the Chicago Housing Authority's (CHA) "hard to house"; residents. It involves a unique partnership of city agencies, service providers, researchers, and private foundations, all with a deep commitment to finding solutions for the most vulnerable families affected by the CHA's Plan for Transformation. The rigorous evaluation allows for continuous learning and mid-course corrections, and helped the team develop a validated model that other housing authorities can use. This report highlights the lessons learned during the first year implementation of the Demonstration.