Urban Institute Latest Reports

Unemployment Statistics on Older Americans : Updated 11/09

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson, Corina Mommaerts) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The recession has increased joblessness among older Americans. These graphs and tables report unemployment rates and how they have varied by age, sex, race, and education since 2007.

The First Line of Defense: Reducing Recidivism at the Local Level : Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs

paffairs@urban.org ( Amy L. Solomon) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The traditional approach to incarceration is to keep inmates locked upaway from societyto keep us safe. With little treatment and transition planning, most individuals are released with the same problems that got them locked up in the first place. In the past decade, we have realized that almost everyone who is incarcerated will eventually return home; this is especially true of the jail population. The big question: how do we incarcerate and release individuals in a way that makes them less likely to reoffend and more likely to work, support their families, pay taxes, and be productive members of society?

Real Tax Reform is Always Hard: Some Advice for the Task Force

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Political theater? Such is the label many have attached to the tax reform task force headed by Paul Volcker. But I heard the same claim made about President Reagan's State of the Union request for a tax reform study from the Treasury Department to be made only after the 1984 election was over. Congress literally burst out laughing.

Can Accountable Care Organizations Improve the Value of Health Care by Solving the Cost and Quality Quandaries?

paffairs@urban.org ( Kelly Devers, Robert A. Berenson) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Experts agree that the way health care is currently paid for in the United States, especially in the traditional, fee-for-service Medicare program, does not support coordinated care that is high quality and cost-efficient. To address these problems, policy-makers are taking a close look at accountable care organizations (ACOs). This policy brief explores what ACO are, how they compare to previous reform concepts such as Health Maintenance Organizations and Provider Sponsored Organizations, key design and implementation issues, and opportunities and challenges. The authors conclude that ACOs are no real game changers in the short term, but are nevertheless important to try.

Retirement Account Balances

paffairs@urban.org ( Barbara Butrica, Philip Issa, Mauricio Soto) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The retirement savings of American households took a big hit when the stock market crashed in 2008. Recently, however, a good portion of these losses has been reversed. This fact sheet follows trends in retirement account balances since the beginning of 2005.

The Urban Institute's Program on Neighborhoods and Youth Development: Understanding How Place Matters for Kids

paffairs@urban.org ( Susan J. Popkin, Gregory Acs, Robin E. Smith) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

A central goal of U.S. social welfare policy is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential as productive adults. Yet it is increasingly clear that where children live plays a central role in determining their life chances. This paper provides an overview of The Urban Institute's Program on Neighborhoods and Youth Development, which is dedicated to understanding the relationships between neighborhood-level factors and the well-being and development of children and youth and identifying and evaluating place-based, community-wide strategies to help children grow up to reach their full potential as adults.

Congressionally Mandated Evaluation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program: Final Cross-Cutting Report on the Findings from Ten State Site Visits

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

This report synthesizes findings from case studies conducted in 2001 and 2002 in ten states selected for the Congressionally Mandated Evaluation of SCHIP: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Texas (Hill et al. 2002).Discussion addresses such issues as program design, outreach and enrollment strategies, benefits, service delivery systems, cost sharing, crowd out prevention, parental coverage, financing, and coordination of SCHIP and Medicaid.Overarching conclusions identify lessons learned from effective implementation.

Expanding the EITC to Help More Low-Wage Workers

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Holzer, Additional Authors) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The case for expanding the EITC for workers without qualifying children is compelling, as the current EITC provides little help to this group. We argue that the EITC for these workers should: - provide these workers with a strong incentive to increase work effort; - provide a significant subsidy to low-earning workers working near a full-time work level; - begin phasing out only after an individual is working at a level at least equivalent to full-time minimum wage work; - apply to both prime-age and younger workers; and - be effectively coordinated with the Making Work Pay Credit.

Family Mobility and Neighborhood Change : New Evidence and Implications for Community Initiatives

paffairs@urban.org ( Claudia J. Coulton, Brett Theodos, Margery Austin Turner) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Americans change residences frequently. Residential mobility can reflect positive changes in a family's circumstances or be a symptom of instability and insecurity. Mobility may also change neighborhoods as a whole. To shed light on these challenges, this report uses a unique survey conducted for the Making Connections initiative. The first component measures how mobility contributed to changes in neighborhoods' composition and characteristics. The second component identifies groups of households that reflect different reasons for moving or staying in place. The final component introduces five stylized models of neighborhood performance: each has implications for low-income families' well-being and for community-change efforts.

Children of Immigrants: A Statistical Snapshot

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The number and share of children with at least one immigrant parent, the percentage of children of immigrants who are U.S. citizens, and the share of children of immigrants vs. children with native parents who are poor are just some of the data this snapshot (in English and Spanish) provides.

Policy Polymath Eugene Steuerle Returns to the Urban Institute

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Eugene Steuerle, one of the nation's most respected public policy experts, whose portfolio ranges from taxes and federal spending on children to entitlements and the vitality of nonprofits, has rejoined the Urban Institute as an Institute fellow and the Richard B. Fisher

Evaluating the Use of Radio Frequency Identification Device Technology to Prevent and Investigate Sexual Assault and Related Acts of Violence in a Women's Prison

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The application of radio frequency identification device (RFID) technology to prevent inmate misconduct in a women's prison in Cleveland, Ohio was evaluated. An interrupted time series design was employed to analyze administrative data. Interviews were conducted with 89 inmates and 21 correctional and investigative staff. A process evaluation found that the advanced applications of the RFID system theorized to prevent inmate misconduct were not initiated. The resulting study evaluates RFID when employed at its most basic level as a perimeter control device and aid in investigations and finds that rates of inmate misconduct did not change significantly over the evaluation period.

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 ( The 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.

Regarding H.R. 3073, Homelessness Prevention Program : Hearing before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs United States House of Representatives

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary K. Cunningham) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Testimony from Mary Cunningham on H.R. 3073 for the United States House of Representatives, the Committee on Veterans Affairs. H.R. 3073 would create a homelessness prevention program for low-income veterans.

Children of Immigrants: Immigration Trends

paffairs@urban.org ( Karina Fortuny, Ajay Chaudry) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet is the first in a series of publications on children of immigrants in the United States that updates the Urban Institute's May 2006 fact sheet that described the circumstances of these children in the early 2000s. The current fact sheet examines immigration trends and finds that children of immigrants are the fastest growing segment of the nation's children population - while the number of children of natives increased by 2.1 million between 1990 and 2007, children of immigrants grew by 8.1 million accounting for 77 percent of the growth of the U.S. children population during this time.

Widening the Net: National Estimates of Gender Disparities in Engineering

paffairs@urban.org ( Clemencia Cosentino de Cohen, Nicole Deterding) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This paper explores the causes behind the severe underrepresentation of women in engineering. Based on national data on undergraduate engineering programs, this study presents cross-sectional estimates of male and female student retention. Contrary to widespread beliefs, the study found that overall and in most disciplines there is no differential attrition by gender. Instead, results suggest that gender disparities in engineering are largely driven by inadequate enrollment (not inadequate retention) of women. The paper concludes that outreach within institutions of higher education, across institutions (into two-year colleges, middle and high schools), and into K-12 curricular reformare needed to address what is, at its very core, a recruitment problem.

Retention Is Not the Problem: Women aren't being drawn to engineering in the first place.

paffairs@urban.org ( Clemencia Cosentino de Cohen) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

"Study Seeks to Improve Retention Among Women Engineering Students," declares a 2008 news release announcing a grant to four universities. Countless other articles cite female retention as a grave problem. This focus on retention drives a host of strategies to increase the number of women engineers. But is low retention behind the problem? Are women underrepresented in engineering because they enroll only to eventually drop out? The answer, as documented in the July 2009 Journal of Engineering Education, is a resounding "No!"

The Opacity of Marginal Tax Rates

paffairs@urban.org ( Rosanne Altshuler, Jacob Goldin) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Suppose that a taxpayer earns an additional dollar of income. How much tax would she owe on that dollar? A natural way to answer this question would be to look up the taxpayers statutory tax rate - the tax rate corresponding to her tax bracket and filing status.

The High Cost of Small Business Health Insurance: Limited Options, Limited Coverage : Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations United States House of Representatives

paffairs@urban.org ( Linda J. Blumberg) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Small employers and their workers face an assortment of barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage. These include high administrative costs, limited ability to spread health care risk, and a low-wage workforce. These issues have led to low rates of coverage offers by small employers and high rates of uninsurance among their workers. An insurance exchange, such as the one proposed in H.R. 3200, would spread health care risk and reduce administrative costs. The financial assistance provided to the low-income under the bill would benefit many small-firm workers. As such, the bill would significantly increase coverage among workers of small employers.

Credits and Exemptions for Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Maag) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit (CTC), Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), and the dependent exemption all provide benefits to families with children. In 2009, a single mom (or dad) with two children can receive benefits ranging from $0 to about $7,500 - depending on her income, age of the children, and where the children live. While this assistance is extremely important to many low-income families, they must navigate a bewildering set of rules to take full advantage of the credits. Due to the piecewise implementation of these credits and exemptions, total benefits bounce around erratically as income grows.

Risk and Recovery: Understanding the Changing Risks to Family Incomes

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory Acs, Pamela J. Loprest, Austin Nichols) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This paper examines the characteristics and circumstances of families vulnerable to sharp income drops and those most likely to recover financially. More than 13 percent of nonelderly adults in families with children will see their incomes fall by half at some point over the course of a year, and about 40 percent fully recover within a year. Those who lose jobs or have an adult leave the family are more likely to have a substantial drop in income and are less likely to recover.This study uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, which collects data every four months and can provide information on short-term income loss.

Age Rating Under Comprehensive Health Care Reform: : Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Household Financial Burdens

paffairs@urban.org ( Linda J. Blumberg, Matthew Buettgens, Bowen Garrett) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Congressional proposals health care reform proposals have differed in the premium rating rules that would be applied to non-elderly adults. Some have proposed allowing premiums for the older adults to be as much as 5 times as high as those for younger adults (5:1 rating), while others would limit the highest premiums to be twice that of the lowest (2:1 rating). This analysis uses the Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model (HIPSM) to compare the financial implications of the premium rating choice (5:1, 2:1, and 1:1) for households of different ages, incomes, and sizes.

Variation in Insurance Coverage Across Congressional Districts : New Estimates from 2008

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

New data on health insurance coverage from the American Community Survey show extensive variation in rates of private and public coverage and uninsurance across congressional districts in the United States. Rates of private coverage are lowest in districts that have higher poverty rates which tend to be concentrated in the South and West and uninsurance remains most serious in districts with low rates of private coverage. This analysis identifies the districts in which residents would have the most to gain from health reforms that are designed to increase health insurance coverage toward a higher and more uniform national standard.

The Individual Alternative Minimum Tax: Historical Data and Projections, Updated October 2009

paffairs@urban.org ( Katherine Lim, Jeff Rohaly) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

The alternative minimum tax (AMT), which originally targeted high-income taxpayers, requires annual legislation to prevent it from affecting millions of middle-income individuals each year. There are two primary reasons for the AMTs broadening impact; its parameters are not indexed for inflation and the 2001-2006 tax cuts reduced regular tax liability without changing AMT liability. In 2009, four million taxpayers will pay $33.5 billion in AMT, but without congressional action that number will rise to 27 million owing $102 billion in 2010. This paper describes the AMT and provides TPCs latest estimates of AMT coverage, revenue, and distribution.

Low Income Shelter Finance in Slum Upgrading

paffairs@urban.org ( Sally R. Merrill, Ajay Suri) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This report summarizes findings from the USAID-sponsored project on models of financing for slum upgrading in India, undertaken on behalf of SPARC, a prominent NGO involved in slum upgrading in India and internationally for over two decades, and the National Housing Bank of India (NHB), one of whose main goals is enhancing housing finance for low-income households. In preparing the recommendations, the Urban Institute and SDS India have worked together with USAID and an Advisory Group formed for this project. In addition to SPARC and NHB, the Advisory Group includes banks, housing finance companies (HFCs), foundations, microfinance institutions (MFIs), builders, and Indian research institutions addressing shelter and microfinance.

The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform: Implications for States

paffairs@urban.org ( Bowen Garrett, John Holahan, Lan Doan, Irene Headen) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

This paper used the Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model to examine the impact on insurance coverage in government, employer, and family spending in all 50 states in absence of reform. In all states employer sponsored insurance would fall, and Medicaid enrollment and the number of uninsured would increase. Employer spending would increase despite drops in coverage. Government spending for public health insurance programs and for financing of uncompensated care would increase. The results differ among states depending on the distribution of employees by firm size and wage levels, the breadth of coverage in public programs and projected population growth.

Rising Senior Unemployment and the Need to Work at Older Ages

paffairs@urban.org ( Richard W. Johnson) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment rates for older workers reached record levels in 2009, partly because fewer workers eligible for early retirement benefits are dropping out of the labor force. Growing concerns about the adequacy of retirement savings and whether retirees will have enough money to live comfortably in later life appear to have discouraged early retirement. Instead, more older workers are now remaining in the labor force and searching for work after they lose their jobs. The need for older adults to keep working raises the imperative for new policies that help address the special challenges that older job seekers face.

City Backs D.C. Public Safety Research Center to Be Housed at the Urban Institute

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

A research and information center on crime prevention and public safety in Washington, D.C., is being created at the Urban Institute with an $800,000 grant from the Executive Office of the Mayor.

From the Classroom to the Community : Exploring the Role of Education during Incarceration and Reentry

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

This report synthesizes the Education Reentry Roundtable. It surveys the current landscape of correctional education, discussing both the educational needs of people involved in the criminal justice system and the programs being provided to meet those needs; reviews research on the effectiveness of correctional education and guiding principles for effective programming; discusses the issues involved in providing education in correctional settings and identifies some potential responses to these challenges. The report closes by looking to the future and highlighting key issues and new directions in research, policy, and practice. More information about the Reentry Roundtables can be found at http://www.urban.org/projects/reentry-roundtable/index.cfm.

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.

The Local Role of the United States Parole Commission (USPC) : Increasing Public Safety, Reducing Recidivism, and Using Alternatives to Re-incarceration in the District of Columbia

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

Testimony delivered to the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, hearing on "The Local Role of the United States Parole Commission (USPC): Increasing Public Safety, Reducing Recidivism, and Using Alternatives to Re-incarceration in the District of Columbia." The testimony summarizes work by UI synthesizing extant research and expert consensus regarding what constitutes effective parole supervision to reduce recidivism. Changes currently underway in the parole field and factors to consider in implementing the practices discussed are also presented.

Evaluation Matters : Lessons from Youth-Serving Organizations

paffairs@urban.org ( Mary Kopczynski Winkler, Brett Theodos, Michel Grosz) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Nonprofits face growing demands to demonstrate their impact. Their ability to report on program performance is essential to organizational legitimacy and financial survival. This report chronicles the evaluation experiences of four youth-serving nonprofits that participated in the East of the River Initiative, a multi-year effort to increase the capacity of agencies to assess their performance. We detail key successes and challenges with the goal of sparking a dialogue between nonprofits, funders, and technical assistance providers about the proper value of evaluation in the sector.

Are Families Prepared for Financial Emergencies?

paffairs@urban.org ( Caroline Ratcliffe, Katie Vinopal) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Data from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances show a disturbing reality. Even prior to the current recession, many families did not have enough assets to see them through a modest spell of unemployment or another financial emergency. In 2007, nearly one in three U.S. families were liquid asset poor. Low-income, young, and nonemployed families are more vulnerable to economic emergencies. For example, two-thirds (68 percent) of bottom income quintile families and 47 percent of second income quintile families are liquid asset poor, while such shortfalls affect only 1 percent of top income quintile families.

The Dynamics of Poverty in the United States: A Review of Data, Methods, and Findings

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

This paper reviews the literature on poverty dynamics in the United States. It surveys the most prevalent data, theories, and methods used to answer three key questions: How likely are people to enter, exit, and reenter poverty? How long do people remain in poverty? And what events are associated with entering and exiting poverty? The paper then analyzes the combined findings of the literature, discussing overarching patterns of poverty dynamics, differences among demographic groups, and how poverty probabilities, duration, and events have changed over time. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of these findings and avenues for future research.

Nancy La Vigne to Head the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Nancy La Vigne, an expert on crime prevention and prisoner reentry and the founding director of the U.S. Department of Justices Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety program, will become the director of the Urban Institutes Justice Policy Center on October 1.

Debunking the Government Takeover Myth

paffairs@urban.org ( Stan Dorn, Stephen Zuckerman) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Pending health reform legislation would leave our largely private medical care system intact, give the federal government no new authority to intervene in private health care decisions, and increase health care options for millions of Americans, two senior researchers make clear.

Health Reform in Massachusetts: An Update on Insurance Coverage and Support for Reform as of Fall 2008

paffairs@urban.org ( Sharon K. Long, Karen Stockley) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Massachusetts began an ambitious push toward near universal health insurance coverage in 2006. This policy brief provides an update of the impacts of health reform in Massachusetts on insurance coverage as of Fall 2008 for working-age adults, the primary target population of the reform initiative, along with an update on support for health reform in the state. Findings demonstrate that the state has achieved its goal of near universal health insurance coverage and that state residents continue to show strong support for health reform, even in the face of increasing program costs and the recession that began in December 2007. Given the success of the coverage expansion, Massachusetts policymakers are turning to the next phase of health reform - reigning in health care costs.

Structuring, Financing and Paying for Effective Chronic Care Coordination

paffairs@urban.org ( Robert A. Berenson, Julianne Howell) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Growing evidence demonstrates that certain approaches to financing and paying for chronic care coordination for patients are effective not only for improving patient well-being but can also reduce health care spending. However, chronic care approaches should vary for different patient populations and can be carried out effectively by diverse organizations and professionals reflecting the heterogeneity of health care delivery throughout the US. The Report considers the different populations in need of care coordination, summarizes current evidence of effectiveness, describes the various entities that can serve as focal points for coordinating care, and details the possible financing and payment options that can support these approaches.

Testimony on Income and Poverty in the United States: 2008 : Before the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress

paffairs@urban.org ( Harry Holzer) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Between 2007 and 2008, real incomes fell and poverty rose in the United States, Institute Fellow Harry Holzer testified before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. Even if the recession ends this year, rising unemployment will mean that real income keeps falling while poverty increases for a few more years and almost certainly by much more than occurred between 2007 and 2008. It will likely take several years beyond 2010 before real income and poverty fully recover from the effects of the downturn.

Focus on the Tax 'Avoidance' Gap

paffairs@urban.org ( Eric Toder) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

President Obama's tax reform task force has been asked to propose ways to close the $300 billion tax gap, which is the estimated difference between taxes owed and taxes paid either voluntarily or through enforcement. But the amount of money lost to legal tax avoidance - the difference between an income tax without special tax preferences and taxes under current law - at least double that lost to outright evasion. The perpetrators of this second, "avoidance" tax gap are legislators, not taxpayers. The panel's main focus should be on finding appropriate ways to close this second tax gap.

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.

Poverty in the United States, 2008

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory Acs) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the U.S. poverty rate reached 13.2 percent in 2008. Even this significant increase from the 12.5 percent rate in 2007 surely understates the share of Americans struggling to make ends meet today in September 2009.

Rising Poverty Threatens Neighborhood Vitality

paffairs@urban.org ( Margery Austin Turner) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

High poverty rates, especially among African Americans and Latinos, threaten the well-being of neighborhoods as well as families. We can anticipate that the number of neighborhoods with dangerously high poverty rates is higher today than in 2000, representing a tragic reversal of the downward trend between 1990 and 2000. Historically, public policies played a central role in establishing and enforcing patterns of racial segregation, alongside discriminatory practices by the private sector and individuals. But no single causal process explains the persistence of residential segregation in America today. To ensure the well-being and sustainability of all neighborhoods, public policies must intervene to break the cycle.

Transformation of Affordable-Housing Policy Illuminated in New Historical Analysis

paffairs@urban.org ( The Urban Institute) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Housing Policy Revolution: Networks and Neighborhoods from the Urban Institute Press traces the shift in U.S. housing policy from the Washington-led bureaucracies of the 1960s to today's highly collaborative, tax-supported networks of advocates, local governments, bankers, and property developers.

How Is the Financial Crisis Affecting Retirement Savings? : August 2009, Update

paffairs@urban.org ( Mauricio Soto) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

The stock market lost 56 percent of its value between September 30, 2007, and March 9, 2009. These losses reduced the retirement savings of American households. Recently, however, a good portion of these losses has been reversed. Equities gained 53 percent between March 9, 2009 and August 31, 2009.

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.

Current Health Reform Proposals: No Government Takeover of American Health Care

paffairs@urban.org ( Stan Dorn, Stephen Zuckerman) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

This paper debunks claims that proposed health reforms represent a government takeover of health care. We show, among other findings, that pending legislation would: (1) retain the nation's largely private medical care system, in which more than 90 percent of doctors are in private practice and 84 percent of all hospital admissions are to private facilities; (2) avoid government interference in the practice of medicine, instead simply extending existing public responsibilities to fund coverage for low-income Americans and regulate insurance; and (3) cover only 12 million people through a public option, based on Congressional Budget Office projections.

Permanent Supportive Housing in the District of Columbia: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

paffairs@urban.org ( Martha R. Burt, Sam Hall) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

With the generous support of the William S. Abell Foundation, the Urban Institute (UI) surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects, asking their staff to detail current projects and future ambitions. This research brief is an analysis of the stock of PSH in the District as of early fall 2008, demographic information on PSH tenants at that time, and a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and ultimately eliminating chronic homelessness.