From the protests that sparked fresh debate over race relations across the country to less palpable shifts like the surge in rental housing demand, 2015 often felt like the precipice of change in the years to come. Our most popular posts on Urban Wire reflected our readers’ interest in learning about these challenges—and the evidence behind their potential solutions.

Surviving the streets of New York
Many homeless LGBTQ youth in New York City engage in survival sex to meet their basic needs. Justice Policy Center researchers documented these young people’s experiences in a report and identified the services and support they need to gain stability.

Dropping out and clocking in
Nearly 30 percent of young people without a high school diploma between the ages of 16 and 18 are working and not in school. The Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center’s Molly Scott explored what this means for the future of young people working to meet their basic needs.

We are not prepared for the growth in rental demand
In a major demographic study projecting headship and homeownership rates through 2030, Laurie Goodman, Rolf Pendall, and Jun Zhu explained how demand for rental housing over the next 15 years will dramatically increase. From 2010 to 2030, growth in rental households will exceed that of homeowners by 4 million.

Inequality isn’t just about money; it’s also about where you live
Using census data from the 2010 Neighborhood Change Database, Urban Institute researchers identified the nation’s most privileged and most distressed neighborhoods and analyzed how they changed over time.

Visualizing housing policy’s impact on inequality
The United States needs a housing policy that assists individuals at all rungs of the income ladder, particularly those stuck at the bottom. This interactive showed how two key policy levers—federal rental assistance and tax policy—could reduce inequality.

From protest to policy: evidence-based solutions for Baltimore and other US cities
The unrest in Baltimore and other cities this year called for a reexamination of the policies in place to help poor communities of color struggling with injustice. Urban Institute scholars responded to protestors' calls with a series blog posts offering concrete strategies to make a difference.