For generations, the American dream has promised that with hard work, anyone in the United States can have a good life: an education, a home, a quality job, and financial security. But for some, soaring inflation, rising home prices, and the increasing costs of and barriers to higher education may push the sticker price of that dream out of reach.
This year on Urban Wire, Urban Institute researchers explored how access to the American dream has changed, for better and for worse.
From explaining the many changes in US policy in response to the pandemic to busting myths around policy levers and effectiveness, Urban researchers produced new evidence about who has access to opportunity and forecasted how communities might once again afford an education, a home, a good job, and achieve financial security.
On Urban Wire, researchers showed what the US Supreme Court decision on affirmative action would mean for higher education; why rising mortgage rates would affect housing affordability; who was most affected by increasing climate and extreme weather risks, such as wildfires and other natural disasters; how federal infrastructure dollars could invigorate communities; and so much more.
As policymakers, local leaders, and communities begin to rethink the American dream, these 10 blog posts elevated the debate in 2023:
Rethinking Homeownership as “the American Dream”
“What if, instead, the American dream looked like efforts to expand access to homeownership while enhancing housing sustainability and financial prosperity for renters so they, too, can dream under their roofs?”
—Caitlyn Young, Amalie Zinn, and Jung Hyun Choi
The Future of College Admissions without Affirmative Action
“Evidence shows diversity in higher education improves learning outcomes for all students, and the benefits extend beyond graduation. A ban could not only negatively affect students of color, who would be less likely to attend selective institutions that usually have more resources and higher graduation rates, but could also prevent other students at these universities from benefiting from the perspectives and experiences that having a more diverse class brings.”
—Elise Colin and Bryan J. Cook
The “Real” Homeownership Gap between Today’s Young Adults and Past Generations Is Much Larger Than You Think
“A significant decline in the real homeownership rate means more of today’s young adults won’t be able to build wealth through housing equity the way older generations did.”
—Laurie Goodman, Jung Hyun Choi, and Jun Zhu
Supplemental Security Income Thresholds Are Out of Date; Updating Them Would Reduce Poverty.
“SSI [Supplemental Security Income] plays a critical role in helping meet the basic needs of more than 8 million people who are either over age 65 or disabled and have low incomes and few assets. Evidence from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other research on the SSI program suggest that increasing the SSI asset limit would improve the financial security of beneficiaries and their families; if combined with other long-overdue updates, increasing the asset limit would lift millions of people out of poverty, reduce costs for the Social Security Administration, and limit the administrative burden on beneficiaries.”
Medicaid Work Requirements Would Do Little or Nothing to Increase Employment, but Would Harm People’s Health
“If the goal of work requirements is to increase employment, expanding access to Medicaid itself is likely to be a better way to reach that goal. Adults who gained Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act reported that improved access to health care was critical for their health as well as current and future employment. Ultimately, work requirements in Medicaid would do little or nothing to encourage people to work but can cause significant harm to their health.”
No, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Aren’t Penalizing People with Good Credit to Help People with Bad Credit
“Last year, FHFA [the Federal Housing Finance Agency] increased pricing on loans for which there is less justification for deep government support—loans for vacation homes, investor properties, million-dollar homes, and cash-out refinancing. And FHFA has used the increased revenues from those changes to decrease costs for people who genuinely need the help—borrowers with limited wealth or income.”
States Cannot Rely on School Resource Officers to Stop School Shootings
“As a native Nashvillian and former Covenant congregation member, my heart breaks for the families of those killed and for all of the children who will never again know peace at school. I want my home state to take proactive steps to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.”
Medical Debt Was Erased from Credit Records for Most Consumers, Potentially Improving Many Americans’ Lives
“Under these policies, the share of adults with medical debt on their credit records will continue to fall, and their credit scores based on other scoring models will likely continue to rise. However, these reporting changes don’t affect the underlying debt consumers owe to health care providers.”
—Fredric Blavin, Breno Braga, and Michael Karpman
Why Hazardous Train Derailments Happen, Who Pays, and How to Prevent Them
“Although all rail communities are at risk of derailments and a worst-case derailment in a city would be catastrophic, most of the more than 140,000 miles of US railroads run through rural communities and tribal lands—which are far less equipped than metros to respond to disasters—and which have also experienced the majority of catastrophic derailments in recent years.”
What We Do and Don’t Know about Opportunity Zones
“Although two of the three financial incentives provided by the Opportunity Zones have lapsed, the largest remains, meaning the program will continue to see qualifying investment through its expiration in 2026. Legislation to extend, expand, and reform the program has been introduced in every Congress since Opportunity Zones were enacted, but none has passed. Given investor and real estate developer interest in the program, there will likely be more calls to extend the program beyond its current end date.”
Let’s build a future where everyone, everywhere has the opportunity and power to thrive
Urban is more determined than ever to partner with changemakers to unlock opportunities that give people across the country a fair shot at reaching their fullest potential. Invest in Urban to power this type of work.
