Last week’s MetroTrends blogs tackle three issues critical to the well-being of families and their communities – decent housing, fair wages, and adequate savings:

• Molly Scott argues that regulations designed to prevent over-crowding in rental homes and apartments may inadvertently trap some families in substandard housing.

• Margaret Simms shows that, despite big gains in education over the past three decades, women’s wages still lag behind men’s.

• Greg Mills features the latest information on how much Americans are saving – before, during, and after the Great Recession.