Last week, three MetroTrends bloggers show how affordable housing and social security reforms might be an essential starting point for tackling the needs of vulnerable people:

• Rich Johnson proposes a change to social security contribution that could eliminate much of its looming shortfall while improving overall equality
• Mary Cunningham points to a program that could reduce homelessness and recidivism by providing housing help to people leaving prison, and
• Susan Popkin describes an experimental effort to simultaneously help both adults and kids in some of the nation’s most distressed public housing communities.