Articles and analysis on today's issues

Federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could cause some DC-area families to lose an average of $187 in monthly benefits.
New Mortgage Data Show Business Borrowing Is Key to Affordable Multifamily Housing Newly released HMDA data reveal three important facts about multifamily lending.Evaluating Proposed Changes to Pell Grants Policymakers and advocates are taking two varying approaches to reform the federal Pell grant program.Comparing State Housing Markets through Customizable Data Visualization Looking only at national housing trends can mask differences across states.To Make “Smart Cities” More Inclusive, Leaders Need Better Tools and Data Critics of smart city technology argue that rapidly integrating technology in all aspects of government can exacerbate cities’ existing inequalities.What’s Behind the Dramatic Improvement in the Federal Housing Administration’s MMI Fund? In their annual report to Congress, the FHA showed a major improvement in the capital ratio of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance fund.Use the “Pyramid Philosophy” to Better Communicate Your Research A new book by Urban’s communications team explains strategies to get research into the hands of people who can use it.