Civil Justice for All

Civil Justice for All. American Academy of Arts & Sciences. September 2020.

Civil Justice for All, a report of the American Academy’s Making Justice Accessible project, provides a national overview of the crisis in legal services by focusing on four common categories of civil legal problems: family, healthcare, housing, and veterans affairs. By addressing these issues within the larger context of American civil justice, this report advances a set of clear, national recommendations for closing the gap between the supply and the demand for legal assistance for low-income Americans. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 60 pages].

An Early Assessment of Opportunity Zones for Equitable Development Projects

An Early Assessment of Opportunity Zones for Equitable Development Projects: Nine Observations on the Use of the Incentive to Date. Urban Institute. Brett Theodos et al. June 17, 2020

Opportunity Zones (OZs) are gaining momentum, and now that the rules regulating them are clearer, investors, local officials, developers, and businesses have been engaging with the incentive. In the two years since the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 created the incentive and Treasury-designated Zones, hundreds of Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs) have been created, and OZ investment was beginning to flow until the COVID-19 crisis began. But has this capital been reaching projects that benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities? Although the program is still maturing, and the COVID-19 crisis now poses new challenges whose resolution is unknown, this report offers an early, qualitative assessment of how well OZs have channeled capital into projects aligned with equitable development goals. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 52 pages].

Responding to a Crisis: The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, 2008-2018: A Capstone Evaluation

Responding to a Crisis: The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program, 2008-2018: A Capstone Evaluation. Urban Institute. Corianne Payton Scally et al. February 13, 2019

In 2007, as the scale and urgency of the housing crisis became clear, Congress authorized an emergency program to help Americans in danger of losing their homes. Between 2008–18, the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program helped homeowners in need by substantially boosting the nation’s capacity for foreclosure counseling. Implemented by NeighborWorks America®, the program served more than 2 million homeowners, helped standardize foreclosure counseling practices, and fostered stronger relationships among program administrators, housing counseling agencies, and loan servicers. The NFMC program’s its impact on homeowners, housing counseling providers, and the housing counseling field will continue to be felt for years to come. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 52 pages].

Family Residential Instability: What Can States and Localities Do?

Family Residential Instability: What Can States and Localities Do? Urban Institute. Brett Theodos, Sara McTarnaghan, Claudia J. Coulton. May 3, 2018

 Residential instability can disrupt employment, finances, health, education, social networks, and more. And yet, too little policy attention has been devoted to the issue. States and localities have critical roles to play in creating integrated solutions to a complex challenge, but to date, their strategies have largely been confined to specific sectors and institutions, when more cross-cutting and holistic approaches are needed. This brief details steps that states and localities can take in several areas, including affordable housing, education, law, health, and human services, to minimize the occurrence or mitigate the consequences of residential instability. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

 [PDF format, 24 pages].

The Federal-State Higher Education Partnership: Lessons from Other Federal-State Partnerships

The Federal-State Higher Education Partnership: Lessons from Other Federal-State Partnerships. Urban Institute. Kristin D. Conklin, Sandy Baum. May 16, 2017

Lessons from federal-state partnerships in other public policy areas might inform efforts to strengthen the partnership in higher education. This paper looks to the forms of cooperation between these levels of government in transportation, housing, and elementary through secondary education as examples. The federal role should have clearly defined goals, including strengthening the social norm of equitable access to high quality postsecondary education. Preserving flexibility for the states is a critical component of effective federal policy. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 25 pages, 292.37 KB].

Pay for Performance: A New Solution for Vulnerable Homeless Adults

Pay for Performance: A New Solution for Vulnerable Homeless Adults. American Enterprise Institute. Kevin C. Corinth. April 26, 2016.

An emerging consensus has formed among advocates, nonprofit organizations, and the federal government that we have discovered the best solution for vulnerable homeless adults—Housing First. While the Housing First model has rightly been celebrated for increasing housing stability among the most vulnerable, evidence for claims that it reduces homeless populations, saves money, and improves well-being is much weaker. According to the author, there’s a need for a new solution that builds on the success of Housing First in housing the most vulnerable but also pushes progress forward on other outcomes. I propose a “pay-for-performance” system that unconditionally accepts vulnerable individuals into medium-term or long-term supportive housing, but rather than mandate a specific service model, holds service providers accountable for performance: keeping people out of homelessness, minimizing costs, and improving well-being. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 10 pages, 283.6 KB].

A Theoretical Framework for Two-Generation Models: Lessons from the HOST Demonstration

A Theoretical Framework for Two-Generation Models: Lessons from the HOST Demonstration. Urban Institute. Molly M. Scott et al. January 15, 2016.

Two-generation models target low-income children and their parents in hopes of interrupting the cycle of poverty. These models vary widely, and policymakers and practitioners need guidance on how best to design them. The brief uses insights from the Housing Opportunities and Services Together Demonstration to present an updated theoretical framework for these models. The framework emphasizes the importance of using family goals to target individual family members, setting individual goals, and aligning tailored and appropriate solutions. This lens also emphasizes prioritizing relationship-building over programs and designing flexible evaluation approaches, while working for systems change to support families in their efforts. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 11 pages, 311.6 KB].

Developing Housing and Education Partnerships

Developing Housing and Education Partnerships. Urban Institute. Megan Gallagher. April 9, 2015.

Assisted-housing providers are in a unique position to support educators, low-income students, and their caregivers outside the school day. By partnering with schools and school districts, housing providers can help address challenges outside school that can become barriers to learning—such as housing instability, truancy, and health problems. Their roles as developers and landlords create opportunities to connect housing and education. The report summarizes key elements that shape and strengthen the partnerships in three diverse settings: Akron, Ohio, New Haven, Connecticut, and Vancouver Washington. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 30 pages, 309.17 KB].

A Brief Look at the Early Implementation of Choice Neighborhoods

A Brief Look at the Early Implementation of Choice Neighborhoods. The Urban Institute. Rolf Pendall and Leah Hendey. October 25, 2013.

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a signature program in the Obama Administration’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, aims to redevelop distressed assisted housing developments and improve their neighborhoods. The brief introduces the first five implementation sites, in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle, and the plans for rebuilding them. Ranging from a few blocks to over two square miles, the sites vary greatly in their challenges, programs, and key actors. All five are making progress in this new phase of federal housing and community development and are addressing the challenge of coordination in their ambitious attempts to build mixed-income neighborhoods. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 14 pages, 202.1 KB].

How Europe’s Changing Population Will Impact on Income Inequality

How Europe’s Changing Population Will Impact on Income Inequality. RAND Corporation. Benoit Guerin. July 17, 2013.

Analyzing future demographic trends will help policymakers successfully implement Europe’s poverty strategy for 2020 by reducing at-risk-of-poverty rates for a significant number of EU citizens. Sections of the population most at risk of poverty that are likely to grow in size include the elderly and migrants, as well as elderly women and single heads of households. Successfully managing the transition to an increasingly ageing population while continuing to maintain high welfare standards will depend upon continuing reform of pensions systems, healthcare systems and labour markets, according to the report. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 45 pages, 0.8 MB].