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Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.

In the News
Housing
North Carolina
2026
N.C. Hurricane Survivors Are Still Waiting For State Help
February 12, 2026

N.C. Hurricane Survivors Are Still Waiting For State Help

“In the 459 days that Willa Mae James spent living in a Fairfield Inn in Eastern North Carolina, her footsteps wore down paths in the carpet: from the door to the desk, from the bed to the wooden armchair by...

In the News
Politics
Mississippi
2026
Medicaid Expansion in MS Appears Dead For Now
February 10, 2026

Medicaid Expansion in MS Appears Dead For Now

“JACKSON, Miss.—Mississippi will not expand Medicaid this year because of federal Medicaid funding cuts under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a top Republican in the Mississippi Senate says. “There is no expansion,” Mississippi Senate Medicaid Chairman Sen....

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
California
2026
Judge Extends Freeze on Social Service Cuts in 5 Blue States
February 9, 2026

Judge Extends Freeze on Social Service Cuts in 5 Blue States

“A federal judge on Friday extended an order blocking the Trump administration from withholding funds for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states, keeping at bay for now cuts that the states say are politically motivated and would...

In the News
Families
2026
Congress Targets Housing Crisis As Solutions Elude Trump
February 6, 2026

Congress Targets Housing Crisis As Solutions Elude Trump

“President Trump has struggled to address the housing crisis. But Congress has been moving forward with legislation that, if signed into law, could bring the most significant changes to federal housing laws in a generation, potentially igniting a building boom....

In the News
Housing
2026
HHS To Expand Faith-Based Addiction Programs For Homeless
February 5, 2026

HHS To Expand Faith-Based Addiction Programs For Homeless

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday that the federal government would expand funding for faith-based addiction treatment as a response to mounting public drug use and homelessness in American cities. Mr. Kennedy, who credits 12-step programs with...

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
2026
New SNAP Work Requirements Take Effect in More States
February 3, 2026

New SNAP Work Requirements Take Effect in More States

“New work requirements are expanding across more states this week for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the nation’s largest federal assistance program. As of Feb. 1, adults between the ages of 18 and 64 without dependent children must...

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Wisconsin
2026
Rural Wisconsin Community Charts Course For Intergenerational Care
February 2, 2026

Rural Wisconsin Community Charts Course For Intergenerational Care

“In Walworth County, Wisconsin, a grassroots effort is reimagining what care can look like across generations. A local community group has launched the “Nursery to Nursing Home” campaign, a proposal to transform a vacant wing of the county’s nursing home...

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
2026
SNAP Users Face Dizzying Array of New Rules From State Waivers
January 30, 2026

SNAP Users Face Dizzying Array of New Rules From State Waivers

“In Iowa, food stamps can be used to purchase ice cream at a convenience store, but not a fruit cup with a fork attached. Next month, consumers in Idaho will be able to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to...

In the News
Families
2026
Homelessness Appears to Decline, Reversing Yearslong Trend
January 29, 2026

Homelessness Appears to Decline, Reversing Yearslong Trend

“Homelessness appears to have fallen in the last year of the Biden administration, according to local counts reported to the federal government but not yet released under President Trump, an analysis of the local data shows. A large sample of...