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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.
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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
Type
State
Issue
The Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2014: For LGBT seniors, affordable housing is scarce and often unwelcoming
"Leaders in Los Angeles' gay community say Herman's predicament is increasingly common. Though society has changed rapidly over the last several years and gay people overall feel greater acceptance, gay seniors face a unique set of challenges as they age, particularly when trying to find affordable housing."
The Stanton Island Live, April 17, 2014: Gov. Cuomo funds low-income housing for seniors on Staten Island
"Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced over $95 million in awards to build affordable housing across the state including $1.5 million for the Bay Street Senior Housing construction project in Stapleton."
2014 Building a Grad Nation
Earn to Learn: How States Can Reimagine and Reinvest in Work-Study to Help Low-Income Adults Pay for College, Enhance Their Academic Studies, and Prepare for Post-College Careers
The Times of San Diego, April 09, 2014: San Diego Unified Backs Higher Minimum Wage Locally
"The San Diego Unified School Districts board Tuesday threw its unanimous backing behind a proposal to ask voters in November to raise the minimum wage and require five paid sick days for all people working in San Diego."
Collateral Damage: Scheduling Challenges for Workers in Low-wage Jobs and Their Consequences
Reality Check: Seventeen Million Reasons Low-Wage Workers Need Strong Protections From Harassment
Address Working Poverty by Promoting Work Hour Security in Low-Wage Hourly Jobs
Commentary: Anna Haley-Lock, Charlotte Alexander, and Nantiya Ruan
Trying to Close a Knowledge Gap, Word by Word
"Recent research shows that brain development is buoyed by continuous interaction with parents and caregivers from birth, and that even before age 2, the children of the wealthy know more words than do those of the poor. [...] Too Small to Fail, a joint effort of the nonprofit Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, chose Latino children as its initial focus because more of them live in poverty than do children of any other racial or ethnic group. [...] Hillary Rodham Clinton is the co-founder of Too Small to Fail, which has raised $10 million so far."
CNN, March 31, 2014: 260,000 graduates in minimum wage jobs
"About 260,000 people who had a college or professional degree made at or below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."
The Washington Times, March 28, 2014: Arizona House OKs revised $9.23B state budget
"A deal on a state budget in hand after days of wrangling between Republican factions, the Arizona House on Thursday evening adopted a $9.24 billion state budget that made changes to a plan passed by the Senate."
The McAlester News Capital, March 28, 2014: Many of state's lowest-performing students are not improving
"In public schools where at least three-fourths of students were from low-income families, about half of test-takers made no significant improvement over the previous year, according to an Oklahoma Watch analysis of state test results in spring 2013."