Poverty Solutions | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Departments and Research Centers

Poverty Solutions

Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan informs and tests innovative solutions for the prevention and alleviation of poverty, leveraging the immense intellectual assets and academic scope of the university to make a major impact on the

Showing 181 - 210 of 395 results
News

Lawmakers seek out U-M faculty for expertise on various topics

Dec 1, 2021
Federal lawmakers continue to seek out University of Michigan faculty members to lend their expertise and knowledge to help inform federal policy. In the last year, 13 U-M faculty members and researchers testified at 14 congressional hearings...
In the Media

Child tax credit helps families make ends meet, says Pilkauskas

Nov 5, 2021 Detroit Free Press
Natasha Pilkauskas, co-author of the policy brief “Receipt and Usage of Child Tax Credit Payments among Low-Income Families: What We Know,” finds the Child Tax Credit helps low-income families with the basics. "Really, they're telling us they're...
News

Community in crisis: Black churches expand services

Nov 2, 2021
Jean Sherman got a call from a friend during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic telling her about a church nearby where she could get the vaccine. The Detroit resident also found out that the Historic King Solomon Baptist Church helped people...
In the Media

Eisenberg comments on home repairs in Detroit

Oct 22, 2021 The Detroit Free Press
Home repairs are in high demand in Detroit, highlighted by 4,800 Detroiters applying for a roof repair program. Alexa Eisenberg, doctoral candidate and researcher with Poverty Solutions, weighed in on the issue. "Focusing on roof repairs is...
In the Media

Shaefer applauds direct payments to address poverty

Oct 20, 2021 NC Policy Watch
“There’s a question of what we do during severe recessions: What we did [during the pandemic] worked, and it worked better than anything we’ve ever done before,” Luke Shaefer told NC Policy Watch. “… If we ever wondered if the well-being of families...
News

Pilkauskas evaluates ways to strengthen the Child Tax Credit

Oct 19, 2021
New Research from Natasha Pilkauskas and Poverty Solutions studied the reach of the Child Tax Credit. Pilkauskas explained to Yahoo! Money that some families might not receive the benefits that they are eligible for, specifically Spanish-speaking...
Publication

Latino Michiganders: Key findings from U-M Poverty Solutions

Oct 15, 2021
ANN ARBOR—As National Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates the culture and contributions of Latinos in the U.S., comes to a close, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan highlights key data from its research that relates to Latinos...
In the Media

Child tax credit empowers families, says Shaefer

Oct 13, 2021 The New York Times
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has suggested that lawmakers pick just one of the family policies in the safety net spending bill. The New York Times asked Luke Shaefer which one he would choose. "The child tax credit is elegant in that it does...
Publication

Federal unemployment money boosted health care spending

Oct 12, 2021
Emergency federal dollars given to the unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic bolstered health-care spending as jobless rates skyrocketed, a new University of Michigan study found. But the negative consequences of unemployment and moderating...
In the Media

Increase in SNAP benefits will combat rising food prices, says Seefeldt

Oct 1, 2021 News Channel 5 Nashville
As food prices continue to rise, an increase in SNAP benefits nationwide will help many low-income families, says Kristin Seefeldt. "We've all heard about and probably felt in our own pocketbooks, the increase in grocery prices. So this will make...
In the Media

Shaefer explores effectiveness of expanded Child Tax Credit

Sep 22, 2021 Time
Following the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, millions of families received a boost in income. “What we’re doing so far is not perfect. There are people who are being left out," Luke Shaefer told Time. “I’m just incredibly excited that we have...
In the Media

Shaefer attributes low food insecurity to stimulus checks

Sep 10, 2021 The New York Times
New data reveals that food insecurity stayed low during the pandemic stayed at relatively low levels, which Luke Shaefer attributes to expanded government aid.  “We now have definitive evidence that food hardship is responsive to government aid....
In the Media

Cooney sees impact of expanded child tax credit

Sep 3, 2021 The Detroit News
The federal COVID-19 unemployment benefits are ending, but the expanded child tax credit plan was rolled out in July. After those first deposits, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a decline in food insecurity. "It’s heartening to see that expanded...
In the Media

Study paints grim picture for homeless Detroit students

Aug 24, 2021 Detroit Free Press
A new analysis released by Poverty Solutions paints a grim picture about homeless students in Detroit. It shows that they are more likely to miss school on a regular basis, less likely to graduate, suspended or expelled at higher rates than other...
In the Media

Erb-Downward brings awareness to childhood homelessness

Aug 2, 2021 ClickOnDetroit: WDIV Local 4
With the pandemic exacerbating homelessness, Jennifer Erb-Downward, senior research associate at U-M Poverty Solutions, is bringing attention to the problem of homelessness among children. “People tend to think about a single man living on the...
In the Media

Shaefer on why Child Tax Credit program will work

Jul 19, 2021 The New York Times
Last week, the first installment of the expanded Child Tax Credit program dropped into bank accounts. Many experts, including Luke Shaefer, Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy and inaugural director of Poverty...
News

Eisenberg examines housing sector in Detroit

Jul 18, 2021
The recent flooding in the Detroit area has raised many issues for residents. Homes that were already in need of repairs were damaged even further. Detroiters don't want to move, but restricted government funds for home repairs are making that...
In the Media

Shaefer salutes arrival of first expanded child tax credit funds

Jul 13, 2021 WXYZ Detroit
Checks for the recently expanded child tax credit program will be sent out this week. Luke Shaefer, the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy, associate dean for research and policy engagement, and director of Poverty...