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Tuesday December 2, 2008

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Concentrated Poverty

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioThe Scouting Report: Decrease Poverty and Increase Opportunity

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM

Reuters/Cheryl RaveloToo many Americans leave school with inadequate skills, and too many working families struggle to make ends meet. Greater investments in economic opportunity are needed to reduce poverty and increase future economic mobility for today’s poor children. On Wednesday, November 26, Brookings Senior Fellow Rebecca Blank answered questions during a web chat with Politico about poverty in the United States and creating opportunities for American families. Read More

The Presidential Transition, U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy, Economic Mobility, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America

Alan Berube and Elizabeth Kneebone, October 24, 2008, The Brookings Institution

The Federal Reserve System and its 12 member banks partnered with the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program to produce a new, in-depth look at concentrated poverty in America. The two-year study profiles 16 high-poverty communities across the United States, investigating the historical and contemporary factors associated with their high levels of economic distress. Read More

Concentrated Poverty, Working Poor, U.S. Poverty, Earned Income Tax Credit, Inequality

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioPoverty Reduction Strategies for the Next Decade

Monday, September 29, 2008
9:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Washington, DC

Poverty Reduction Strategies for the Next DecadeOn September 29, several prominent scholars and policy advocates outlined their key recommendations for improving the quality of life for people at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, including proposals to improve employment and earnings, strengthen families, enhance opportunities for children, and improve neighborhoods.  Discussions of the proposals were followed by comments from policy experts. Read More

U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy, Children & Families, Concentrated Poverty, Cost of Living

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioLow-Income Families and Communities

Alan Berube, August 12, 2008

In a new report, Alan Berube and Elizabeth Kneebone explain that following a dramatic decline in concentrated poverty in the 1990s, the number of low-income workers and families living in high-working-poverty neighborhoods rose by a striking 41% in the first half of this decade. Alan Berube says that help for high working-poverty communities will come from stronger national and regional economic growth—plus targeted efforts to protect neighborhoods of choice and connection.

Concentrated Poverty, Working Poor, Earned Income Tax Credit, U.S. Poverty, Inequality

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioReversal of Fortune: A New Look at Concentrated Poverty in the 2000s

Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube, August 08, 2008, The Brookings Institution

After dramatic declines in concentrated poverty in the 1990s, the number of low-income workers and families living in high-working-poverty neighborhoods rose by a striking 41% in the first half of this decade, according to a new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. The report's authors draw on data from the IRS to measure the change in rates of “concentrated working poverty” nationally and in many of the largest metropolitan areas across the country. Read More

Concentrated Poverty, Working Poor, Earned Income Tax Credit, U.S. Poverty, Inequality

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioReducing Poverty in Washington, D.C. and Rebuilding the Middle Class From Within

Martha Ross, March 26, 2007, The Brookings Institution

In her presentation at the Brookings event on reducing poverty in Washington D.C., Martha Ross discusses how to help the city's low-income residents move into the middle class over the next few years. Read More

Washington DC, Cities, U.S. Poverty, Economic Development, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioReducing Poverty in Washington, D.C. and Rebuilding the Middle Class from Within

Brooke DeRenzis and Martha Ross, March 2007, The Brookings Institution

This paper makes a set of focused recommendations to increase the skills, earnings, and employment of at least 10,500 low-income, less-skilled residents over the next seven years. Read More

Washington DC, U.S. Poverty, Cities, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioConfronting Concentrated Poverty in Fresno

Alan Berube, September 06, 2006, Fresno Works for Better Health

In this presentation to a citywide convening hosted by Fresno Works for Better Health, Alan Berube examines the causes of concentrated poverty in Fresno, the city with the deepest neighborhood poverty nationwide as noted by Census 2000. Read More

Housing, Cities, California, Regions and States, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioHelping D.C.'s Lower Ninth Wards

Alan Berube and Martha Ross, November 10, 2005, The Brookings Institution

In a vibrant city like Washington, concentrated poverty is inexcusable. Read More

Housing, Washington DC, Cities, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioKatrina's Window: Confronting Concentrated Poverty Across America

Alan Berube and Bruce Katz, October 2005, The Brookings Institution

Read More

U.S. Poverty, Welfare, Concentrated Poverty

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioStunning Progress, Hidden Problems: Declines in Concentrated Poverty in the 1990s

Monday, May 19, 2003
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC

Read More

U.S. Poverty, Welfare, Demographics, Concentrated Poverty

NEWS RELEASE

Save to My PortfolioCensus Reveals A Steep Decline in Concentrated Poverty

May 19, 2003

Press Release Read More

U.S. Poverty, Welfare, Concentrated Poverty

In Brief

Poor individuals and families are not evenly distributed across communities or throughout the country. Instead, they tend to live near one another, clustering in certain neighborhoods and regions. This concentration of poverty results in higher crime rates, underperforming public schools, poor housing and health conditions, as well as limits access to private services and job opportunities.

Featured Experts

Alan Berube

Alan Berube

Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program

Alan Berube is research director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. A former policy advisor to the U.S. Treasury Department, he is an expert on metropolitan demographics, low-wage workers, and urban poverty.
Read More

Portrait of Rebecca Blank

Rebecca M. Blank

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Rebecca M. Blank is the Robert S. Kerr Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Prior to coming to Brookings, she was dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and co-director of the National Poverty Center.
Read More

Ron Haskins

Ron Haskins

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

A former White House and congressional advisor on welfare issues, Ron Haskins co-directs the Brookings Center on Children and Families. An expert on preschool, foster care, and poverty—he was instrumental in the 1996 overhaul of national welfare policy.
Read More

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Spotlight

ExpertSarah A. Binder

Sarah Binder is an expert on Congress and legislative politics.  She is completing a project on the politics of advice and consent, and is at work on the politics of how Congress responds to financial crises.

ExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is the vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings. His studies include campaigns and elections, political advertising, mass media, public opinion, technology policy and electronic government.

ExpertJulia B. Isaacs

Julia Isaacs focuses on public investments in children and how children are affected by national budgetary policies. A former federal budget analyst, she also researches the economic mobility of children and families across the income spectrum.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

TopicMigration

Migration is an issue that bridges Brookings’s expertise in domestic and foreign policy. In the United States, reforming immigration policy remains a subject of intense political debate. Globally, the unprecedented movement of people across borders raises issues in both industrialized countries and the developing world.

ExpertCarlos Pascual

Carlos Pascual is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. As vice president and director of Foreign Policy, he focuses on post-conflict stabilization and international security policy.

TOPICThe Presidential Transition

During the 77 days from the election to the Inauguration, Brookings experts will offer 12 "Memos to the President" on top policy priorities across the spectrum of domestic and global challenges, plus additional advice on transitioning from campaigning to governing.

ExpertEswar Prasad

Eswar Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell University, is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. He was previously head of the Financial Studies Division and the China Division at the IMF.

ExpertHugh B. Price

Former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Hugh Price is an expert on education, civil rights, equal opportunity and criminal justice. His 40-year career spans journalism, philanthropy, the law, and social advocacy.

ExpertMartin S. Indyk

Ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for near east affairs during the Clinton Administration, Martin Indyk directs the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. He currently focuses on the Clinton administration’s diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertMark B. McClellan

A medical doctor and economist, Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertRebecca Blank

Rebecca Blank is an expert on the interaction between the macroeconomy, government anti-poverty programs, and the behavior and well being of low-income families. She has just been named the Robert S. Kerr senior fellow at Brookings.

Research ProjectThe Hamilton Project

The Hamilton Project produces research and policy proposals on how to create a growing economy that benefits more Americans. Their agenda also focuses on enhancing individual economic security and effective public investments. 

ExpertDouglas W. Elmendorf

Doug Elmendorf, whose government posts have included the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Council of Economic Advisors, and CBO, focuses his research on macroeconomics and fiscal policy. He is co-editor of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity and director of The Hamilton Project, which develops proposals for shared growth.

ExpertMauricio Cárdenas

Mauricio Cárdenas is a senior fellow and director of the Latin American Initiative. Formerly minister of Economic Development and Transportation, and director of National Planning of Colombia, his research focuses on international and development economics. He is also the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).