Highlights

Discover the latest insights and solutions for making Greater DC a place of opportunity for all.

 

What it’s really like to raise a family in DC on TANF

By:
Eleanor Pratt
For more than 40 years, the mythical and racially charged “welfare queen” narrative—the idea of a benefit recipient defrauding the government and living large on the public’s dime—has shaped discussions about
Meeting basic needs
Photo by Kelly Bell Photography/Flickr.

How DC stakeholders can use strategic accountability to ensure Ward 8’s rapid change benefits all residents

By:
Somala Diby, Mary Bogle

Change is ramping up in historic Anacostia and other neighborhoods in Washington, DC’s Ward 8. Over the past 10 years, a new US Department of Homeland Security headquarters has opened on the St.

Building strong, inclusive neighborhoods

Educator wages don’t reflect the significance of early childhood

By:
Shirley Adelstein

In recent weeks, public school teachers in several states have staged strikes and walkouts to protest education budget cuts and low wages. Advocates for better compensation have argued that poor job conditions make it difficult to recruit and retain high-quality educators.

India waits to cross an intersection on her walk home from Kelly Miller Middle School in late January. After receiving so many tardies at Hardy, Vanessa decided to switch India into a middle school closer to their home. Photo by Lydia Thompson/Urban Institute.

New study shows inequalities in distances students travel in DC

By:
Alexandra Tilsley

School choice policies in Washington, DC, have given families unprecedented options, but in some cases, more options can mean tough decisions. Though students have more choice as to where they can attend school, parents must figure out how to get them there.

In a new narrative feature and report, the Urban Institute Student Transportation Working Group examines this tension, exploring total travel times between home and school for nearly 190,000 students across five US cities, including DC.

Strengthening public education and the labor force

Can a community land trust give long-term residents a foothold in a changing neighborhood?

By:
Mychal Cohen, Peter A. Tatian

Washington, DC, continues to grow and develop, with more people moving into the city and being born here every day. The latest population estimates peg DC’s population at more than 693,000, the largest number since the end of World War II.

Building strong, inclusive neighborhoods
Advancing racial equity
Capitol Building

How Taxpayers in DC and its Suburbs Would Fare Under the New Tax Law

By:
John Iselin, Philip Stallworth

This post was originally published on Tax Policy Center's Tax Vox. 

Building strong, inclusive neighborhoods

A survey reveals cautious optimism in the DC region and a road map to inclusive prosperity

By:
Gustavo Velasquez

The Washington, DC, region is constantly evolving, but that change affects residents in different ways. As the population rises and housing costs swell, some people don’t share the overall area’s prosperity.

Building strong, inclusive neighborhoods
Advancing racial equity
panel

The effects of long-term and mass incarceration are felt from Milwaukee to Washington, DC

By:
Gustavo Velasquez, Nancy G. La Vigne

Baron Walker has been in prison for over 22 years, serving back-to-back sentences totaling 60 years for his participation in a pair of robberies. These crimes normally carry sentences of four to seven years.

Creating healthy and safe communities
Passengers waiting for Metro

Event: Employment Prospects for People with Criminal Records in Washington, DC

By:
Gustavo Velasquez, Nancy G. La Vigne, Marina Duane

A newly released report from the Urban Institute finds that one in seven Washingtonians have a criminal record in the court system, but only half of them have a conviction. The report outlines how, despite significant efforts by reform-minded government and nonprofits, justice-involved people in Washington, DC, still have trouble finding work because of flaws in the background check process, local regulations, and the dynamics of the local labor market.

Meeting basic needs
Building strong, inclusive neighborhoods
Creating healthy and safe communities

What could Trump’s budget cuts mean for DC’s federal workers?

By:
Kelly S. Mikelson, Joyce Morton

With 25 percent of all jobs in the District within the federal government, President Trump’s proposed cuts to the federal wo