With household #foodaccess being a key indicator of well-being and a factor in understanding economic hardship, nutrition, and health, new #research clarifies important distinctions among food access measures that are frequently treated as interchangeable.
Join Urban & National True Cost of Living Coalition on 3/17 @ 12 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion on the updated True Cost of Economic Security measure and what #families need to thrive. This #event will feature remarks from US Rep. Gwen Moore, a research presentation, and expert panel. #LiveatUrban
Local #justice reform has shifted tremendously since the Safety and Justice Challenge began in 2015. Join Urban on 3/26 at 11:30 a.m. ET for a virtual session to explore how #innovation has evolved and what’s next.
Register now. #LiveatUrban
Many households avoid mainstream #financial services because of low trust in #banks—but the roots of that distrust aren’t well understood.
Urban #research offers insights on how institutions and regulators can build trust and advance financial inclusion.
A stylized illustration depicting four different buildings, each in a separate vertical panel with distinct color schemes: green, blue, orange, and purple. The buildings vary in architectural style and background gradients, with smooth color transitions and abstract arrow patterns. A small "U" logo is in the bottom right corner.
Many #smallbusiness owners often rely on borrowed capital—but how entrepreneurs manage #debt shapes their outcomes. A new Urban tool tracks more than 13,500 CDFI microloan recipients and reveals four common business paths.
Explore the #data. https://urbn.is/4dfQMvI
There’s still time to register!
Join Urban on 3/18 at 12 p.m. ET for a virtual #event on credit trajectories of microbusiness loan borrowers. Learn key insights for community development #financial institutions, mission lenders, entrepreneurs, philanthropies, and policymakers. #LiveatUrban
The nation’s affordable #housing crisis is driven in part by a shortage of available homes, and #research shows zoning policies play a major role.
As Congress negotiates an #affordability package, effective land‑use strategies could help. Learn more in this new Urban Wire article.
How is the relationship between #government and #nonprofits evolving?
Urban’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy opens its 30th‑anniversary series on 3/24 at 1 p.m. ET. Don’t miss this hybrid conversation. #LiveatUrban
This bar chart titled "About Half of the US Population Would Have to Drive 30 Minutes or More to Reach Their Second-Closest SSA Office" compares drive times to the closest and second-closest SSA offices. Yellow bars represent the drive time to the closest office, and blue bars represent the drive time to the second-closest office. The time intervals are categorized as less than 10 minutes, 10-20 minutes, 20-30 minutes, 30-45 minutes, 45-60 minutes, and 60+ minutes. Data shows a greater drive time to the second-closest SSA office. The chart notes that SSA stands for Social Security Administration. The source is Urban Institute.
Findings show that closing a community’s #SocialSecurity Administration office would dramatically increase driving times for most people. Using this Urban analysis, policymakers can assess the effects + identify which #communities would be most impacted. https://urbn.is/4d8neQD
There’s still time to register!
Join Urban on 3/16 @ 1 p.m. ET for a virtual #event on how innovative solutions can create pathways for #homeownership. Attendees will learn about the Inspire100 mortgage pilot and hear from practitioners, funders, and housing finance leaders. #LiveatUrban
A US map visualizes student loan debt data by county, color-coded to show levels of debt among white communities and communities of color. Accompanying charts detail median student loan debt and delinquency rates, with additional statistics on bachelor’s degree attainment and income. The page header includes filters for different types of debt: "All Debt," "Medical," "Student," and "Auto/Retail.
Rising #studentloan debt and delinquencies are worsening Americans’ concerns about #affordability and the cost of living. Explore Urban’s Debt in America map with state-level #data on young adults’ credit card, medical, student loan, and auto/retail debt. https://urbn.is/47QG7EP
There’s still time to register!
Join Urban on 3/12 @ 2:30 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion on how localities can enhance case processing efficiency and reduce #court delays that contribute to increased #jail use.
Reserve your spot.
#LiveatUrban
Join Urban on 3/18 @ 12 p.m. ET for a virtual convening on #credit trajectories of microbusiness loan borrowers. This #event will feature a panel discussion between speakers with expertise supporting and lending to microentrepreneurs. #LiveatUrban
How does #gender shape corrections staff experiences? New Urban Institute #research reveals differences across three survey waves. Learn more.
Infographic showing text: "62% of nonprofits met demand for their services in 2024. According to national survey data on nonprofit organizations' programming, communities served, revenue sources, and more." The background features abstract black and white illustrations of charts and graphs with pops of color.
Nonprofits deliver essential services nationwide, but many face funding instability, workforce challenges, and rising costs.
Explore insights from the new #Nonprofit Trends Tracker, powered by #data from the National Survey of Nonprofit Trends and Impacts. https://urbn.is/4aQO9z3
Join the Urban Institute on 3/17 @ 12 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion on the updated True Cost of Economic Security measure. Attendees will learn how policymakers and researchers can leverage insights from this #research to improve American #families’ well-being. #LiveatUrban
A series of illustrations titled "Meet family members Bilal and Fatima" shows a person caring for an elderly individual in bed, followed by another scene of serving a meal, and finally carrying groceries from a car. The setting is indoors and outdoors, depicting various caregiving activities. Source: How the Tax System Can Better Support All Families.
The image is an illustration featuring people. Text on the image reads: "As with their family, families with gig workers may end up with unaffordable tax bills and penalties." The source is noted as "How the tax system can better support all families.
In this final feature story about #families and the challenges they face filing taxes and claiming federal #tax benefits, @taxpolicycenter.bsky.social experts explore how Congress and the IRS could better support gig workers in paying taxes.
Learn more. https://urbn.is/4aPjuCi
Oklahoma’s #housing market is stretched—prices and rents are rising faster than incomes and low‑income #families have limited options. A new Urban and @housingforward.bsky.social report outlines challenges, strengths, and #policy recommendations to expand affordable housing.
A person is smiling while looking at a phone in a workshop filled with bicycles and tools. The event titled "The Future of Fintech: How Emerging Technologies Are Shaping Our Financial Lives" is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, from 3 PM to 5 PM EST. The event format is hybrid, and there is a prompt to follow the hashtag #LiveAtUrban.
Don’t miss Urban’s Financial Well-Being Hub event on 3/10 @ 3 p.m. ET. Register today for this #LiveatUrban conversation on how emerging financial #technologies are shaping people’s lives. https://urbn.is/4cdkXmT
A hexagonal map of the United States shows the Housing Assistance Participation Rate by state for 2023. Each state is color-coded on a scale from light blue (14%) to dark blue (51%).
Many people + families with low incomes in the US miss out on critical food, cash aid, and housing benefits they’re eligible for. Urban’s new interactive #tool shows #socialsafetynet program take-up gaps by state, program, and demographic group.
Explore the #data. https://urbn.is/3OUZ9mk
How can innovative #mortgage solutions expand pathways to #homeownership? Join the Urban Institute on 3/16 @ 1 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion about the Inspire100 mortgage pilot. #LiveatUrban
A promotional image for an "Open House" event, labeled as an official SXSW event, featuring a key illustration. The card displays a person named Jung Hyun Choi, Principal Research Associate at Urban Institute. The date is Saturday, March 14th. The realtor.com logo is at the bottom left.
Attending #SXSW 2026? On 3/14 @ 4 p.m., Urban's Jung Choi joins Realtor.com's Open House for a conversation on how #homeownership builds generational wealth, why the cost of waiting is rising, and the many forms of #wealth a home creates.
Get more details + RSVP. https://urbn.is/3OUpMb0
There’s still time to register!
Join Urban on 3/6 @ 12 p.m. ET for a virtual #event on the State of the Safety Net Initiative web #tool. Attendees will learn how to use the tool that provides, all in one place, eligibility and participation estimates for seven different programs. #LiveatUrban
This infographic illustrates a national housing affordability strategy, with three main sections: Unlocking Production Capacity, Protecting and Assisting Households, and Injecting Capital. Icons and brief descriptions accompany each section, such as legislative reform, housing assistance, and public subsidies. The graphic is from Urban Institute.
With Congress actively debating a bipartisan legislative package that could be a critical first step in tackling the #housing #affordability crisis, Urban researchers outline three principles of #strategy that could help. https://urbn.is/4l0Zosa
Join Urban on 3/12 @ 2:30 p.m. ET for a virtual #event on how localities can enhance case processing efficiency and reduce court delays that contribute to increased #jail use. Participants will gain insights from Clark County, NV, and Harris County, TX. #LiveatUrban
Nonprofits across the US have faced numerous challenges in the past year, from funding disruptions and staff reductions to decreased levels of community trust. New Urban #research outlines #nonprofit leaders’ biggest concerns—and what funders, local leaders, and policymakers could prioritize.
As #rent reporting expands, state and local #policy can help renters build credit while minimizing risks. Urban’s #research analysis outlines the landscape and key decision points for state and local policymakers.
Learn more.
This line chart titled "Share of Student Loan Borrowers with At Least One Delinquency in the Previous 24 Months, by Debt Type" from 2015 to 2025 shows trends in student loans, auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Delinquency rates for student loans remain consistently higher, decreasing slightly until 2020, then rising towards 2025. Source: Urban Institute analysis of credit bureau data.
After a three-year COVID-19 payment pause, most federal #studentloan borrowers resumed payments in late 2023, with key protections ending in 2024. This Urban brief uses credit bureau #data to track payment progress post restart and compares it with prepandemic outcomes. https://urbn.is/4bceNT2
Join the Urban Institute on 3/6 @ 12 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion on the State of the Safety Net Initiative web #tool that provides eligibility and participation estimates for seven different social safety net programs.
Register now.
#LiveatUrban
The illustration shows a group of people labeled as "Anthony, Lisa, Judy, and Morgan." They are gathered around a vehicle with some interacting at a table and one pushing a cart. Text at the top reads "Meet family members Anthony, Lisa, Judy, and Morgan." The image includes a source note: "How the tax system can better support all families."
A blue illustration of people in a household setting, with text overlay discussing challenges caregivers face in claiming children on tax returns when they live in multiple households. The source is Urban Institute.
In a fourth story examining how the #tax system can better support all #families, @taxpolicycenter.bsky.social experts explore how caregivers raising a #child living in multiple households face challenges claiming them on returns—and what Congress & the IRS could do to help. https://urbn.is/4aUBWbv
