Editor’s note: The following post, first published by the Huffington Post, is co-authored by Lisa Dodson. Dodson is Senior Scientist and Faculty at the Institute for Children, Youth and Family Policy at Brandeis University. “You’d think they want us to fail,” said Marta, a young mother in a Boston parents’…
Archives: Voices
We don’t do cat videos, but we do engage in serious poverty analysis
Do you wonder if poverty is growing in your state? Would you like to know how to use state and local data about income based on race, age, or gender? Do you know how to access the soon-to-be released Census Bureau poverty, income and health insurance data? And why, why,…
Stop the Debt Trap
The statistics around payday and car title loans are scary: The loans come with interest rates of 300-400 percent on average. The average payday loan customer who borrows $400 for a loan to help them get by until their next paycheck winds up paying back $950 over 11 loan cycles…
In His Final Months in Office, Will President Obama Choose Compassion or More Deportations?
This post was originally published on the National Immigration Law Center’s new blog, the Torch, on June 30. The Supreme Court tie in U.S. v. Texas was a frustrating setback for millions of immigrant families, but the fight must continue and another question of historical significance for immigrants looms large: Will…
“Anonymity Overdose:” How U.S. tax policy supports drug addiction misery
Since 2000, the rate of deaths from opioid-related overdoses has increased 200 percent. In 2014, there were approximately one and a half times more drug overdose deaths in the United States than deaths from motor vehicle accidents. So: what can we do about it? One thing we can do is…
Head Smacker: During the height of mosquito season, Congress recesses — without fighting Zika
For months, public health officials have warned that the Zika virus eventually would show up in the continental U.S. They warned of this back in the winter, months before the mosquitoes that help transmit Zika were on most people’s radar screen. They warned of this in the spring, even as…
Nuns on the Bus – Mending the Gaps
Editor’s note: This post was written by Richelle Friedman, CHN’s Director of Public Policy, on Thursday, July 28. Richelle spent a week with NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus, including at the Democratic National Convention last week. The full Nuns on the Bus tour lasted three weeks, including visiting the Republican…
Fact of the Week: Vouchers Reduce Homelessness and Housing Instability by 80 Percent
More than 5 million low-income households receive help affording homes through federal rental assistance. That’s why a new chart book from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that shows us some of the important facts about rental assistance is so useful. The chart book includes information on who is…
Resources from Around the Coalition: Racial and Ethnic Equality, Low-Wage Working Parents, Refugee Children and More
Promoting movements towards racial and ethnic equality. Developing agendas to help low-wage workers and their children succeed. Protecting undocumented students and their families. CHN’s coalition members are producing great work on very important issues. This week, we continue our Resources from around the Coalition blog series, highlighting important resources you…
Nuns on the Bus
Editor’s note: This post was written by Richelle Friedman, CHN’s Director of Public Policy, on Saturday, July 23. Richelle is currently traveling with NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus, who are on the road (including at the Republican National Convention last week and the Democratic National Convention this week) to call on…
Honoring Ruth, Wade, and the Politics of Change
Visitors who stand on the sidewalk in front of the AFL-CIO’s Washington, D.C. building and look left capture a magnificent view of the White House, perhaps three-quarters of a mile away. This was the backdrop Tuesday night for the Coalition on Human Needs’ 13th annual Human Needs Hero Reception. CHN…
Human Needs Report: What Congress Did and Didn’t Do Before the Summer Recess
CHN just released our latest edition of the Human Needs Report, our regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. This edition includes articles on appropriations, Zika funding, the first major piece of authorizing legislation affecting housing vouchers and public housing since 1998, and other actions Congress took – and punted on – before…