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Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Re-Emergence of Concentrated Poverty: Metropolitan Trends in the 2000s

Elizabeth Kneebone, Carey Nadeau and Alan Berube, November 03, 2011, The Brookings Institution

People eat at the Part of the Solution (POTS) soup kitchen and food pantry in the Bronx borough of New YorkAfter a dramatic drop in the 1990s, concentrated poverty rose again in the 2000s, with a growing number of poor individuals and families living in very poor neighborhoods. Elizabeth Kneebone, Carey Nadeau, and Alan Berube examine this trend, finding pronounced increases in the Midwest, South, and suburban areas. Read More

Concentrated Poverty, Opportunity and Well-being, Cities, U.S. Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioChallenges Associated with the Suburbanization of Poverty: Prince George's County, Maryland

Martha Ross, December 08, 2010, The Brookings Institution

Martha Ross spoke to the Advisory Board of the Community Foundation for Prince George’s County, describing research on the suburbanization of poverty both nationally and in the Washington region. Despite perceptions that economic distress is primarily a central city phenomenon, suburbs are home to increasing numbers of low-income families. She highlighted the need to strengthen the social service infrastructure in suburban areas. Read More

Washington, DC Region, Concentrated Poverty, Inequality, Quality-of-Life Issues, Welfare

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioIdentifying Areas With Inadequate Access to Supermarkets

Alan Berube, October 19, 2010, The Avenue, The New Republic

Identifying Areas With Inadequate Access to Supermarkets

There are many communities nationwide in which a trip to the supermarket is a rather long one, and most of those areas have residents with relatively lower incomes, says Alan Berube. Along with The Reinvestment Fund, Berube analyzes supermarket access in 10 U.S. metropolitan areas and illustrates the urgency of implementing policy solutions to alleviate burdens on underserved communities.

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Inequality, Concentrated Poverty, Income Distribution, Cities, Quality-of-Life Issues

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioSupermarket Access in Low-Income Areas

Alan Berube, October 19, 2010

The Metropolitan Policy Program and The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) performed a detailed analysis of supermarket access in 10 metropolitan areas, and the results are discussed in a new video, “Getting to Market.” In the video, Alan Berube highlights major findings from the analysis.

Opportunity and Well-being, Inequality, Concentrated Poverty, Cities, U.S. Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioMarch 2010: The Landscape of Recession: Unemployment and Safety Net Services Across Urban and Suburban America

Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr, March 30, 2010, The Brookings Institution

Though economic indicators show the country is slowly emerging from the recession, job growth remains stagnant. Extended periods of unemployment in many communities have led to long-term reliance on government assistance. In the second edition of Landscape of Recession, Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr analyze trends in Unemployment Insurance claims and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Read More

Job Creation, Unemployment, U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy, Cities

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioFood Stamps and the Growing Suburban Safety Net

Alan Berube, December 01, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Food Stamps and the Growing Suburban Safety NetSome U.S. counties are seeing double the amount of food stamp recipients coming largely from suburbs. Alan Berube examines the issue, noting that as food stamps become the de facto federal support system for millions of families during the next few years of elevated unemployment, plugging participation gaps in suburbia may be an important new frontier for fighting hunger and poverty in America. Read More

Working Poor, Concentrated Poverty, U.S. Poverty, Inequality, U.S. Department of Agriculture

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Suburbanization of American Poverty

Elizabeth Kneebone, October 19, 2009, Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

The latest data from the Census Bureau reveal that the first year of the Great Recession boosted American poverty, but Sun Belt metro areas and large suburbs bore the brunt of poverty increases in 2008. Elizabeth Kneebone explores recent city and suburban poverty trends in this Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity article. Read More

U.S. Poverty, 2010 Census, Concentrated Poverty

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioUrban Revitalization and Opportunity

Bruce Katz, July 09, 2009

Public housing has long been criticized as a breeding ground for concentrated poverty, under-achieving schools and for its lack of access to services. Bruce Katz says that President Obama's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, an expansion of HOPE VI, will revitalize poor communities while enhancing opportunities for residents and the business community.

Concentrated Poverty, U.S. Poverty, U.S. Housing Market, Working Poor, Inequality

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioA New Goal for America’s High Schools: College Preparation for All

Ron Haskins and James Kemple, Spring 2009, The Future of Children

A New Goal for America’s High Schools: College Preparation for AllIn this policy brief, a companion to the volume of The Future of Children devoted to high school reforms, Ron Haskins and James Kemple examine the steps high schools should take to help low-income students prepare for and succeed in college. Specifically, they argue, high schools should boost students’ subject matter knowledge and study skills and counsel students on how to select colleges and obtain financial aid. Read More

Education, U.S. Higher Education, Children & Families, Economic Mobility, Concentrated Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioHow to Reverse the Trend of Concentrated Poverty

Alan Berube, December 28, 2008, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Alan Berube urges policy-makers to evaluate short-term opportunities and set long-term strategies in order to help Cleveland’s next generation of residents overcome the challenges of concentrated poverty. Read More

Concentrated Poverty, Unemployment, Children & Families, Earned Income Tax Credit, Economic Mobility

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioConfronting Concentrated Poverty in Tough Economic Times

Alan Berube, December 03, 2008, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

At a forum hosted by the Federal Reserve Board to discuss a new joint Fed/Brookings report on concentrated poverty in America, Alan Berube discussed the importance of focusing on policies that can help poor people in very poor places, particularly in the context of a severe downturn and in light of the significant stimulus/recovery package being created to boost the economy. Read More

Concentrated Poverty, U.S. Housing Market, U.S. Poverty, Working Poor

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

U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy, Economic Mobility, Concentrated Poverty, Social Issues

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

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 limited access to private services and job opportunities.

Featured Experts

Alan Berube

Alan Berube

Senior Fellow and Research Director, Metropolitan Policy Program

Alan Berube is a senior fellow and 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.
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Martha Ross

Martha Ross

Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program

Martha Ross is a fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program whose work focuses on human capital – increasing the skills and education of current and future workers.  She also leads the program’s work on the Washington, D.C. region, including demographic and economic trends, growth and development, and workforce development. 


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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 and Budgeting for National Priorities Project. 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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