New Census Bureau data released this month shows that despite the attention given to COVID-related migration out of cities, college towns, and other pandemic-impacted areas, overall permanent migration levels in the U.S. plummeted to a historically low level during the first year of the pandemic. Between March 2020 and March 2021, a smaller share of […]

This November marked the annual Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week­—aptly timed to coincide with the season of giving, celebrations of harvest plenty, and, in much of the country, the arrival of the cold, cruel weather that makes homelessness perhaps ever so slightly more in the conscience of those who don’t personally have to worry about […]

Love it or hate it, one cannot deny the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the potential additional federal legislation to follow represent a generational opportunity to change the trajectory of city economies, improve the prospects for suffering citizens, and address long-festering economic and social disparities. Opportunity is knocking at the door, yet most local governments […]

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, which boasts an array of social and climate programs, ranging from generous support for child care, paid leave, and new health benefits to renewable electricity tax credits. Democrats are trumpeting the vote as a major milestone, although the bill’s passage is only a […]