A seven-year government project that researched ways to strengthen social services using principles from behavioral science, called Behavioral Insights to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS), recently ended and published a case study based on their…

This policy brief describes the opportunities for collaboration between SNAP Employment…

Studying large public social programs can be a challenge for social scientists. Recent technological developments have allowed researchers to use big data — data sets that combine survey and administrative data — to examine how social programs work…

In this article issued by the Institute for Research on Poverty, discussion highlights the effects of paid leave on mothers’ post-birth employment and on child well-being. Policies, such as work requirements, time limits, and child care subsidies,…

This brief reviews the recent trend of intracity income inequality, which is rising at a faster rate than national household income inequality. While policymakers cannot fully control drivers of inequality and the resulting economic and spatial…

The Urban Institute was contracted by a Washington State housing authority to evaluate its 2013-2016 Student and Family Stability Initiative that provided supportive housing and employment to homeless or vulnerable families with elementary-aged…

This worksheet helps practitioners understand how to use the behavioral economics concept of “anchoring” in a goal setting conversation with clients. Anchoring means sharing information that may influence an individual’s behavior in one direction,…

Produced by the Center for Poverty Research at UC Davis, this policy brief compares different interventions focused on increasing college enrollment for high school seniors. Research indicates students involved in a mentoring program are…

This report from Prosperity Now provides information about why creating savings penalties towards welfare programs such as SNAP and SSI actually harm families instead of aiding them. Studies have shown that low-income families with savings are able…

This factsheet from the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides an overview of the new provisions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was passed in late 2017 and how they will affect low-income families. It…