The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is an initiative through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty and distressed housing into mixed-income communities. From the Urban Institute, this paper provides insight on how to effectively monitor the outcomes and measure success in this community and neighborhood change initiative. Authors provide a framework and logic model and performance measurement tools, including performance indicators.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued this report on revised USDA policy for free school meals for children. Under the new policy, if anyone in a household is a recipient of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP: formerly the Food Stamp Program), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance program, or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), all children in the household are categorically eligible for free school meals. This policy change will help an estimated 2.5 million children who have been missed in the enrollment process receive free school lunches.

From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this report offers information on how states can use federal stimulus dollars provided through the TANF Emergency Fund to provide emergency food assistance to needy families through food banks, agencies, or other distribution sites, or to supplement USDA’s Summer Food Service Programs. Such additional funds can support food networks in supplementing the food and nutrition for low-income families across the country.

From the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan, this policy brief outlines the health effects of social and economic policy. Non-health related policies may have positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of the beneficiaries of certain policies. Specifically, social and economic policy that may not be health-related can help supplement health care spending by helping participants maintain and improve their health.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation authored this issue brief on improving access to benefits for low-income families. As a result of the current economic recession, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased resources such as food stamps, unemployment insurance, and housing subsidies to low-income families. However, many eligible families still do not have access to these resources, and this report offers information to help reduce the gap for families across the country.

This issue brief is from the Alliance to End Homelessness, and offers estimates on homelessness among the elderly. The Alliance estimates that the amount of elderly in homelessness will increase by 33 percent in the next 10 years and increase by over 50 percent in the next 40 years. Authors also provide an overview of the current affordable housing programs and their ability to handle such growth in elderly homelessness.

From the Institute for Research on Poverty and researchers at Columbia University, this article provides information on the status of low-income men. Since the mid-1970s, wages and labor force participation has been decreasing for young, lesser educated men. In this piece, authors examine how key income-security policy areas, including unemployment insurance, payroll taxes and the Earned Income Tax Credit, and child support enforcement, affect this population.

The Promising Practices Network (PPN) is a group of individuals and organizations who are dedicated to providing quality evidence-based information about what works to improve the lives of children, families, and communities. The Promising Practices Network features descriptions of evaluated programs that improve outcomes for children. PPN programs can be found under a variety of topic areas, including poverty and welfare.

Given the current recession, many families are at risk for homelessness. This issue brief from the Urban Institute examines the current state of homelessness in the United States. Authors review how community responses to homelessness are changing and lessons learned about what works best in serving this population.

From the National Center for Children in Poverty, this report analyzes the effectiveness of America's work supports, such as earned income tax credits, public health insurance, child care assistance, and food stamps. For families, work supports can close the gap between low earnings and basic expenses, as working more does not always pay as families lose eligibility for critical supports.