Communities & Banking
Winter 2016 
Cash-Based Welfare Programs Making a Difference for Poor Children
New research finds significant long-term benefits to poor children receiving cash-based welfare in early life.
Criminalization of the Mentally Ill
New approaches are helping to keep people with mental illness out of prison and in treatment.
Early Care and Education in Vermont
Many Vermont families face challenges in trying to access affordable, high-quality child care.
Facilities: An Important Dimension of Child-Care Quality
Comprehensive quality-improvement efforts in early childhood education require well-designed, well-equipped facilities.
From Poverty to Opportunity: The Challenge of Building a Great Society
Increasing inequality since the 1970s and a weakened safety net have stalled progress on the Great Society's vision of eliminating poverty.
Separate and Unequal: Residential Segregation
Segregation persists in urban and suburban neighborhoods, and it's not just a matter of what people can afford.
Social Lending Improving Credit for the Underbanked
How a culturally relevant social-lending program benefits people with low or nonexistent credit scores.
The Military Lending Act: Do Fringe-Borrowing Policies Help?
A study of the effects of the Military Lending Act suggests that bans on fringe lending should be accompanied by increased access to mainstream credit products.
The Role of Violence in a Decision to Move
Neighborhood violence is a major factor in a family's decision to relocate using a housing voucher.
Wabanaki Diplomacy
Much can be learned from the way Wabanaki tribes deal with complex community challenges.