Income instability characterizes the lives of many low-income families in America. Growing income inequality, wage stagnation, unstable jobs, and limited savings are only a few of the factors contributing to the chronic economic insecurity that many low-income families experience today. There has been a renewed interest in recent years in the idea of a basic income as a policy solution to address the problem of income instability. This brief provides an overview of the concept of basic income and discusses its strengths and limitations in promoting financial stability among vulnerable families in both the short- and long-term.
ABSTRACT Little is understood about how an unconditional cash transfer might operate and affect behavior among low-income parents of infants in the United States. We investigate these questions using data from a random-assignment pilot study (N = 30) in which unconditional cash transfers were distributed monthly on debit cards to two groups of low-income parents in New York City during the first 12 months of their newborns’ lives. Mothers were randomized to receive either $100 per month or $20 per month. Mothers distinguished spending the cash transfer on essentials vs. extras, such as going out to dinner with family. The monthly cash transfer “tided them over,” even at the lower amount of $20, especially when income from other sources ran short at the end of the month. Some mothers reported saving money for unexpected expenses.
The homelessness response system in the United States is dominated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD’s definition of homelessness, program models, metrics, data, approaches, and goals have overshadowed those of other federal agencies. This policy brief argues that children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness have been poorly served by HUD’s dominance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes that other federal agencies, specifically the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education, are better suited to provide comprehensive homeless assistance for children, youth, and families. The author draws from research, policy analyses, and testimonies of parents, service providers, and educators to make the case for a reimagined homelessness response that is child-centered and oriented toward long-term goals of economic independence, health, and wellness.
This study provides information about the prevalence, living conditions, and demographic characteristics of housing instability among students in the state of Delaware. Data were obtained from the Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for the 2011–2017 academic years and included 23,819 youth respondents in grades 6–12. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to characterize student demographics. Results show that 3.6% (about one out of 30) of Delaware students, grades 6–12, experience housing instability, and this rate was consistent across urban and rural areas. Findings also reveal that males and students of color were more likely to experience housing instability. Results obtained are utilized to understand the prevalence of housing instability and to inform schools, communities, and policy makers of ways to support and strengthen services and programming for students’ academic needs and well-being.
ABSTRACT Youth homelessness is a growing crisis impacting urban high schools across the United States. Black youth, in particular, are disproportionately affected. While the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is designed to provide educational access to students experiencing homelessness, the extent to which the policy supports Black students is unclear. This qualitative study uses structural racism as an analytic framework to examine the narratives of eight Black youth who successfully graduated high school while experiencing homelessness. Findings show that being Black and experiencing homelessness creates unique challenges for accessing resources under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Participants identified hostile racial climates at school as a common deterrent from disclosing their homeless status to adults at school, thereby restricting their access to federal support. The findings suggest the need for race-conscious language and interventions to be included in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Additionally, the author urges more researchers studying youth homelessness to use a critical racial lens to address the racial knowledge gap that exists in the current literature on student homelessness.
