Urban Institute

Where are affordability pressures growing the most, and what can help? Urban Institute's American Affordability Tracker provides timely data on the costs of housing, health care, child care, energy, transportation, and other essentials, alongside earnings and indicators of financial distress. These insights can help policymakers, community leaders, and advocates better understand local affordability challenges and identify solutions that support families’ financial well-being. Access the data. https://urbn.is/4quYlD9 #Affordability #Data #Policy

Homeownership is one of the strongest pathways to financial stability and generational wealth, yet barriers like unequal access to financial resources, income gaps, and uneven neighborhood development continue to limit opportunities for many communities. Launched in summer 2022, the Wealth Opportunities Realized Through Homeownership (WORTH) Initiative aims to address barriers to homeownership for communities with traditionally low homeownership rates. A new report from the Urban Institute examines Year 3 of the WORTH Initiative implementation and shares key takeaways and impacts that could help inform future strategy. https://urbn.is/4wmzBPl #Homeownership #Wealth #Communities

Every community has a unique mix of assets that contribute to residents’ well-being. These community capitals include not only economic resources—such as local wealth and property—but also cultural institutions, social connections, natural assets, and other strengths that help communities thrive. Urban Institute's project explores how the Community Capitals Framework can help communities, philanthropic organizations, and impact-minded investors align programming and investment decisions with local opportunities. Learn how metrics across climate resilience, economic diversification, and anchor institutions can reveal investment opportunities and gaps that support thriving communities. https://urbn.is/4wkKyB8 #Communities #Resources #LocalResilience

Events and convenings can be powerful tools for advancing upward mobility—bringing stakeholders together, aligning priorities, and sharing data to drive change. That’s why members of the Urban Institute’s Mobility Action Learning Network have hosted events to support local efforts. Explore how communities are making it happen. https://urbn.is/3QvLV0N #UpwardMobility #Data #Communities

At Urban’s event on federal place-based development, Bradford Davy, former Chief of Staff to Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, highlighted the importance of building enduring A-1 partnerships. Watch the event video to learn more. https://urbn.is/4g9NPyf #Communities #Partnerships #Finance

As housing has become less affordable, research shows that young adults are feeling the pinch the most. Homeownership rates for ages 25–34 now trail those of past generations at the same age. Urban experts explore these trends, what they mean for the homeownership gap, and how policymakers could address them. Learn more this National Homeownership Month. https://urbn.is/442xPai #Housing #Affordability #Homeownership

Washington, DC, has seen the largest jump in residential electricity prices in the US over the past year—hitting those already struggling the hardest. Evidence shows the solutions are clear and the tools are already available. In this article, Urban experts outline three steps the next mayor and council can take to make energy more affordable. https://urbn.is/4uRE9w1 #Electricity #Affordability #DC

How can decisionmakers strategically use zoning reforms to increase the local supply of housing? In this article, Urban researchers explore how reforms in New York City and Philadelphia played out in two neighborhoods that experienced significant housing supply growth following upzonings: Gowanus, in Brooklyn, New York, and Philadelphia’s Fishtown. These cases illustrate key considerations for policymakers as they seek to solve growing housing affordability challenges. https://urbn.is/4vBssuO #Housing #Affordability #Zoning

Join the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy on 6/30 @ 1 p.m. ET for its fifth Giving Innovation Summit. Researchers, philanthropic leaders, policymakers, and sector infrastructure actors will explore trends shaping charitable #giving—from evolving donor behavior to growing gaps in public funding. Register now for this hybrid #event. https://urbn.is/4oN08mx #LiveatUrban

Since its creation 40 years ago, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has financed between 3.3 and 3.7 million affordable #rental homes—the largest federal source for rental #housing development. But LIHTC production hasn’t been evenly distributed. Urban Institute experts unpack the #data across states and metropolitan areas in this research article.