Noteworthy:
11/07: When Wages Don't Pay the Bills.
Learn More:
Link to a 11/1/07 Boston Globe Editorial.
Center for Social Policy,
McCormack Graduate School,
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125-3393
Phone: (617) 287 5550
Fax: (617) 287 5544
Related Research
For Information About Work Supports In Massachusetts
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
MLRI is a nonprofit statewide legal services support center which advocates for low-income people, minorities, immigrants, elders, and people with disabilities in their struggles for basic human needs; defend against measures that harm people living in poverty; advocate for systemic reforms that achieve social justice; and provide support that will enable others to carry out these objectives. This website has a helpful publications page with "how to" guides on housing, food stamps programs, family law, etc.
This website covers the six work supports mentioned in the BTG - Massachusetts Report and beyond. MassResources.org provides useful information about a wide range of assistance programs for people in need living in Massachusetts. It provides information on what benefits are available, how to apply, eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, and answers to commonly asked questions
Massachusetts
The Crittenton Women's Union transforms the course of low-income women's lives so that they can attain economic independence and create better futures for themselves and their families.
Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard
The Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project is a collaborative state organizing effort of Wider Opportunities for Women, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Corporation for Enterprise Development and the National Economic Development and Law Center. The project provides resources and technical assistance to community-based advocates and states on human resource investment policies to help move families out of poverty.
EITC - Earned Income Tax Credit (Boston Outreach)
Spearheaded by the Office of Mayor Thomas Menino and with over twenty non-profit, corporate, and community partners, the Campaign has provided low- and moderate-income taxpayers with free financial services since 2001
Massachusetts Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, that affect low- and moderate-income people in Massachusetts.
Founded in 1996, the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth – known as MassINC – is an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute. MassINC brings together diverse perspectives – including those held by conservatives and liberals, business and labor, advocates and policy makers – to focus on the challenge of achieving the American Dream in Massachusetts. To pursue our goals, we use independent research, a wide range of public events, and a unique approach to journalism
Center for Urban and Regional Policy
The Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, founded in 1999, is a "think and do tank" - a place where faculty, staff, and students pool their expertise, resources, and commitment to address a wide range of issues facing cities, towns, and suburbs with particular emphasis on the Greater Boston region.
The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy
The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy was established at the University of Massachusetts Boston through the initiative of Latino community activists and academicians in response to a need for improved understanding of Latino experiences and living conditions in Massachusetts. The task of the institute is to inform policy makers about issues vital to the Commonwealth's growing Latino community and to provide this community with information and analysis necessary for effective participation in public policy development.
The Institute for Asian American Studies
The Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston brings together resources and expertise from both the campus and community to conduct research on Asian Americans, promote Asian American community development, and support Asian American studies on campus.
The William Monroe Trotter Institute
The William Monroe Trotter Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston was founded in 1984 to address the needs and concerns of the Black community and communities of color in Boston and Massachusetts through research, technical assistance, and public service. Many forms of technical assistance are provided to community groups, organizations, and public agencies. The institute sponsors public forums as a means of disseminating research and involving the community in the discussion of public policy and other issues impacting Blacks locally and nationally.
The institute publishes the Trotter Review, a journal of articles addressing current Black studies, race, and race relations in the United States and abroad.
PERI - Political Economic Research Institute UMASS Amherst
The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) promotes human and ecological well-being through our original research. Our approach is to translate what we learn into workable policy proposals that are capable of improving life on our planet today and in the future
UMass Donahue Institute's Economic and Public Policy Research
The UMass Donahue Institute's Economic and Public Policy Research unit works with faculty on all five campuses to produce high-level economic and public policy research. The results of this research are disseminated as free-standing research reports and through MassBenchmarks, the quarterly journal of the Massachusetts economy published in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
National
The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, they should be informed about the problems and choices that they face. CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options.
Toward this end, CEPR conducts both professional research and public education. The professional research is oriented towards filling important gaps in the understanding of particular economic and social problems, or the impact of specific policie
The Economic Policy Institute's Family Budgets document how much it costs to attain a safe and decent standard of living in every community in the nation.
The Mobility Agenda seeks to highlight and devlop new policies to address the challenge of the low-wage labor market, by conducting a national scan of community initiatives, hosting regional stakeholder roundtables and publishing a series of policy briefs.
NCCP Family Resource Simulator
The National Center for Children in Poverty's Resource Simulator is an interactive web-based tool that calculates family resources and expenses. The result is a series of graphs that show the impact of public benefits on family resources and expenses as earnings rise.
Urban Institute's Low-Income Working Families
To promote sound social policy and public debate on national priorities, the Urban Institute gathers and analyzes data, conducts policy research, evaluates programs and services, and educates Americans on critical issues and trends
The Working Poor Families Project is a national initiative focused on state workforce development policies involving: 1) education and skills training for adults; 2) economic development; and 3) income and work supports. The WPFP supports state nonprofit groups to engage in a two-part, phased process that begins with an in-depth assessment of the economic conditions and state policies affecting working families and is followed by actions to strengthen those conditions and policies.
Contact Us: Donna Haig-Friedman 617-287-5550
donna.friedman@umb.edu