Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago's poor: A model for America's cities
A report from the Illinois Policy Institute lays out a strategy for reducing poverty in Chicago, where more than 450,000 residents lived below the poverty line at the time of publication. The report argues that decades of government spending have failed to produce lasting improvements and calls for a new approach centered on work, opportunity and financial independence.
The report identifies seven major areas for reform, including reducing occupational licensing barriers, improving workforce training, restructuring safety-net programs, expanding affordable housing and strengthening families. It highlights the importance of employment, noting that just 2.3% of Chicagoans working full-time, year-round lived in poverty, compared with 39.7% of unemployed residents.
Perhaps most importantly, the report finds surprising agreement among policy experts across the political spectrum about what works. Its recommendations offer a framework for state and local leaders seeking to fight poverty through economic opportunity rather than simply expanding government assistance.
Read More: Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago's poor: A model for America's cities — Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D.
Related in Tools for Scaling Solutions
Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago's poor: A model for America's cities
A report from the Illinois Policy Institute lays out a strategy for reducing poverty in Chicago, where more than 450,000 residents lived below the poverty line at the time of publication. The report argues that decades of government spending have failed to produce lasting improvements and calls for a new approach centered on work, opportunity and financial independence.
The report identifies seven major areas for reform, including reducing occupational licensing barriers, improving workforce training, restructuring safety-net programs, expanding affordable housing and strengthening families. It highlights the importance of employment, noting that just 2.3% of Chicagoans working full-time, year-round lived in poverty, compared with 39.7% of unemployed residents.
Perhaps most importantly, the report finds surprising agreement among policy experts across the political spectrum about what works. Its recommendations offer a framework for state and local leaders seeking to fight poverty through economic opportunity rather than simply expanding government assistance.
Read More: Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago's poor: A model for America's cities — Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D.