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Success Story: COFI Scales Parent Engagement Work to New Communities and Constitutiencies - Wins Local and Statewide Change for Families and Young Children

December 19, 2017

An evaluative paper to explore findings on: How well does the COFI model work with a range of parents andcommunities to engage parents as leaders in their families, schools, communities and in building a powerful voice forparents on policy and systems change goals on behalf of young children and their families?

No Right Turn: Illinois' Auto Title Loan Industry and its Impact on Consumers

October 28, 2015

This study examines the auto title lending industry in Illinois. Auto title loans are a type of high-cost, small-dollar loan. They are similar to payday loans, but are secured by the title to the borrower's automobile. Title lenders operate in 25 states across the country, and each year an estimated two million American consumers take out title loans. This report examines data from two reports on the consumer lending industry released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (IDFPR) and loan-level data from court records of collection cases filed in Cook County.

Starting out Behind: Trends in Student Loan Burdens at For-Profit Colleges

May 11, 2015

This study analyzes the impact of postsecondary institution type and student characteristics on students' decision whether to borrow and how much to borrow to finance their education. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study from the 2011-2012 academic year, the study uses a two-stage regression model in order to estimate the impacts of student and institutional characteristics on the probability that a student would borrow and, for students who borrowed, their student debt burdens. The model controls for a number of financial resources available to students, institution characteristics, and student and family characteristics that could contribute to variations in debt between for-profit, nonprofit, and public colleges, including the total cost of attendance, amount of parental support, expected family contribution, and amount of grants received.

Data Matters: Chicago's Babies

October 31, 2014

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The Social IMPACT Research Center took a look at infant mortality rates and low birth weight rates of Chicago Community Areas and compared these data to the public health goals as outlined in the Chicago Department of Public Health's Healthy Chicago 2020 agenda, to see how Chicago babies were faring on these health indicators.

Chicago Neighborhood Indicators 2000-2012

May 2, 2014

Key statistics for Chicago neighborhoods from 2000-2012, including the following indicators:Chicago Community Areas by Race and EthnicityIndividuals in Households with Incomes below 100% FPL (Poverty)Individuals in Households with Incomes below 50% FPL (Extreme Poverty)Individuals in Households with Incomes from 100 to 199% FPL (Low Income)Educational Attainment of Population Age 25+Renter Households Paying Over 30% of Income on Housing CostsRenter Households Paying Over 50% of Income on Housing CostsHouseholds Receiving Cash Public AssistanceHouseholds Receiving SNAP (Food Stamps)Employment Status of the Population Age 16+Poverty Status by Family Type

50 Years Later: Report on Illinois Poverty

January 31, 2014

America holds a long-cherished reputation as a land of opportunity. Yet 50 years ago, more than one in five Americans lived in poverty. To combat this soaring inequality, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty in his 1964 State of the Union address. The War on Poverty was part and parcel of Johnson's Great Society, a set of programs and policies designed to tackle social problems of the day. Fifty years later, how much progress has been made?Half a century after our country committed to an "unconditional war on poverty," it's high time to recalibrate the war to fit 2014 realities. To that end, this report provides an unprecedented snapshot of the last 50 years and uses data on the modern face of poverty in Illinois to inform the retooling of existing solutions and spur new innovations to help end poverty.

Unresolved Foreclosures: Patterns of Zombie Properties in Cook County

January 24, 2014

This report examines the extent to which servicers are walking away from foreclosures in Cook County, Illinois, creating zombie properties, and how that practice may vary by the characteristics of the neighborhood in which the property is located.

Poverty Matters: It's Now 50/50, Chicago Region Poverty Growth is a Suburban Story

September 5, 2013

Nationwide, the number of people in poverty in the suburbs has now surpassed the number of people in poverty in central cities. Cities have long been thought to be home to the most and worst poverty. However, in the past several decades, the suburbs have experienced the greatest growth in poverty. In this brief, the Social IMPACT Research Center examines the distribution of poverty in Chicago and the suburbs over two decades. The findings suggest that from 1990 to 2011, poverty grew much more in the suburbs than in Chicago, and consequently, poverty became more equally distributed between Chicago and the suburbs.

Transit-Oriented Development in the Chicago Region: Efficient and Resilient Communities for the 21st Century

May 7, 2013

In this report CNT researchers evaluated the dynamics of the Chicago Region's 367 fixed Metra and CTA rail stations and station areas between 2000 and 2010. Using the National TOD Database, a first-of-its-kind web tool developed by CNT that provides access to comprehensive information about more than 4,000 transit zones across the United States, researchers identified the transit zones that performed well: those that anchored vital, walkable communities that possess an affordable, high quality of life with minimal impact on the environment. While Chicago made significant investments in TOD during that time period, researchers found that peer cities (based on extensive transit system size) had more successful development of transit zones. Six case studies. Five recommendations.

Illinois's 33%: Report on Illinois Poverty

January 1, 2013

This report explores key questions about poverty: Why does it exist? Who is at risk? Which communities are most affected? And, what are some solutions?

Struggling to Stay Afloat: Negative Equity in Communities of Color in the Chicago Six County Region

March 22, 2012

The following analysis examines patterns of negative equity in communities of different racial and ethnic compositions in the Chicago six county region. It combines 2011 data on negative equity in Chicago region ZIP codes with U.S. Census data on the racial/ethnic composition of ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA).

2011 Report on Illinois Poverty

February 8, 2012

The economic crisis has pushed poverty to its highest point in decades. Nearly 1 in 3 Illinoisans are now considered poor or low income, an astounding statistic. 1 out of every 3 of us. Experiences of struggling Illinoisans are highlighted throughout the report. They are trapped between a rock and a hard place.