Multimedia
Social Safety Net Timeline
Living Wage Map and Graph
SNAP in VA
Web Series
How to modify poverty calculations for college towns
There is a straightforward way to compare official poverty rates with non-student poverty rates using publicly-available Census Bureau data.
How much does the social safety net help?
See how much the social safety net contributes to a household’s available resources.
Happy birthday, Mollie Orshansky!
She changed the way we think about poverty with her measure that was groundbreaking for her time.
Who is hungry in Virginia?
To understand who is hungry in Virginia, we need to look beyond SNAP to those ineligible for the program.
Modest, secure, or self-sufficient? Living wage in Virginia:
How do researchers calculate living wage? Turns out, it’s not that easy. Let’s check out living wage calculations for Virginia.
Low-wage workers are more diverse than you think:
Understanding how an increased minimum wage will affect individuals first requires examining common arguments about low-wage workers.
Extended families: Weapon against child poverty?
By banding together, the members of extended families pool economic resources, which may help keep them above poverty.
Will promoting marriage solve childhood poverty in Virginia?
In 2011, one in three Virginia children lived in economic insecurity.
Family matters
Broadening the definition of family unit sets up a more accurate measure of economic (in)security.
The Farm Bill’s odd couple: SNAP and agriculture
Wonder why the SNAP and agriculture are in the same bill? Here is a brief history.
SNAP in Virginia
Participation rate varies across Virginia, but are generally higher among those localities the greatest distance from the D.C. metro area.
Official poverty estimates, in the US and the Commonwealth
There is considerable variation in the poverty rates not only across the country, but also within the Commonwealth.
How to succeed financially: the American template
With high unemployment, lower real incomes, and rising college debt burdens, saving is difficult for many young Americans.
We need to talk about debt
Our increased thriftiness is not necessarily a sign of changed attitudes and behaviors as much as changed circumstances.
The individual mandate stays but what about medicaid?
Forcing states to comply with the expansion, lest they lose all Medicaid funding, was deemed unconstitutional.
Refund anticipation loans ending in 2012
Like other short-term, high-cost loans, RALs can pose serious threats to the economic well-being of individuals and families.
A deeper look at aggregrate data analysis
An article in the National Review drew some interesting conclusions about the growth of the social safety net during the ongoing Recession.
Reports
New Insights on Childhood Poverty
Nearly one in three Virginia children lives in economic insecurity.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in VA
In 2012, 11.6 percent of Virginians received benefits every month from SNAP.
Virginia Poverty Measure
The Virginia Poverty Measure (VPM) was developed to provide a more contemporary and accurate picture of the Virginia population in economic distress.
Insights from the New Virginia Poverty Measure
This report highlights the major findings from the Virginia Poverty Measure publication.
Who Are Virginia’s Poor?
Part one of a two-part report on the social safety net examines the current state of poverty in Virginia.
The Role of the Social Safety Net
Part two of a two-part report illuminates the role of public programs developed to alleviate poverty and support financial security.
Building economic security for Virginia families
This report looks at the income and asset adequacy of Virginia households.
Undermining economic security
This study describes the types of alternative financial services available in Virginia.