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Community perspectives and conditions from the Fed’s Beige Book, November 2024
Here’s what nonprofit and community leaders, and workforce professionals serving lower-income people shared with the Federal Reserve for the November 2024 Beige Book.
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Latest news and views
Get insights from the Fed’s community development teams and their collaborators.
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Coalition draws on local benefits cliff lessons to inform national approach
Dozens of experiments across the country aim to mitigate workers’ benefits cliffs as their incomes rise and assistance lessens. A coalition of 13 of these pilots now plans to share what they have learned and practiced with policymakers, employers, and funders.
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Lower-income neighborhoods face greater flood risk, tougher recovery
Increasingly frequent and severe flooding can have devastating impacts on communities. The Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Cleveland, and Philadelphia examine flood risk in their regions and the implications for low-and-moderate income communities.
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![[Watch] Exploring Possibilities of Investing Now for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/connecting-communities-exploring-possibilities-investing-prosperous-sustainable-neighborhoods.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] Exploring Possibilities of Investing Now for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods
During this Connecting Communities webinar, New York Fed Staff and community leaders discussed solutions to address urgent climate and community needs that affect vulnerable and lower-wealth communities of color. Watch or listen on demand.
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Built to fail? Contracts for deeds often sell a homeownership illusion
Contract for deed homeownership agreements can appeal to lower-priced home buyers who believe they are unable to qualify for or secure a mortgage. But CFDs often lack consumer protections and can cost unsuspecting buyers their home and their investment in it.
People, partners, and progress
Explore inspiring stories and profiles showcasing the collaborative efforts and impactful work in community development across the Federal Reserve System.
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Samantha Porter unites applied research and outreach in her community development work
Sam Porter brings her previous public service work to help the Philadelphia Fed promote economic growth and improve access to opportunity in underserved communities.
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Opportunity Finance Network: It takes more than money to serve the underserved
As mission-driven lenders, community development financial institutions (CDFIs) invest their funds and capacity building in underserved areas. Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) supports these unique organizations, working with the Fed to understand CDFIs’ impact.
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Javier Silva elevates the perspectives of Spanish-speaking communities around climate resilience and health economic outcomes
At work, Javier Silva brings together two distinct but important worlds of community development and the Spanish language. “In community development I try to help areas that are underserved and need attention on health equity and climate resiliency /adaptation—two of our team’s thematic focus.”
Explore data and research
From survey findings to dashboards, the Fed’s data can inform collaborative efforts between policymakers, employers, and educators.
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Read more →: Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A ToolkitUsing Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit
The toolkit offers insights on using community-engaged qualitative research practices gleaned from the Federal Reserve’s Worker Voices Project and shows how others can use these methods in their own work. This toolkit is for researchers, policymakers, employers, and workforce organizations interested in partnering with the populations they serve and elevating community perspectives.
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Read more →: Community Perspectives Survey: Insights from the field—Health of entities serving low- and moderate-income communitiesCommunity Perspectives Survey: Insights from the field—Health of entities serving low- and moderate-income communities
The second report from the 2024 Community Perspectives Survey focuses on the health of organizations serving low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities and discusses the challenges they face. These organizations provide vital services to lower-income communities and infrastructure that promotes economic resilience and mobility.
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Read more →: Community Perspectives Survey: Insights from the field—Economic conditions in low- and moderate-income communitiesCommunity Perspectives Survey: Insights from the field—Economic conditions in low- and moderate-income communities
The 2024 Community Perspectives Survey, conducted nationally by the Federal Reserve, provides an overview of economic conditions in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. The first report examines key findings in the areas of housing, employment, financial stability, health, education, small business and access to technology.
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Read more →: Worker Voices Special Brief: Self-Employment, Dreams Versus RealityWorker Voices Special Brief: Self-Employment, Dreams Versus Reality
Worker Voices participants described weighing the tradeoffs of self-employment from the independence it gave to its income generation potential. This research found that participants were pushed or pulled into self-employment for a variety of factors and their experiences did not align with their expectations of this work.