Author: Gabriella Chiarenza
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The benefits cliff, explained
A benefits cliff can make a family feel like their hard work really isn’t paying off or helping them get ahead. Why is the benefits cliff issue so hard to address? And what are some communities doing to tackle it?
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Taking structural roots into account to address the US racial wealth gap
The US racial wealth gap isn’t shrinking. Here’s why strategies that consider the problem’s deeper roots could make a difference.
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Investing in community expertise, Tennessee takes on the benefits cliff
Find out how a pilot program in Nashville, Tennessee plans to help 900 families overcome the benefits cliff.
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![[Watch] Investing in community expertise, Tennessee takes on the benefits cliff](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/mackeisha-jenkins-1920x1280-1.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] Investing in community expertise, Tennessee takes on the benefits cliff
In this 3-minute documentary, get to know people participating in a pilot program in Nashville, Tennessee that expects to help 900 families navigate benefits cliffs.
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The essential role of those who’ve been there in Maine’s approach to the benefits cliff
Experts and policymakers reveal steps they’re taking in Maine to effect change within a challenging system with help from those who’ve navigated benefits cliffs.
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![[Watch] ‘I’ve been there’: How those who’ve faced the benefits cliff drive change](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/kandie-cleaves-1920x1280-1.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] ‘I’ve been there’: How those who’ve faced the benefits cliff drive change
Facing a benefits cliff can make accepting a new or better job surprisingly difficult. Hear from three advocates in Maine who are using their own experiences to change things for the better.
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Who can access their dream of homeownership?
Homeownership is an onramp to wealth for some Americans. For others, buying a house is out of reach. Here’s one way to pinpoint who is getting their foot in the door, and where.
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A hand up, not a handout, to cross the benefits cliff
Losing public assistance benefits when their income goes up incentivizes some workers to stay in low-paying jobs. It discourages others who are willing to work from joining the workforce. Explore the issue and what’s being done.
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![[Infographic] Which public benefits do people lose when they go over the benefits cliff?](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/playdate-illustration-1920x1280-1.jpg?w=1024)
[Infographic] Which public benefits do people lose when they go over the benefits cliff?
Families with a lower income are more likely to use certain public benefits—and lose them with a small raise or higher-paying job. Here are some of the most common benefits people can lose when they go over a benefits cliff.
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Surveys highlight Black-owned small businesses’ credit access challenges; study hints at a fairer approach
Automated underwriting processes used by some lenders may have reduced racial disparities in accessing the Paycheck Protection Program.