Voices Blog – News & views for the community development field
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Short-term credentials and the labor market: Who stands to benefit?
Short-term credentials, such as certifications, are becoming more popular due to the timely and cost-effective targeted training they offer for specific jobs. However, their value varies widely across industries and educational levels, with mixed impacts on wages and employment outcomes.
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Un motor económico clave pero poco reconocido: la salud conductual
Dos entidades aparentemente incompatibles —la Fed de Nueva York y la Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Abuso de Sustancias (SAMHSA)— se unen para resaltar y abordar la conexión entre la salud mental, los problemas de adicción y los resultados económicos.
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![[Watch] Economic Insights from Lower-Income Communities: Findings from the 2024 Community Perspectives Survey](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/connecting-communities-economic-insights-low-income-communities.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] Economic Insights from Lower-Income Communities: Findings from the 2024 Community Perspectives Survey
In the Connecting Communities webinar, Federal Reserve Staff and leaders from national community development organizations discussed findings from the Community Perspectives Survey and how their organizations provide vital services to LMI communities and promote economic resilience and mobility. Watch or listen on demand.
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Small-business owners: Share your experiences with credit access this past year
Small-business owners help inform policy conversations and decision-making. Take the Federal Reserve Small Business Credit Survey.
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Community perspectives and conditions from the Fed’s Beige Book, August 2024
Here’s what nonprofit and community leaders, and workforce professionals serving lower-income people shared with the Federal Reserve for the August 2024 Beige Book.
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Manufacturing affordable homeownership, one unit at a time
Manufactured housing offers a uniquely affordable homeownership onramp at a time when aspiring buyers can’t afford pricier site-built homes. Even with perception and financing challenges to surmount, some are finding creative ways to extend this homeownership option to more buyers.
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How community colleges meet the needs of students and employers via non-credit programs
Non-credit training programs offered by community colleges can help address labor shortages by providing students with skills and credentials they need for specific occupations. Outreach by the Richmond Fed indicates that funding for these programs is inconsistent, and there are constraints for both students and institutions hoping to utilize these programs.
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![[Watch] Approaches to and Lessons Learned from Community-Engaged Research](https://fedcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/connecting-communities-community-engaged-research.jpg?w=1024)
[Watch] Approaches to and Lessons Learned from Community-Engaged Research
In this Connecting Communities webinar, hear examples of how community-engaged methods can highlight the experience of workers and jobseekers. Watch or listen on demand.
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Project highlights factors that influence Black business owners’ attitudes about debt
Data and conversations help inform reasons why Black businesses can be hesitant to apply for credit and emphasize the need for more education about the loan underwriting process.
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Community perspectives and conditions from the Fed’s Beige Book, July 2024
Here’s what nonprofit and community leaders, and workforce professionals serving lower-income people shared with the Federal Reserve for the July 2024 Beige Book.
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New playbook shows how and when key investments can drive sustainable change in communities
Strategies for addressing climate, health, and economic vulnerabilities come to life in a new playbook designed to build more resilient communities.
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The quarterly catch-up, Q2 2024
Check out the latest community development-related research, analyses, and articles from all 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors. This post captures content published between April 1 and June 30, 2024, on topics affecting marginalized communities.