Finance and Banking

Changing the Narrative to Change the Policy: Ending Hunger in America

2022

This brief represents the insight and expertise of people with lived experience and their solutions to address poverty and hunger in America.

Policy Solutions to End Hunger in America: Calling on the White House for Radical Strategy Change

2022

This policy brief outlines the solutions necessary to make true and lasting change regarding food insecurity and diet-related health through both specific programmatic changes and larger-scale philosophical shifts.

Systemic Challenges to Implementing Universal Basic Income

2022

This policy brief explains the fundamental issues with public assistance programs such as SSI and SSDI that are creating barriers to executing Universal Basic Income on a larger scale outside of current pilot programs.

SNAP Participants Collaborative: Improve SNAP Benefits to Promote Health and Reduce Hunger

2021

Participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are the true experts on the program. In this brief, they summarize the current challenges of the program and offer specific policy recommendations to improve its ability to address food insecurity across the United States.

Minimum Wage is Not Enough: A True Living Wage is Necessary to Reduce Poverty and Improve Health

2021

The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour for more than 12 years. While the U.S. minimum wage was never truly a living wage, over time it has done less to reflect the true value of workers and no longer supports families in a way that promotes health and keeps them out of poverty. Many arguments have been made against raising the federal minimum wage. This brief lays out the clear benefits to individual workers, businesses, and the community that outweigh the potential challenges that will arise from providing a living wage to all workers.

Public Health Rationale for Divesting from Police

2021

This policy brief provides an argument for defunding the Philadelphia Police Department by examining city's proposed fiscal year 2022 budget. It provides recommendation on diverting funding to other city resources to more effectively address the major public health issues impacting Philadelphia, including violence.

Universal Basic Income: Key to Reducing Food Insecurity and Improving Health

2021

This policy report highlights the challenges of the current public benefits programs in addressing poverty and provides an overview of universal basic income as a viable solution, including results from almost 50 years of guaranteed income pilot programs.

Financial Health: The Root of Economic Security - Defining and Measuring a New Social Determinant of Health

2020

This 2020 research brief introduces financial health as a measurable concept underlying elements of economic hardship (housing, food and energy insecurity) that can contribute to greater health equity. The study demonstrates that financial health has a significant impact on overall well-being and belongs in the discussion of social determinants of health.

Pennsylvania Cash Assistance Behind the Times

2020

This 2020 policy brief looks at the decline in Pennsylvania TANF cash grants and provides suggested changes to support families.

Reducing Food Insecurity Without Food: Trauma-Informed Financial Education Program Improves Food Security

2020

This 2020 report shows that participation in a trauma-informed educational program reduced the odds of household food insecurity for families with low or no income.

From Disparities to Discrimination: Getting at the Roots of Food Insecurity

2018

In this 2018 report, research from Children HealthWatch in Philadelphia documents differences in food insecurity in relation to experiences with racial and ethnic discrimination. Additional briefs spotlight the discrimination experienced in public, healthcare, school, work, and criminal justice system.

Trauma-Informed TANF: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Two-Generation Impact

2018

This 2018 report highlights the positive impact of incorporating trauma-informed peer support into financial education and standard TANF programming.

TANF Sanctions

2015

This 2015 report looks at the impact of sanctions on those receiving TANF (cash welfare) benefits.

Punishing Hard Work: Consequences of Cutting SNAP Benefits

2013

This 2013 Children's HealthWatch report looks at the “cliff effect” related to nutrition assistance programs and offers policy recommendations that would ensure families can climb to economic independence and not “fall off a cliff” when they begin to make progress toward self-sufficiency.

The Real Cost of a Healthy Diet

2011

This 2011 report looks at the cost of a healthy diet by examining the affordability and accessibility of food for those receiving SNAP benefits, based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan.