This paper from the Anchor Institution Task Force (AITF) is a review of existing literature on anchor institutions that seeks to provide insight on the role of anchors in the transformation communities and guide future research. The paper finds that while an understanding of anchor institutions is growing, the field needs to extend the base of knowledge and continue to encourage institutions to have a leading role in the building of democratic communities and local economies.
A recent study from the Center for Housing Policy shows that, for the third year in a row, working renters face increased housing costs. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) collected in 2009, 2010 and 2011, this paper shows that despite falling mortgage rates and home prices, more than one in four working renter households (26.4 percent) spent more than half of their income on housing in 2011. This paper asserts that some of the underlying causes of these trends result from a loss of work hours among low- and moderate-income households and rising housing costs for renters, while housing costs dropped for owners.
Released by the International Labor Organization, this report focuses on how financial cooperatives survived the global economic crisis and succeeded while many investor-owned banks struggled. Tracing their history from Germany in the 1850s to the present, the author, Johnston Birchall shows how these financial cooperatives continue to provide banking services to people with low incomes, to stabilize the banking system, to regenerate local economies and to create employment. The report recommends that government promote and partner with financial cooperatives as a means of fostering stability, development and poverty alleviation.
This paper from the Anchor Institution Task Force (AITF) is a review of existing literature on anchor institutions that seeks to provide insight on the role of anchors in the transformation communities and guide future research. The paper finds that while an understanding of anchor institutions is growing, the field needs to extend the base of knowledge and continue to encourage institutions to have a leading role in the building of democratic communities and local economies.
A recent study from the Center for Housing Policy shows that, for the third year in a row, working renters face increased housing costs. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS) collected in 2009, 2010 and 2011, this paper shows that despite falling mortgage rates and home prices, more than one in four working renter households (26.4 percent) spent more than half of their income on housing in 2011. This paper asserts that some of the underlying causes of these trends result from a loss of work hours among low- and moderate-income households and rising housing costs for renters, while housing costs dropped for owners.
Released by the International Labor Organization, this report focuses on how financial cooperatives survived the global economic crisis and succeeded while many investor-owned banks struggled. Tracing their history from Germany in the 1850s to the present, the author, Johnston Birchall shows how these financial cooperatives continue to provide banking services to people with low incomes, to stabilize the banking system, to regenerate local economies and to create employment. The report recommends that government promote and partner with financial cooperatives as a means of fostering stability, development and poverty alleviation.
