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Research Reports

Indepth analysis of persistent problems in the field of community development. Woodstock's research reports contribute to the body of knowledge used by policymakers and community development practitioners.

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Bridging the Gap II: Examining Trends and Patterns of Personal Bankruptcy in Cook County’s Communities of Color 04/29/2011

This report examined geographical, gender-related, and chapter choice trends in data from federal bankruptcy courts in Cook County. It found that women make up a larger share of individual bankruptcy filers in all communities, and a dramatically larger share in African American communities, than men do. Additionally, bankruptcy filers in African-American communities are more than twice as likely as filers in predominantly white communities to choose Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The report concludes with recommendations to improve economic opportunity for individuals in African-American communities.

Press release | Fact sheet | Video | Audio Briefing (mp3)

Breaking Down Barriers: Prospects and Policies for Linking Jobs and Residents in the Chicago EZ 11/12/1996

Daniel Immergluck and Timothy Hilton

Analyzes job patterns in the Chicago Empowerment Zone (EZ), examining demographics of those who work in the EZ, the number of EZ jobs held by EZ residents, and the work locations of EZ residents. The report provides examples of efforts in Chicago and around the country aimed at linking neighborhood residents to nearby jobs and calls for increased attention to the barriers between jobs and residents in low-income urban areas.

Blindfolded Into Debt: A Comparison of Credit Card Costs and Conditions at Banks and Credit Unions 07/05/2005

Tim Westrich and Malcolm Bush

This report analyzes the deceptive effect of credit card terms and conditions and how these terms and conditions massively raise the cost of using credit cards and contribute to rising levels of consumer debt.

Beyond Payday Loans: Consumer Installment Lending in Illinois 03/19/2009

Tom Feltner and Sarah Duda

This report analyzes detailed, loan level data and describes the terms and conditions, borrower demographics, and default characteristics of loans made by consumer installment lenders in Illinois.

Benchmarking Branch Outcomes: Using Available Data to Analyze and Improve the Delivery of Retail Bank Services to Low-Wealth Communities 05/28/2009

Geoff Smith, Sarah Duda, and Malcolm Bush

This report demonstrates that measuring how well a bank provides basic banking services to low-wealth consumers could be done using existing data. Using proprietary data collected from two bank branches located in low-wealth communities, it shows that the type of transaction level data, previously thought to be unavailable to regulators and costly to collect for financial institutions, is routinely collected by at least one large bank for marketing purposes.

Barriers to Youth Connections to Work: The Case of Young People in the Low-Income Neighborhood of Caju in Rio de Janeiro 10/16/2007

Malcolm Bush

This paper takes advantage of an unusually detailed family and youth survey conducted by the Institute for the Study of Work and Society (IETS) in Rio de Janeiro in the low-income community of Caju close to downtown Rio. It describes the weak educational background of Caju youth and some of the reasons for that weakness. The results emphasize the precarious nature of low-income youth’s educational achievements and their attachment to the job market. They also demonstrate the wide variance in youth characteristics even in a single low-income neighborhood.

At the Crossroads of Jobs and Environment: Reducing Lead Hazards Through Community Employment 01/12/1999

Marva Williams and Marti Wiles

Produced under contract with Bethel New Life, this report describes how Bethel developed programs that reduce lead hazards in homes, educated the public about the dangers of lead poisoning, and trained and employed local residents.

An Analysis of Residential Lending Patterns in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Michigan 05/11/1999

Daniel Immergluck and Marti Wiles

Examines home lending patterns in the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area. Identifies possible lending disparities and community credit needs. Highlights ways to improve access to affordable mortgage credit for low-and moderate-income community residents, particularly those in Benton Harbor. Includes recommendations for local planning and action.

Accessing Markets and Fortifying Entrepreneurship: Sectoral Approaches to Microenterprise Development 03/14/2000

Marva Williams

This report analyzes how sectoral networks, a fairly recent innovation in microenterprise development in the United States, facilitate the establishment of formal and informal alliances between firms producing similar products or services. The programs profiled are: Rural Ohio's Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) Food Ventures program; and the Chicago-based Women's Business Development Center's (WBDC) Apparel Roundtable. The report describes each program's technical assistance, mentorship, and networking services and how the programs affect job creation, increased sales, and improved entrepreneurial capacity.

Access to Capital: Milwaukee's Continuing Small Business Lending Gaps 07/10/2001

Gregory Squires and Sally O'Conner

Analyzes patterns of small business lending in Milwaukee, WI and discovers significant discrepancies in such lending by race and income of neighborhood.

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