Indepth analysis of persistant problems in the field of community development. Woodstock's research reports contribute to the body of knowledge used by policymakers and community development practitioners.
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.
Uses new CRA data to analyze lending by 50 largest small business lenders in the Chicago area. Ranks lenders by their tendency to lend to lower-income areas and smaller firms in such areas.
This Alert is a call to action for community organizations and others
concerned about the impact of electronic funds transfer (EFT) on
low-income households. It provides a summary of regulations proposed by
the Treasury Department and recommendations on how they can be
improved. An analysis of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) in Illinois
demonstrates why currency exchanges should be prohibited from serving
as EFT access points.
This alert examines two proposed changes to the
regulation of the Community Reinvestment Act: A regulation
calling for the collection and disclosure of small business loan
application and origination data for banks and savings and loans by
census tract. Second, a proposal calling for the use of some objective
measures as key indicators of a bank's responsiveness to credit and
capital needs. Woodstock Institute found that on both these central
changes, the revised proposal is a substantial retreat from earlier
progress.
An analysis comparing the residents of a modest-income urban
neighborhood to jobs in and around the neighborhood, utilizing
specialized census data showing how many residents work in and around
the neighborhood. The study provides evidence supporting the importance
to local residents of economic activity in city neighborhoods.
