This IASP research brief reveals new evidence that the wealth gap between white and African American families has more than quadrupled over the course of a generation (1984-2007), demonstrating an escalating racial wealth gap.
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Webinar slides and recording.
CNN reported on this research on May 19. View the segment here.
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Severe Financial Insecurity Among African Americans and Latino SeniorsIASP and Demos report reveals that African Americans and Latinos are particularly at-risk of poverty and financial instability in their later years.
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Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment publishes IASP's Tatjana Meschede's research on chronically homeless street dwellers.
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IASP releases a new improved measure of asset poverty. This research and policy brief details the new measure, the Asset Security and Opportunity Index, and presents findings and implications for different household types and racial/ethnic groups.
Paul Willen, Senior Economist and Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, discussed the incentives lenders have which may answer the question of why more of them are not renegotiating troubled mortgages.
In "Community Assets - Expanding Beyond Individual Asset Ownership," IASP's Hannah Thomas and Thomas Shapiro build a case for the asset field to look not only to individual forms of ownership, but also to community forms of ownership that resonate with a place-based approach to community development.
This article appears in Chapter 18 of Building Healthy Communities: A Guide to Community Economic Development for Advocates, Lawyers and Policymakers, edited by Roger Clay, Jr. & Susan R. Jones.
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Barbara Ehrenreich and Dedrick Muhammad cite the IASP report "The Downslide before the Downturn: Declining Economic Security Among Middle Class African Americans and Latinos, 2000-2006" to illustrate the tenuous economic status of black middle class families before the current recession.
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Tatjana Meschede and Laura Sullivan were awarded funding for their study, "Negative Health Events and Wealth Trajectories for Working Age Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis and Exploration by Race and Ethnicity." This study investigates the impact of negative health events on life cycle savings and wealth building.
More NewsThe Institute on Assets and Social Policy is a research institute at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, dedicated to promoting a better understanding of how assets and asset-building opportunities improve the well-being and financial stability of individuals and families left out of the economic mainstream.
IASP pursues its mission through original research, policy analysis, program evaluation, technical assistance, community engagement, organizational capacity building, and leadership development to:
The Institute on Assets and Social Policy, in collaboration with our partner Demos , embarked on a three-year project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, examining the economic security and stability of America's middle class. The series to-date includes:
November 2007
By a Thread: The New Experience of America's Middle Class
By a Thread recommends policies to help open access to, and strengthen America's middle class. Legislative proposals in this report cover a range of important issues, including asset building and debt reduction, making higher education more accessible and affordable, and addressing the healthcare crisis. Report
February 2008
Economic (In)Security: The Experience of the African-American and Latino Middle Classes
By a Thread recommends policies to help open access to, and strengthen America's middle class. Legislative proposals in this report cover a range of important issues, including asset building and debt reduction, making higher education more accessible and affordable, and addressing the healthcare crisis. Report
November 2008
From Middle to Shaky Ground: The Economic Decline of America's Middle Class, 2000-2006
According to this new report, the third in a series based on the Middle Class Security Index, 76% of American middle class households are not financially secure. As the economy continues to rell, 4 million American households are either borderline or at high risk of falling out of the middle class altogether. Report
January 2009
Living Longer on Less: The New Economic (In)Security of Seniors
The new report by IASP and Demos finds 78% of all senior households are financially vulnerable when it comes to their ability to meet essential expenses and cover projected costs over their lifetime. Economic insecurity is particularly pronounced for single senior households - with 84% among them facing financial insecurity. Those sobering stats serve as an economic distress signal for older Americans and a wake-up call for younger and middle-aged Americans. Report
The Downslide before the Downturn: Declining Economic Security Among Middle Class African Americans and Latinos, 2000-2006
According to this new IASP and Demos report, households of color suffer dramatic declines in middle class economic security. Report
May 2010
Severe Financial Insecurity Among African American and Latino Seniors
IASP and Demos release research findings that 91% of both African American and Latino seniors face financial vulnerability. Latest report cites lack of assets and housing expenses as leading causes for the high financial insecurity among seniors of color. Report
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