INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH

Although the U.S. poverty rate was cut in half between 1959 and 2022, it remains stubbornly high at 11.5%, leaving nearly 40 million Americans—about one in 10—living below the poverty line. Research has shown those who live in the most impoverished neighborhoods in the U.S. are sicker and more stressed than those who live in well-off ones. They also see more violence, attend worse schools, and die at much younger ages. However, efforts to revitalize America’s poverty-stricken neighborhoods are many, including government-funded programs and private-public partnerships. A panel of experts in Washington, D.C. examined what’s working to improve America’s most at-risk neighborhoods by curbing violence, creating opportunity, and improving housing and education.

Chicago has a national reputation for violence. Even though shooting deaths dropped in the city last year, 664 people still died from gun violence. Research from IPR experts not only explains some of the city's most enduring problems, but it also shows that it is possible to find viable solutions to combat the city's violence. Join IPR and the Union League of Chicago's Public Affairs Committee for presentations and discussion on what the research reveals about crime in Chicago.

Over the years, many efforts have been made to improve early-learning environments as means to boost Americans' job and life prospects. Several new studies are fueling thought-provoking ideas as to what policymakers, parents, and researchers should consider when retooling early-education policies.