Fall 2012
Complete Issue 
Contents
The Role of Food Stamps in the Recession
by Ben Senauer, University of Minnesota
Without food stamps, the recession would have hurt the working poor even more than it did. The average benefit of $134 per person per month served the purpose, saving many from hunger.
Moving Skills from Low to High
by Jorge A. Acero,
Maine Bureau of Employment Services
After job losses in manufacturing, a new program to give workers the skills most in demand at companies in Maine has been a win-win-win for workers, employers, and communities.
How Peers Affect Student Performance
by Kevin Todd, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
New research, including a study by Tim Sass and the Boston Fed's Mary Burke, helps identify what combination of ability levels among students is most effective at promoting learning.
Community Lending:
A Driver for Bank Growth
by Peter Hollands,
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Financial institutions that make loans for affordable housing and economic development do well by doing good. One bank booked $125 million of good CRA-eligible loans in 2010 and 2011.
For Financial Literacy, the Play's the Thing
by Claire Greene, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
A theater project partially funded by a bank got teens to create a play from interviews they conducted with 80 respondents on the topic of money. Come see the play October 18.
Resilience Circles Born
in a Struggling Economy
by Sarah Byrnes, Institute for Policy Studies
As banking giants tottered, small groups got together to discuss possible repercussions and to provide mutual support. Resilience Circles born then are spreading today.
The Role of Mediation in Foreclosures
by Robert Clifford, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Using testimony that he presented at the Massachusetts state house, the author shows that having a lender, a homeowner, and a neutral third party negotiate in person can prevent foreclosure.
Mapping New England:
Income Distribution by County
by Kaili Mauricio, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Franklin County, Vermont, has the smallest gap between low-income and high-income residents. Nantucket County, Massachusetts, has the biggest gap. Check the map for your county.
Geographic Segregation:
The Role of Income Inequality
by Benjamin Forman and Caroline Koch, MassINC
A new study shows that as income inequality grows and higher-income people seek communities with better schools, the old neighborhood becomes segregated by income and is less likely to provide access to opportunity.
Incarceration and Community Health
by Brad Brockmann and Josiah D. Rich,
Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights
Poverty, illiteracy, and harsh sentences for minor offenses often result in prisons full of poor minorities. Those suffering from addictions could be treated more effectively in communities.
When Neighboring Jurisdictions
Collaborate on Housing
by Susan Longworth,
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Some municipalities are banding together to leverage funding for housing challenges that don't respect boundaries. The author explains how interjurisdictional collaboration works.
Articles may be reprinted if Communities & Banking and the author are credited and the following disclaimer is used: "The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston or the Federal Reserve System. Information about organizations and upcoming events is strictly informational and not an endorsement."
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