Family Stability
We advocate for families that struggle to meet their basic needs but seek stability and success. Every family should be secure and stable in its finances, housing, health, and family relationships. Stability with basic needs helps families remain self-reliant and avoid falling into long-term poverty.
When families face unexpected setbacks, they should be able to rely on an effective, humane safety net that offers temporary support and stability until they can regain their self-reliance.
We advance public policy ideas that help families become and remain stable and self-reliant so they can pursue happiness and success.
Eviction Mediation Can Help Prevent Homelessness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") recently announced it was ending its eviction moratorium and has now extended it to October 3 for counties with "substantial and high levels" of coronavirus transmission. Whether now or in the future, many people...
Biden Is Right: Americans Should Not Receive Unemployment Benefits if They Can Work
There has been some debate about President Biden's recent statement that Americans who turn down jobs won't be able to...
Support for Utah Bill HB 68: Full Disclosure for Tenants
Utah bill HB 68 (Rental Expenses Disclosure Requirements) would make the rental process for tenants more fair and...
How We Respond to the Homelessness Crisis in Salt Lake City Will Define Us
Board member Derek Miller recently wrote an op-ed for the Deseret News discussing the dire situation of hundreds of...
As Family Goes, So Go the Public Schools
When it comes to education, Florida faces a paradox: Its public schools are highly rated, but its students register just average scores and high suspension rates. The Urban Institute in a recent...
Utah’s KIDS COUNT child health ranking drops from 7th in 2015 to 27th in 2016
Utah now has one of the lowest rates of child health insurance coverage in the nation. Even more alarming, Utah is worst in the nation for insuring Hispanic children and children with family incomes...
America’s War on Poverty
Paul Mero, president and CEO, recently wrote an op-ed for the Deseret News about our need to recognize the human dignity of those who are poor. Here are a couple of excerpts: [A]t the heart of...
Poverty is a Thriving Industry in Utah
The purpose of the War on Poverty in 1964 was to have the “maximum feasible participation of the poor” involved in planning, employment and implementation of the program. Its intent was supposed to...
Strengthening Our Safety Net: A Proposal, Utah Health Policy Project
There are holes in our safety net, most notably in dental and specialty care, funding for medications, lab tests, imaging, mental health, and inpatient services. In some locations there are no...
The Gini Coefficient-Income Inequality
The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of variance. It is often applied to measure inequality of incomes in a particular area. A score of "0" on the Gini coefficient represents complete...
Utah Leads in Volunteering and Civic Engagement
Utah leads the nation in volunteer service. A 2015 report shows that 43.23% of Utahns volunteer in some capacity, with Minnesota coming in second at 35.43%. Nevada falls in at 48th, with only 19.61%...
Marriage, Penalized: Does Social-Welfare Policy Affect Family Formation?, Institute for Family Studies
The expanding reach of the welfare state means that a substantial share of lower-middle-class couples with children receive such aid—and many of these couples receive more generous support if they...
Utah Leads in Charitable Giving
Utah typically leads the nation in charitable giving. About 71 percent of Utahns reported having donated money to charity, and on average, families donated 6.6 percent of their household income....
Thesis: Poverty Cycles in Utah: How teen mothers hurt themselves, their children and society
By reducing the number of adolescents who become pregnant, health care, welfare, and education costs would decrease while tax revenue and education completion rates would increase. Read more.
About Us
We are advocates for those who are poor and disadvantaged. Our mission is to lift every person in need to prosperity and self-reliance through sound public policy that affirms each person’s human dignity and allows for every opportunity to flourish. We work with all people of good will who share our vision.
We invite you to join us. . . .
