Fed Communities

The title says it all, almost. It doesn't say, however, that at least a few of the '5 things to know about participatory research' will most likely surprise you - and challenge your assumptions, practice and use of research! This quick article is sure to spark ideas on ways to better use research to engage communities, gather insights and move to action. What jumps out at you? Thanks to Jon Ford, Julie Siwicki and Jennifer Wilding for their leadership in this work, and their ability to boil down a big topic into 5 good points! #participation #communitydevelopment Fed Communities https://lnkd.in/eNCDian3

Oftentimes, neighborhoods that are home to concentrations of racial and ethnic populations and immigrants, have long legacies of disinvestment. Sometimes these same neighborhoods are also at heightened risk from natural disasters. While these overlapping problems might seem intractable, the fact that they concentrate in neighborhoods presents an opportunity. In this blog, colleagues from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York discuss their newly published playbook, What’s Possible: Investing Now for Prosperous, Sustainable Neighborhoods and unpack how combining resources and ideas can help communities overcome multiple problems at once, making for stronger, more resilient communities. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/eJ3QEpY6

For Native people living in rural areas with scarce housing stock, manufactured units can be a practical homeownership choice. Manufactured homes tend to have lower purchase prices than site-built houses. Delivered on-site as finished home structures, they also avoid the costs associated with from-scratch construction in remote places. Financing these manufactured homes, though, can cost Native borrowers on reservations two times what it would cost a white borrower off-reservation. “So, for Native borrowers, it’s twice as much paid in interest,” said Matthew Gregg, senior economist at the Center for Indian Country Development. “It means that, in this scenario, you’re paying more in interest than the principal when you completely pay off the loan.” Read on to find out why financing these manufactured homes are costing Native American borrowers so much more money. https://bit.ly/3XzpMQi

In our latest blog post, Jennifer F., Ana Kent, and Anna Tranfagila discuss the obstacles women face in the world of financial decision making. As women continue to face the barriers of gender pay gaps, retirement plans become increasingly challenging to create. “Additionally, because women have a longer life expectancy than men, their more meager funds must be stretched out over a longer time horizon, on average.” Check out our blog, “Facing the future solo: Understanding obstacles for single women and retirement” to learn more about their findings. #Retirement #Savings #WorkingWomen https://lnkd.in/e4vPRnjP

We are excited to debut our newest blog series called The Quarterly Catch-Up. Each quarter, Fed Communities will retrospectively share new community development-related research, analyses, and articles from all 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors in one convenient place. This blog captures select new content published by the Federal Reserve between April 1 and June 30, 2024, on housing, child care, equitable development, small business, employment, weather resiliency, and Native communities. Check it out! https://bit.ly/4btIqvV

Check out this opportunity from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Sixty-four percent of women-owned firms expect their revenue will increase in the next 12 months. In comparison, 56% of men-owned firms expect that revenue will increase in the next 12 months. This comparison and more are yours to read with the more than 40 Firms in Focus chartbooks now available. The Gender of Owners chartbook explores and compares firm performance, challenges, debt and financial services, financing, and demographics between men-owned, women-owned, and equally owned businesses, as gathered by the 2023 Small Business Credit Survey. For more findings like this one, download the Firms by Gender of Owners chartbook or others in the series. https://bit.ly/3Ktg8Xk

Native CDFIs use creative approaches to help their neighbors navigate homeownership in Indian Country, making notable progress even at their smaller scale. But they can’t do it alone. Most NCDFIs are nonprofit organizations that are responsible to their funders. Like any lender, they must do their due diligence and lend responsibly. “NCDFIs design their products keeping in mind the actual needs of the people they serve,” said Michou Kokodoko, Project Director in the Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. “They go to a greater length to make sure that the products are working.” Read on to find out how other lenders are joining NCDFIs to connect more Native homebuyers with the loans they seek. https://bit.ly/3VSTpL8

Did you miss our last #ConnectingCommunities webinar on findings from the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED)? The SHED is the main survey from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for tracking the financial circumstances of low- and moderate-income families and potential risks to their financial health. During this webinar, Federal Reserve Board of Governors researchers shared findings from the survey on trends in financial well-being. They also answered questions on the financial conditions among low- and moderate-income populations, based on the surveys results. The webinar and resources are now available on-demand. https://bit.ly/4eA4FmK

Anchor institutions are large, public-facing, public-serving institutions whose jobs and services support local economic activity. They are often among their area’s biggest employers and major purchasers of goods and services, but they also serve as critical partners in economic and community development. For example, in 2019, anchor institutions supported 569,500 jobs in New Jersey, generated nearly $44 billion in employment income, and contributed more than $65 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP). Check out this blog written by Deborah Diamond, director of the Anchor Economy Initiative at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and explore the Anchor Economy Dashboard to see how these institutions impact your local area. https://bit.ly/3XCuDzZ