Populations with Low Incomes

Since its founding, MDRC has focused on improving opportunities for economic mobility and people who are unemployed or underemployed.
Highlights
Report

Rent Reform Demonstration Baseline Report

Housing Choice Vouchers subsidize rent and utilities for homes that families rent from private landlords. The Rent Reform Demonstration is testing an alternative rent policy for voucher recipients. This report describes the new policy, the rationale behind each of its elements, and the way it is being evaluated.

Brief

Three-Year Impacts from the WorkAdvance Demonstration

WorkAdvance offers training and placement services to help prepare individuals for quality jobs in sectors that have strong local demand and advancement opportunities. In this update on employment and earnings only, the most experienced provider continued to produce substantial impacts on both; one other provider increased earnings for late enrollees.

Brief

Findings from the Subprime Lending Data Exploration Project

Medical debt was a main theme emerging from a survey and interviews with individuals who use payday or subprime installment loans. Many respondents reported using such loans to pay medical bills or to cover regular expenses that may have originated from a health-related emergency.