Populations with Low Incomes

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

Issue Focus Population

People in Low-Wage Jobs People Receiving Public Assistance People in Public Housing People Who Are Unemployed or Underemployed People Involved in the Criminal Justice System

Highlights

Report

Reducing Work Disincentives in the Housing Choice Voucher Program

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.

Overview »

Full

Brief

Can Sector Strategies Promote Longer-Term Effects?

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.

Overview »

Full

Brief

Medical Debt and Subprime Borrowing

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.

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College Completion Fund Project Focus Area: Developmental Education Financial Aid Institutional Reform Student Services Instruction and Curricula Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes	The Noncredit Career and Technical Education Study at the Virginia Community College System Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Job Training	Employment Services for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment
Individual Placement and Support Model for Employment Services Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment	Career Impact Bonds (CIBs) Project Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Financial Aid Population: Young Adults Populations with Low Incomes	Google’s Career Certificates Initiative Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Sectoral Training, Job Training
From Theory to Practice (T2P) Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes	Understanding Transit Riders' Payment Decisions and the Role of Cash in King County, Washington Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Behavioral Interventions	Evaluation of the CARES Act’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Focus Area: Financial Aid Population: Young Adults Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Aid
Pay for Success Clean Energy Training Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Youth Employment Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Sectoral Training, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: New York	Returning Citizens Stimulus Study Focus Area: Corrections and Reentry Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes	Building and Sustaining the Early Care and Education Workforce (BASE) Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Job Retention and Advancement Population: Children and Schools Populations with Low Incomes Families
Supporting Moves to Opportunity Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives Locations: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin	CTE Advise: Advising Tools in Secondary Education Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Youth Employment Job Retention and Advancement Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Employment Services, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs	Head Start Connects Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Work Support and Asset Building Population: Children and Schools Families Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management
Moving To Work Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives	Creating Moves to Opportunity Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives Locations: Washington	MDRC Center for Effective Career and Technical Education Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Youth Employment Job Retention and Advancement Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Employment Services, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs
Get Ready Guilford Initiative Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Children and Schools Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: School Readiness, Case Management, Coordinated Care/Care Management, Home Visiting Locations: North Carolina	Child First Focus Area: Health Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Home Visiting Locations: Connecticut, North Carolina	Grameen America Evaluation Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: New Jersey
TANF Data Innovation Focus Area: Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Low Incomes	MDRC Center for Data Insights: Improving Programs and Systems with Actionable Data Science Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Young Adults Families	The Cascades Job Corps College and Career Academy Pilot Evaluation Focus Area: Youth Employment Student Services Job Retention and Advancement Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Population: Young Adults Children and Schools Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Sectoral Training, Student Services, Classroom Services, Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, GED Completion, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Washington
College Promise Success Initiative Focus Area: Financial Aid Student Services Population: Young Adults Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Student Services, Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives, Financial Aid Locations: California, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island	Building Evidence on Employment Strategies (BEES) Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment	Understanding Poverty: Childhood and Family Experiences Focus Area: Family Relationships Two-Generation Programs Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Low Incomes Families
Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP) Focus Area: Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Youth Employment Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: GED Completion, Job Training, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs Locations: Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York	The TechHire and Strengthening Working Families Initiative Evaluation Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services	Family Rewards 2.0 Focus Area: Financial Incentives Two-Generation Programs High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Families Intervention: Financial Incentives Locations: New York, Tennessee
The Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation, Long-Term Follow-Up Focus Area: Health Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Home Visiting	MyGoals for Employment Success Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Financial Incentives Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: Maryland, Texas	Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt Focus Area: Family Relationships Child Support Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Locations: Arizona, California, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia
Families Forward Demonstration Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Child Support Population: Populations with Low Incomes Families Intervention: Sectoral Training, Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Colorado, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington	Breaking Barriers San Diego Focus Area: Welfare Reform Disability Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Welfare-to-Work, Case Management, Employment Services Locations: California	Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency-Next Generation Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Families Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Intervention: Behavioral Interventions
The SNAP Employment and Training Evaluation Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Welfare Reform Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Reemployment Programs, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia	Improving Contraceptive Options Now (ICON) Focus Area: Health Population: Young Adults Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Counseling/Advising	Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services (BICS) Project Focus Area: Child Support Two-Generation Programs Family Relationships Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Behavioral Interventions Locations: California, Colorado, Dist. of Columbia, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Vermont, Washington
MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS) Focus Area: Child Support Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Welfare Reform Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Families Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools	Subprime Lending Data Exploration Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes	NYC Change Capital Fund’s Economic Mobility Initiative Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment Families Locations: New York
SaveUSA Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas	Rent Reform Demonstration Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives	WorkAdvance Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: New York, Ohio, Oklahoma
Paycheck Plus: Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for Single Adults Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Asset Building, Financial Incentives Locations: Georgia, New York	The Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE)-Strong Start Focus Area: Health Family Relationships Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Home Visiting Locations: California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin	Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) Focus Area: Health Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Home Visiting
The Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management, Asset Building, Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: California, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas	Chicago’s New Communities Program Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Elementary and Middle School Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Population: Populations with Low Incomes Locations: Illinois	Opportunity NYC Demonstrations Focus Area: Financial Incentives Two-Generation Programs High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Families Intervention: Financial Incentives Locations: New York
Design Options for Home Visiting Evaluation Focus Area: Health Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Home Visiting	WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs Gold Standard Evaluation Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin	Mayor’s Fund & Center for Economic Opportunity Social Innovation Fund Project Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Young Adults Intervention: Sectoral Training, Reemployment Programs, Asset Building, Financial Incentives, GED Completion, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency Project Focus Area: Child Support Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Families Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Intervention: Behavioral Interventions	Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington	Supporting Healthy Marriage Focus Area: Family Relationships Two-Generation Programs Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Relationship Education, Parenting Skills Programs, Counseling/Advising Locations: Florida, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington

Pretrial Justice Reform Study Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes	Work Rewards Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Financial Incentives Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives, Employment Services Locations: New York	Process and Impact Evaluation of New York City’s Pretrial Supervised Release Program Focus Area: Pretrial Justice Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Locations: New York
Nudges to Increase Customer Engagement (NICE) in Child Support Programs Focus Area: Child Support Two-Generation Programs Family Relationships Population: Families Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Behavioral Interventions Locations: New York	Childhood Asthma Scan Focus Area: Health Population: Children and Schools Families Populations with Low Incomes	The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Locations: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Washington
The “Make Work Pay” Experiments Focus Area: Financial Incentives Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Financial Incentives Locations: Canada, Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin	Evaluations of State Welfare-to-Work Programs Focus Area: Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Low Incomes Populations with Barriers to Employment Intervention: Reemployment Programs, Welfare-to-Work, Case Management, GED Completion, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: California, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin	TANF/SSI Disability Transition Project Focus Area: Disability Health Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management, Employment Services
AutoSave Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Asset Building Locations: California, New York, Ohio	Employment Retention and Advancement Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Welfare Reform Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Reemployment Programs, Welfare-to-Work, Case Management, Financial Incentives, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: California, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas	Next Generation Focus Area: Two-Generation Programs Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Welfare-to-Work Locations: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin
Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education Population: Populations with Low Incomes Families Locations: Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington	Work Advancement and Support Center Demonstration Focus Area: Work Support and Asset Building Job Retention and Advancement Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Benefits Planning, Case Management, Counseling/Advising, Employment Services, Financial Incentives, Job Training, Reemployment Programs Locations: California, Connecticut, Ohio, Texas	California Works for Better Health Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Health Population: Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Employment Services Locations: California
The UK Employment Retention and Advancement Project Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Financial Incentives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Families Intervention: Employment Services, Financial Incentives, Job Training, Reemployment Programs, Welfare-to-Work Locations: United Kingdom	The Camden Regional Equity Demonstration Project Focus Area: Housing/Community Initiatives Population: Populations with Low Incomes Locations: New Jersey

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Populations with Low Incomes

Current Projects

Completed Projects