Sustainable Employment

Fri, 02/15/2008

"An entire street of boarded up, foreclosed houses."

video footage of Hendry Street in Dorchester

Carl Stevens of WBZnews radio reports with footage from Meeting House
Hill in Dorchester. It's worth it to see. It is one thing to read about all of the causes and repercussions of
foreclosures, but it's quite another to see the visual effect of how
the crisis is playing out in some neighborhoods, where tripledecker
homes, one after another after another, have been boarded up. Click the headline of this post to see the video, and let me know what you think.

You may also want to read the
editorial in today's Globe which points to a "virus of foreclosures" in the same neighborhood. (Thanks to Chris for pointing the editorial out for me via a comment on an earlier post. Click here, scroll down for his comment). read more »

1,625 people gained basic skills

Sustainable Employment

Because of United Way investments 1,625 people gained basic skills between July 1 and December 31, 2007.

2,346 people obtained employment

Sustainable Employment

Because of United Way investments between July 1 and December 31, 2007, 2,346 people obtained employment.

6,072 people gained job skills

Sustainable Employment

Because of United Way investments 6,072 people gained job skills between July 1 and December 31, 2007.

Meghan Keaney

Thu, 12/20/2007

A New Breed of Need / Mike Durkin interview

NBC segment on middle class families at risk. What do you think?

Last night, our new president and CEO, Mike Durkin, was interviewed on NBC nightly news as part of a segment called "A New Breed of Need." In the segment, NBC's Janet Shamilan reported on middle class families who, due to foreclosures or unexpected medical costs, are finding themselves in financial crisis. Brian Williams, who introduced the story summed it up in one phrase: "People who used to be donors are now in need of donation."

What's are your thoughts on this "national trend"? Its causes and long-term repurcussions?

Watch the video here then let me know what you think by posting a comment below. read more »

Guest Blogger

Tue, 03/18/2008

A New Perspective on Homelessness

Guest blogger Katie writes on Housing First

The following is a post from SpeakUnited's very first guest blogger. Katie is a 7th grader at Wellesley Middle School. She was introduced to Homelessness issues by her mother who helped to implement a program in London for homeless teens called Business Action on Homelessness. Katie also recently researched homelessness for a school assignment and interviewed United Way housing expert Liz Curtis. Click the headline to see her post. read more »

Elizabeth Curtis

Tue, 02/12/2008

A Personal Perspective on a Public Crisis

The economics behind the foreclosure crisis are more complicated than I initially thought.

On January 23, 2008 I bought my first home. At the same moment a single mother lost her home to the foreclosure process. Purchasing a home that was in foreclosure was difficult, both personally and professionally, but has given me a new perspective on what is happening across our country. read more »

Elizabeth Curtis

Thu, 11/15/2007

Achieving the American Dream

Are we better off than our parents?

On November 13, The Pew Charitable Trusts released three reports from their Economic Mobility Project. The series presents information about various aspects to economic mobility - they look at the issue from generational, racial, and gender-focused lenses. "Economic Mobility of Families Across Generations" by Julia Isaacs finds that generally adults who were in their 30s and 40s in 2000 had more income than their parents' generation. Some of this can be explained by women entering the workforce and a decrease in family size. Also, the report states that 2 out of 3 Americans have higher family incomes than their parents did, and the higher the parents' income, the higher the income of their adult children.

However, the news isn't all good... read more »

Paola Ferrer

Thu, 02/21/2008

Advising Section 8 Tenants whose buildings have been foreclosed

information is power *some tips for clients and advocates dealing with foreclosure

The foreclosure of rental properties is forcing renters out of their homes in record numbers. In previous blogs, we have spoken briefly about the shift of former homeowners into the rental market, and how this increased demand on the rental housing supply will –inevitably-drive up rents. We have, however, neglected to discuss some tools that can help tenants slow down the onslaught on housing stability caused by these foreclosures... read more »

Donna Stiglmeier

Fri, 06/13/2008

Are you good?

The reality of economic insecurity

The Center for Economic And Policy Research recently released a report Working Families and Economic Insecurity in the States: The Role of Job Quality and Work Supports” which found that only about one in four jobs are “good jobs” in a typical state, that is taking into account pay, employer-sponsored health insurance and retirement benefits.

In Massachusetts,
• 28.2% of jobs are “good jobs,” with a roughly equal amount
• 28.5% meets none of the ”good job” criteria
• 28% of people in working families are economically insecure read more »