Resources

Public Policy Updates

A number of national organizations produce regular, timely updates on public policy developments affecting communities. While they focus mainly on federal developments, some provide coverage of local and state developments as well. The Housing Assistance Council (www.ruralhome.org) and Rural LISC (www.rurallisc.org) updates have a rural focus. The other updates are from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org) and the Center for Community Change (www.communitychange.org).

The Comptroller of the Currency has released Effective Practices in Community Development Finance, which describes strategies that have helped selected national banks engage successfully in community development finance. An accompanying publication is the Community Development Resource Guide, an annotated compendium of resources intended to assist bankers, community groups, and public officials get information about community development programs and tools. The publications can be downloaded from the agency’s internet site www.OCC.treas.gov, or purchased for $15 per set by calling 202-874-4960.
 
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research sponsors an information service, HUDUSER, that makes the agency’s and other research available on line at www.huduser.org. HUDUSER may also be contacted at 800-245-2691; P.O. Box 6091, Rockville, MD 20849.

The Applied Research Center (ARC) has released its study Facing the Consequences: An Examination of Racial Discrimination in U.S. Public Schools. On every key indicator examined, from dropout and discipline rates to advanced placement courses, students of color are placed at a serious disadvantage in twelve large public US K-12 school districts. The Expose Racism & Advance School Excellence (ERASE) Initiative, a project of ARC, focuses on challenging institutional racism in public schools. You can find out more about the initiative and the report at www.arc.org or by writing ARC, 3781 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611.

Tools for Survival: An Analysis of Financial Literacy Programs for Lower-Income Families is a new report from the Woodstock Institute. It shows how low-income people are exploited by segments of the financial service sector and how many families lack the tools to avoid exploitative products and marketing. For a copy of the report, send a check or money order to Woodstock Institute, 407 S. Dearborn, Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60605. Nonprofits/Universities/Government: $15/copy. For-profits: $30/copy.

Grants: Corporate Grantmaking for Racial and Ethnic Communities is a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. It surveys the grantmaking of 124 leading companies in 15 industries in the benchmark year 1995 and finds that racial/ethnic communities received a low proportion of grants and the grants they received were smaller. The report is the only comprehensive listing of corporate grantmaking to racial/ethnic groups. Ordering information is available on-line at www.ncrp.org or by calling 202-387-9177.

The Other Feminists: Activists in the Liberal Establishment looks at the conditions of feminism and feminist reform efforts at The International Union of Electrical Workers, the Ford Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Council of Churches in the 1960s and 1970s. Written by Susan M. Hartmann, the book is available from Yale University Press, 800-987-7323.
 

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